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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2023 General elections in Ebonyi State, Prof Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, has called on the people of the state to put aside parochial sentiments in choosing their next governor, urging voters to go for the candidate with the capacity to better their lives.
Speaking in Abakaliki while addressing members of the National Association of Technicians and Automobile (NATA) in the state, Odoh said the upcoming election is a different kind of election where the people should jettison brotherly affiliation and settle for the person with a track record of excellence that can provide the needed solutions for Ebonyi’s greatness.
“I know we have people contesting this governorship election from the North, South and Central zones, but let me tell you, governance is not gambling, you must prepare for it. So, you don’t just say, because it’s our turn or because my brother is contesting, I must vote for him. It makes no sense because if you are going to Enugu now and your brother is a driver but he does not know how to drive and there is another driver from Cross River that’s experienced, will you say because your brother is a driver you must join his own vehicle? He will go and destroy you if you join his vehicle,” Odoh stated.
“So, why should it be that in leadership where the fate of over 3.5m people will be determined, we will be saying, this one is our brother? It is not a brotherly matter. It should be about the person who will provide the needed solutions. Our next governor shouldn’t be a siren Governor. It should be someone who can get foreign people to assist us and not borrow to solve our problems,” he said.
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On the condition of the state’s education and health sectors, the former university Lecturer regretted the dearth of quality teachers and medical personnel in both government schools and hospitals promising to change such situations for the better if elected into office.
“The schools in our villages have no teachers. The highest you can get in our schools is one teacher and a Head Teacher. Many of our teachers have retired without replacement.
“In the entire Ebonyi State, we have only six Doctors, 17 Nurses and one Pharmacist in the whole state Ministry of Health, which means, if a woman is pregnant at Okpoitumo, Umuhuali or Ivo, etc, she travels all the way to AE-FUTHA to get medical service. A lot of people die every day in this state because of the lack of functional health facilities in our communities. So, we are in a mess.
He pledged to recruit at least 4,000 teachers and 50 medical Doctors in his first one year if elected.
“We will employ at least 4,000 teachers and pay them a minimum of N100,000 monthly to ensure they are happy teaching our children. We must revamp our education system. We must raise our children very well to secure our future.
“We will also employ at least 50 medical Doctors in our first one year in office, so that we can have at least, three doctors, in each local government area of the state,” he said.
