Anambra needs infrastructure to develop, not federal allocation – LP chieftain

By Idu Jude, Abuja

A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) and an aspirant for the House of Representatives, Chief Anthony Ikenna Okafor, has condemned the economic policy of the ruling APC, noting that wrong ideas have dwarfed the economic progress of the industrious people of Anambra State.

Chief Okafor also highlighted that Governor Soludo’s approach to the sit-at-home in the state has affected the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) more than ever.

As a chieftain of LP, what can you say is missing in terms of development in your constituency?

I have always said that the present administrations, both at the federal and state levels, lack vision. And the fact remains that they make bad policies. Why should a state not make laws that are in tandem with its economic advantage? In Anambra State, we do not need federal allocation to develop our state or communities. What we need is good infrastructure development that will enhance business because we are inclined towards buying and selling. So what we need is a good policy that would create an enabling environment for business to thrive.

Nnewi, by now, is supposed to be the sole supplier of auto spare parts to the whole of Africa, but with the economic sabotage, industries in Nnewi and its environs are winding up one after the other, and I think it is a plan to cripple the economy of the South-East people.

As an opposition member, have you considered the zoning formula in your constituency before picking the nomination form?

Yes, I am from Nnewi North, but talking about the zoning of political offices, such an arrangement does not resonate with or apply to federal elections. It actually applies to the state Assembly election because Nnewi has four polling units and, as it was structured, we have zoning in the House of Assembly only. That was why I told you that when it comes to the National Assembly, it is one’s popularity that determines it.

Now, coming to the position I’m vying for, which is the House of Representatives, it covers Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo. As for my popularity, I can say that before anyone can vie for this position, he should have weighed his options and the possibility of winning. The person should study the political environment because nobody wants to waste resources knowing he cannot emerge victorious. Politics is time-consuming and nobody wants to waste his or her precious time. The time you spend must have value, so you do not just come to waste it.

So one should be able to articulate, take a look at one’s chances, relationship with people and possibly the grassroots connection, as well as the way to grow. You also put in check your family background and what people say about them. So there are things that can give you an edge above other rivals.

This may sound weird, but I must tell you that I grew up being loved by my people because of what I do, and I believe these are what people need to win elections in my place. That has started today by my picking the nomination form. It is a journey that began in 2023. This is the first step: getting the nomination form and expression of interest form.

I think I have done my part by securing this. We now wait for the NWC to guide us through the primaries and, once I have the ticket, I shall kick off the campaign. But in everything we do, we have to seek God’s intervention first.

How popular is LP in Anambra State, controlled by APGA, and particularly in your constituency?

In today’s politics, the LP is popular, but as we see things presently, no party is the most populous in Nigeria. Take it or leave it, every political party is on the same pedestal, looking at how things are moving with the breeze blowing from right to left. But what I believe is that one must have a party platform, as the election guidelines require every contestant to have one.

Again, my take is that every political party platform is equally good, but it depends on individuals. Some are saleable while some are not. When we talked about the Labour Party back in 2023, it was not as popular until Mr Peter Obi picked the presidential ticket under it. So if one person can give the party such prominence, another can as well reactivate the party. It depends on who the person is, and that is what I am talking about. It is all about popularity, who you are and how you relate with people at the grassroots. Looking at me, I treat people equally without prejudice. I mingle with every class of human being, irrespective of class, religion or association.

What exactly do you think your constituency lacks that you wish to put in place when elected?

When we talk about my constituency, we talk about insecurity, because our people are business-oriented and no business thrives amid insecurity. No one can trade where there is no peace. We cannot grow where there is no justice. So, if elected, the first thing I shall do is provide an enabling business environment for trade to continue. I will give them security so there will be no fear in the minds of buyers and sellers from within and outside the state. Once this is achieved, my people will feel at home to trade.

We are business-inclined; we are not lazy people who depend on government allocations. My people are hard-working, and the only thing they need is an enabling environment. If I take you down memory lane, you will see that Nnewi is known for business and this is where trade by barter originated in Africa. When others are sleeping, they are trading, and for that reason, right now we control the auto market in Africa, both in manufacturing and sales. Talk of motorcycle parts, motor spare parts, generator parts, tricycle spare parts and other minor trades — Nnewi is leading in Africa.

Nnewi dominates. It is the leading centre for auto dealers in Africa and, based on that, the people need security and peace for their businesses to grow. So my people are not lazy; even those who know me can attest to that.

Are you alleging that even the ruling party in your state under APGA has failed to address the issue of insecurity?

I would not say that the present leadership in Anambra under APGA has failed totally, but I can say that it has not done enough. Looking at the recent event that took place in Anambra State, where the executive governor forcefully made people disobey the sit-at-home rule, for me it was not the right thing to bring lasting peace because the action he took failed to address the challenges and bring permanent solutions. So it is neither here nor there. It failed to address the matter because Governor Soludo used executive power to intimidate men of different calibres.

For me, I felt that Governor Soludo does not need Ndi Anambra’s votes again, having been elected to serve a second tenure. Let us address it: the sit-at-home had been there before he became governor. In his first four years, why did he not implement such rules? Why did he start immediately he was voted for a second tenure? What the governor was supposed to do was dialogue with his people, who are the business people. They are the ones who know where the shoe pinches, and business is their only source of survival.

