Politics

• Berates other parties’ candidates for lack of blueprint

By Francis Ekeh

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has praised the Party’s Candidate for Imo East Senatorial District, Uche Onyeagucha, on the occasion of public presentation of his manifesto and legislative agenda captioned “My Legislative Covenant With Nde Owerri Zone”.

The event which held on Thursday, October 6, 2022, marked a very distinguishing start to Onyeagucha’s journey to the Senate and his widely-accepted quest to offer an effective representation to the people of Owerri Zone.

In a release by the state PDP publicity secretary, Collins Opurozor said the party felt “deeply elated by the intellectual fecundity, innovation, rigour, vision, preparedness, dedication and sincerity of purpose which our Candidate has displayed in articulating his manifesto”

According to him, what was remarkable and commendable was that Hon. Onyeagucha’s blueprint captured the yearnings and aspirations of Owerri people, just as it gave an insight into the stellar performance which he stands to deliver when elected.

“To be sure, it has further reduced the 2023 race for Owerri Senate to a contest between Hon. Onyeagucha and no other person.

“For instance, while the manifesto has underscored the need to open up a floodgate of economic opportunities in Owerri through a railway, the legislative process and lobbying techniques required to ensure that the Zone is recaptured in the Federal Government railway mapping, and an Owerri bypass constructed, have also been clearly elucidated and assured.

“Similarly, Hon. Onyeagucha has placed a premium on the training and up-skilling of Owerri sons and daughters in Information Communication Technology (ICT), so that they could be viable and globally competitive.

“In view of that, his manifesto has committed to forging robust partnerships with renowned institutions that will raise a generation of young people who can stay in Owerri and work anywhere in the world and contribute significantly to global economy”.

Continuing, the state publicity secretary said Owerri Zone has a large appetite for education and the area can host additional ten tertiary educational institutions.

According to him, Imo students that study elsewhere are fifty times bigger than those who study at home. And this is huge capital flight.

“To this end, our Candidate is already partnering with various bodies and organizations to ensure that this is addressed. Already, Hon. Onyeagucha is in touch with the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri for the establishment of Assumpta University, the Anglican Diocese of Owerri for the establishment of Lasbury University, and the Anglican Diocese of Egbu for the establishment of All Saints University.

“For Hon. Onyeagucha, to keep the wolf of corruption away from Nigeria requires a more innovative approach which will tackle the menace by blocking the channels through which looted funds are laundered. Since the real estate has been identified as the foremost destination of these dirty funds, his manifesto has promised to pursue a legislation that will make Property Verification Numbers mandatory in Nigeria.

“Also, strengthening the strategic protection of the rights of persons living with disabilities, women and children through sound legislations, amendment UBEC Law to make education in Nigeria free and compulsory up to SS3, and a legislation for optional student loan scheme for tertiary institution students to carter for the less privileged class are some of the bills which Hon. Onyeagucha has set out to introduce once elected. People should not be denied education because of poverty”.

Hon. Onyeagucha’s manifesto also notes that it is unacceptable for the Federal Government to construct many other costly, yet toll-free, bridges across Nigeria, but has concluded plans to begin the collection of toll at the Second Niger Bridge once it is completed in 2024.

He vowed to lead the struggle to stop this very discriminatory policy against the South East.

Issues of restructuring and the Igbo question also loom large in the manifesto.

The shame, however, is that the other senatorial candidates for Imo East, especially in the APC and Labour Party, who have been running from pillar to post, do not even have any blueprint or a single line of manifesto for which they desperately seek the people’s mandate.

“They have become a huge embarrassment to the political space. For them, power is both a means and an end. They want power for the sake of it, for the glory of it and for the fun of it.

“To create an earthly fiefdom for themselves is the core motive. They only know what they want, which is power, but they know nothing about what the people want. They don’t even care about the pangs of the people.

“These unpopular candidates do not know that politics has grown beyond sloganeering and razzmatazz, and our people are now more informed and more discerning.

” These men, by their incompetence and lack of manifestos, have continued to take the people for granted. This is provocative!

“All they plan is how to buy votes, so that they could continue to perpetuate the underdevelopment of the land. But the God of Owerri Zone neither sleeps nor slumbers.

“They have never stopped to insult the people. And our people must now get ready to pay them back in own coin at the polls and put them to shame eventually.

“But in Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, Owerri Zone shall have a voice in the Senate. They shall rejoice and glorify the Lord. With him, Owerri people will reap the promissory value of their votes through quality representation and sound legislations,” he concluded.