From Chijioke Agwu Abakaliki
Former Minister of State for Health, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, has declared his intention to contest the 2023 Ebonyi governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP).
His declaration came about a week after he obtained his PDP governorship form.
Chief Nwankwo, a founding member of PDP in the state,  was the Director General of Governor David Umahi’s Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation for the 2015 and 2019 elections.
Speaking at a well-attended declaration rally which held at his Campaign Office in Abakaliki, Chief Nwankwo said his administration’s program, if elected, will be based on four cardinal point namely:functional education, job creation and youth empowerment, rural infrastructure and due process of governance.
He noted that he has acquired enough knowledge through education and various positions he has held in public service that will enable him provide good leadership to the state.
The former Minister said his administration will abolish the issue of indigene and non-indigene dichotomy in the state.
He also promised to revisit the controversial decision of the Governor David Umahi administration to demolish Abakpa Main Market in the capital city of Abakaliki during which many shop owners lost their shops.
Mr Nwankwo while lamenting that the education sector in the state was in a sorry state,  noted that the teachers population in the state is no more than 30 percent of the requirement.
He said “as a matter of policy, all those who live in the state, do their business here and pay taxes will be regarded as citizens of the state and accorded full right often citizens. The term non-indigene will therefore have no place in my government”
“For emphasis, my government will revisit the issue of all those whose properties including shops at Abakpa market and buildings in other parts of the state were destroyed with a view to replacing them or paying them compensation”
On rural infrastructure, Mr Nwankwo said he will seek to move away from the practice of building white elephant projects which he said has characterized the activities of the present administration.
He said:”The neglect of our rural areas in the provision of basic necessities like clean water,good sanitation, roads,electricity and in favour of white elephant projects that hardly hold values to our lives but consume chunk of state’s funds remains the bane of our underdevelopment”.