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By Chinedu Ofomata
With the restrictions on political activities off, campaigns have begun in earnest to usher in new set of political leaders by February 2023. Candidates of various political parties are already campaigning vigorously to impress it on the electorate to buy into their aspiration. It is obvious that outside competence and acceptability, next to deciding the outcome of the elections, especially in Anambra for some time now has been equitable zoning of all her political offices. No zone has been allowed to monopolize any office in line with the principles of fairness. Aguata Federal Constituency should not be an exception if we recall that the legend of power sharing at the national level, Dr. Alex Ekwueme former vice president of Nigeria, leader of the G-34 and founder of the People’s Democratic Party was a true son of the constituency.
Rotating political offices in the state or elsewhere may come at a cost and will likely deny the people variety of choices by seemingly constricting the political space, but it does not fail to reduce tension and bring development closer to the people. The idea may not appeal to perennial fixtures in the politics of Anambra state whose cult interest is always at variance with the people’s and maintained at public expense, but the people will make a consequential decision this time. The right of representing Aguata Federal Constituency in the lower chamber of the National Assembly in the coming elections is domiciled with Aguata South. This is coming after a long period of representation of the constituency by the people of Aguata North. Without compromising competence and acceptability, respecting this right will augur not just for cohesion, but political peace. So far there is a plethora of party candidates on the ballot for the elections. But it does not seem that every one of them has the capacity and competence to ably represent the constituency if elected.
But there is an exception. Chief Andy Azike of the Labour Party stands taller than most of the other contestants. Apart from meeting the two factors under consideration – competence and zoning – he is bringing fresh ideas to representation. Azike has a wealth of experience, garnered over the years from the corporate world where he spent quality time advocating for humanity. He is a silent achiever whose contributions to society will take some beating if set in contest. Until recently not many people would associate him with any acts of charity most of which are evident in his Achina community and beyond. A firm believer in education as a tool for empowering the youths, Azike co-founded and funds the New Era Comprehensive Secondary School, Achina, built the Olympic-size Lawn Tennis Court for recreational activities in the same town, underwrites the tuition of fifteen Achina indigent students, empowers widows and contributes to church development etc. He had served Nigeria and Anambra state in different capacities, becoming at some point, the sole insurance broker for Anambra state on group Life Assurance.
He has not stopped reaching out to the needy and offering advice where necessary. Unless the duties of a representative is different from making laws to improve humanity, scrutinizing the work of government for the same purpose and speaking up for the constituent, Azike will not be found wanting. He had done these and more in the course of his career progression. He has spoken for his people and spared nothing in charity to ensure that the needy were given hope to live. A brilliant accountant with a Master’s Degree in Business Management, Azike is one of the few insurance practitioners in Nigeria with a chartered status. He has a repertoire of skills which will come handy in the business of negotiating for and escalating matters of utmost importance to the constituency. He has the requisite knowledge to navigate the complexities of law-making and make it impact positively on his people.
Among those contesting to represent the fourteen communities that make up Aguata Federal Constituency, only Azike has promised to initiate a feedback mechanism through which he hopes to obtain valuable information that will help him deal with the business of representation. He is of the view that things can be done differently to arrest the deteriorating political, social, and economic needs of the people of Aguata. A good example of what he hopes to prioritize when in the House is the environmental degradation of the constituency, especially as it concerns erosion which has continued to ravage the constituency almost without let. Though Anambra state accounts for over a thousand active erosion sites, but the extent of denudation in Umuchiani Ekwulobia and Nanka has no comparison anywhere elsewhere in the state and even Nigeria. The efforts of the state in tackling the menace though commendable, but inadequate, requires collaboration with the central government. It will be stating the obvious to say that the level of work to be done in order to stave off further denudation is beyond the capabilities of the state government.
Azike appreciates this fact and he is prepared to join efforts with the state government to needle the federal government until something positive is done in that regard. More than that, Aguata was until recently one of the beacons of academic excellence in the state, but is fast losing the spark to lead the way because of the death of essential factors of development. Previous representations from the zone, did not seem to pay particular attention to the slow, but persistent decay. All that had happened in the past was noise they had no substance. It takes more than the allure of campaigns and politics to redirect a capsizing ship. It needs wholesome commitment – a representative with ideas to deal with the challenges.
Aguata has an overflow of human capital endowment, perhaps one of the most blessed constituencies in Nigeria. It will be a great disservice to the efforts of her past heroes to abandon their needs to trifling representation. It is important to note that the failure of a people starts with negligence of their civic responsibilities. The coming elections should not be decided on the basis of party or unexamined claims. Individual records and public avowals should contribute majorly if the expected development is possible, going forward. The candidacy of Chief Andy Azike is worth investing the trust of the people of Aguata Local Government Area on, for the reason that he is capable, knowledgeable, accessible, reliable and worthy. He will abide by every campaign promise he makes.
Ofomata is a Media Consultant
