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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s general election, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, has criticised the present administration in the state.
Odii said the state, under the APC leadership, is not moving forward.
He stated this, Wednesday evening, while addressing thousands of supporters in his Isu Achara community, Onicha Local Government Area of the state. He lamented that the state is rated one of the poorest states in Nigeria, describing it as alarming.
He declared that the is contesting the 2027 general election to bring good governance to the people and challenged Governor Francis Nwifuru to show the state his achievements as a private individual and as a governor, and vowed to discontinue his ambition if the governor does so.
“I know that we are now ready to take our destiny by our hands. I have seen Ebonyi that is very determined about tomorrow. I have seen Ebonyi that is hungry for transformation.
“I have seen Ebonyi that is bringing about hope for the success. I have seen Ebonyi that is bringing about ways to remove poverty in our midst. I have seen Ebonyi that rejected bad governance.
“This is why when I spoke with people a few months ago. I told them that it is actually my desire to see Ebonyi working. If I had seen Ebonyi working, I may have concentrated on my business. I may have not been interested in delving into politics.
“But, I am a humanist by nature. I am somebody who loves the people. I am someone who is born in making sure changes are made. I am someone who was born to make a difference are made.
“And each time we are not accomplishing it, I try to put my money, and I have been putting my money over the years. But when my money could not do it, I decided to put myself. So, today, I have put myself and I want Ebonyi to work.
“Our future, our hope is here now. We cannot afford to joke with our destiny going forward. We want good governance; we want our children to have access to good education. We want our primary healthcare to work, we want our peasant farmers to be able to work, we want adequate security, we don’t want communal crisis anymore, and I’m the only one that can do it.
“When we start campaign, I will be campaigning as a private citizen, about what I have done for our people, and my campaign slogan will be “show me what you have done, I will show you what I have done”. If you can do it as a private citizen, I will bow before you, and I will surrender, and I will allow you to continue.
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“But if you have not been able to care when you are a private citizen, to show love to the people, to be able to take care of the needy, to pay hospital bills, to make sure children go to school, to build houses for people, to help people to start businesses, I will say, no, you don’t have what it takes to govern Ebonyi State now.
“Ebonyi State is rated one of the poorest states in Nigeria. It is quite alarming and someone like me is from Ebonyi State, and I know how to remove this state from poverty, and that is why I said ‘give me one year’. If you see any Ebonyi man or woman hawking, hold me responsible.
“Give me one year, if you see any Ebonyi person they want to hire as a nanny, hold me responsible. Give me one year, if you hear anything about communal crisis over land, hold me responsible. Give me one year, if you see any civil servant that is going about looking for money to pay the children’s school fees, hold me responsible.
“Give me one year and I will create access roads for farmers. I will not embark on white elephant projects, I won’t build a flyover, I am not going to build an airport.
“There are certain qualities you should have when you are talking about governance. Ebonyi people are impoverished, we don’t need trial and error anymore because an impoverished society is like a society that is heading into a chaotic society, which is not what we want. We have everything to make Ebonyi work everyone of us”, he said.
Odii, in an interview with journalists after addressing his teaming supporters, urged security agencies to provide a level playing ground for all political parties to avoid violence. He condemned the use of security agencies against the opposition parties in the state and the protection of supporters of the ruling party to perpetrate violence in the system.
“We are operating within the law, and the law allows political parties participation. We are practicing democracy and democracy allows opposition. The beauty of democracy is opposition. So, if you are a security agency taking sides, it means that you want to truncate democracy.
“I have always told my supporters to be law abiding because we cannot say there is no laws; but it is the duty of security agencies to protect life and property of all.
“So, my message to security agencies is very simple: don’t be partial, provide adequate security to opposition parties, so that we will have peaceful and co-existent state because, if you do this, it means that they are encouraging violence in the state which is not what we want because, certainly, if you are saying you are siding one particular group, and you are allowing them to be using whatever cover and be taking the opposition, I believe that you must be brought to book one day, no matter your level.
“Whatever thing you do, today, remember that power is not permanent, and if you are not careful, you will be carried away and nobody will care about you tomorrow when you will be answering for the things you are doing today”, he said.
The PDP governorship candidate said the party didn’t participate in the just concluded local government and councilorship elections in the state to avoid contempt of court. He revealed that there were three judgements against the local government elections conducted previously in the state which, he said, also affected the August 22nd elections.
“You cannot build on illegality, and that’s why I told our members not to participate in the election because participating is more like contempt. So, we believe in the rule of law”, he stated.