Yes, when they open their shops every day, they make a living, but for them to have complied with it means there is a reason, and the failure to find out that reason was where the governor got everything wrong. So, if the governor can deal with the causes of this, then their businesses can go on. But forcefully making them comply with the order has jeopardised everything and today we are still asking Soludo, where is the security?

You know full well that business in Anambra State depends on buyers from other West African countries and other states. Using Onitsha Main Market as a case study, it is a very big revenue-generating market for Anambra State. It contributes heavily to IGR. So, for them to always comply with the sit-at-home, there must be a reason. He was supposed to have looked into the reasons and not act by force. So, if the governor provides an enabling environment for them to go about their businesses, you do not even need to force anyone.

Talk of those who come from other West African countries and other states. These people also comply with the sit-at-home every Monday because they are afraid for their lives and businesses. So, even when the governor enforced the opening of the market, buyers still did not comply. That shows that there are things more grave than we see because of the insecurity we are talking about. When Governor Soludo forced the market to open, things got worse because of fear. Commercial transporters refused to bring in buyers from other states like Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia, among others.

As a new aspirant, are you aware of any other aspirant vying for the same position?

Of course, there are lots of people and, because this is a national election, every party must have a representative. This is an individual thing. It is all about democracy in action, but what I am saying is that after the primaries, anyone who has his party ticket is qualified to participate in the national election. This is because political parties must give their best tickets to contest at the polls. The best will come to the field to play from different parties, and it should also be a contest of popularity. It is not a gift that someone can give you. During the campaign, you must go and fight for votes by telling the people what you can offer.

Apart from security, what other things can you offer to your people if you are elected?

If you had listened to our elder, Dr Cosmas Maduka, he reiterated that what an Igbo man needs in Nigeria is just an enabling ground — a level playing field. As an indigene of Nnewi, I know what I am suffering. Over there, we have lots of factories going down owing to lack of power, and there is no factory that can progress without power.

As an Nnewi man, I have a structure there and intentionally wanted to build a confectionery factory. But when I started, somebody objected and said, “My friend, why not take this factory to Ogun State where they have LNG? Why your village?” But I replied that at my age, I do not need to invest outside town because I am getting old and should be close to my home.

So what we need in Nnewi particularly is power, and when we have it, the whole nation will benefit as an industrialised nation. The power I will bring in will come in the form of electricity or gas (CNG or LNG). If you take a look at the Western world, they are dominant in the economy because of steady power. It is because they make use of gas, and most developed countries make use of gas, not diesel anymore.

Before I came to Abuja last night, a litre of diesel in my hometown was N2,050, and with this, tell me which factory will survive under this kind of situation, where most factories make use of 1,000KVA and 5,000KVA respectively. There is no factory that can survive in such a situation. And considering all the factories in the South-East, they all operate without steady power. Even pure water factories operate on diesel, and many are folding up, with their staff thrown into the labour market.

If I am elected, I will fight for the generation of power for steady production for the state, particularly Nnewi and its environs. During the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, he visited Anambra State and described Nnewi as the Japan of Africa. He knew what he saw at the exhibition performed in Nnewi; he could not believe that all the things he saw were produced in Nnewi. That is why I said that our government’s priority should be power.

That is why I see Chief Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, as my ideal governor. Just look at what he is doing in Abia State. I hold him in high esteem. I admire him so much because he has the strong will to work for his people. If my own governor should concentrate on bringing steady power, then Anambra people will forgive his sins because it will be healing to all the wounds.

If elected, would you still recommend the apprenticeship system to the youths of your constituency as a way of empowerment?

Well, this is what I can call the negative side effect of civilisation, but Igbos cannot do away with the (Nwaboyi) apprenticeship system because this is the strength we have to empower the youths. It is a system where we bring people from different backgrounds to serve and be settled for future empowerment.

Let me tell you that this is the way we empower our youths, and serving the master and graduating is not the issue, but learning the secrets of the business and teaching them how to manage business and finances. Looking at the apprenticeship system, we are upgrading it because education is highly required to run a successful business. So the new trend now is that we combine education with business.

While I propose that our children should go for apprenticeship, I also support education because it is necessary to be able to manage family business. Like I said, we cannot do without it. If elected, there will be a change of narrative because the system makes more millionaires than white-collar jobs. I recommend that people study up to master’s level and PhD to be able to manage family businesses, and by so doing, people will not see the apprenticeship system as outdated because, at the end of the day, what matters is success.

What is your take on the use of IGR in your state by the APGA-led government?

If you can recall my last statement on the forceful closure of markets in Anambra State by the APGA government, Anambra is on top of other states in IGR because we are mostly self-employed people. We do not depend on government allocations to survive. What we need to survive is a level playing field. So how can we talk of IGR without good security, an enabling environment and a good relationship with the traders, who pay tax and are the main actors in revenue generation?

Yes, you cannot mention Anambra’s IGR without them. There is no town in Anambra without a market that brings revenue to the government.