From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Prof Paul Nnamchi is the Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and the Labour Party House of Representatives candidate for Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State in 2023.
The top scholar had conducted several ground-breaking studies in Germany before enrolling for PhD at the University of Sheffield in United Kingdom where he won the CORUS-TaTa award for best Ph.D project.
He spoke on his agenda for the constituency, wide acceptance of Labour Party and how the party is poised to claim Enugu State.
We have heard some people say that Enugu State belongs to the PDP, suggesting that those of you in Labour Party are labouring in vain. What’s your reaction?
If anyone still says that, I’d say they are being delusional considering what is happening all over Africa with the people taking back their countries and states. Enugu has been at the mercy of one party for far too long because of gerrymandering but Labour Party has come to rescue the people of Enugu State. Our people have been taken for granted in all these locust years of PDP and Enugu people are saying it loud and clear that they will not be used as mercantile products and no longer for sale again. Enugu PDP is a party where the governor says one thing during the election, something else when he takes office, something else at second term and something else when he is about to leave. PDP politicians took the people for granted and ran every level of their political offices as a private merchandise where they were only concerned about being in the good books of the state emperor and pharaoh.
PDP in Enugu State is more like men of narrow vision, who are afraid of the future. Seeing that it’s obvious they are living in the past glory, they are trying to see how much they can preserve from the lots they have lost. Their case is worsened by the abysmal failure of the current administration in all aspects in the last seven years. As we speak, teachers are on strike, no health centre works, and pensioners are left dying due to unpaid pensions and gratuities after spending their youthful years in service of their state. The current PDP government and its allies in power are only engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
Before now, Enugu belonged to the PDP because there was no formidable opposition until now. The people have been empowered by the current electoral law. It is pay-back time for PDP and Enugu people now know better and are ready to teach PDP a bitter lesson. It will no longer be business as usual; Enugu people are standing for something better.
What’s the driving force of your House of Representatives’ bid?
The lethargic progress of our beloved Enugu-East and Isi-Uzo federal constituency and indeed our nation, Nigeria, worries me, as it does you. I often wonder what can be done to reverse the downward spiral in both education backwardness, insecurity, poor well-being and decaying quality of infrastructural development among others. There comes a time when one must take a position because conscience tells him it is right. Politics is not, and should not be, treated like a game. That’s because it’s a serious enterprise. As in nature, politics abhors a vacuum. Without a strong voice for more moderate leadership, authoritarian dominance happens by default.
Historically, the House of Representatives was established to be the people’s House and for the people‘s business. It follows therefore that a member of House of Representatives must be the people’s representative elected to do the people‘s business and champion their cause and in doing so, fulfilling their hopes and aspirations. We deserve a representative with right experience, quality, competence and the boldness to foster progress. This is exactly what I hope to be and intend to do. My concern is not whether God is on my side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.
My aspiration is not only about my desire to change the narrative for my people but also about strengthening our country’s democracy. There is so much work to be done by way of legislation in many areas of our life including but not limited to education, security, health, power, infrastructure and alleviation of poverty. Naturally, the constituents’ hope their representative succeeds in reducing their burden and thrives in bringing democracy dividend closer to them. On the other hand, we are well aware that federal legislatures will be greatly influenced by factors over which they have little sway, namely technological developments, among others. For long, my people, the people of Enugu East/Isi-Uzo have been denied qualitative and effective representation. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through Enugu East/ Isi-Uzo federal constituency political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” I want to represent the people of Enugu East/Isi-Uzo in the House of Representatives because I believe I have the right experience, competence, quality, background and boldness to bring the government even closer to my people. I am committed to using the position when elected to inspire the youths, to work toward a future in which everyone may thrive. I believe many of the developmental deficits can be addressed through meaningful and impactful representation.
Why did you choose Labour Party as a vehicle for going to the National Assembly?
It’s safe to say that everyone is on edge about the current state of our nation, perhaps with the exception of those who are actually to blame for our predicament. In fact, everyone is desirous of a mechanism that would be dedicated to delivering a fairer, better society that will improve the future for all of us and the generations to come.
You may have noticed that many people from all across the country have been flocking to the Labour Party in an effort to have their views heard and to work together to make the country better for everyone. The Labour Party is born out of the trade union movement and was established on the tenets of equality, social justice and compassion. The party is working to elect a government that puts these ideals it holds in common with the public. I share the Labour Party’s vision and fundamental goals, hence my decision to join the party.
What are the chances of your Enugu Governorship candidate in the 2023 elections?
Certainly, the chances of Chijioke Edeoga, our party’s governorship candidate are beyond probability, which is to say that we are expecting absolute victory in all the local governments. The PDP is quaking in its boots because the people of Enugu State have made it clear they do not want to go back to an Egypt where one pharaoh decides the fate of the people and abuses his authority without consequence.
Enugu North Senatorial Zone where the current governor comes from belongs to Labour 100 percent today, Enugu West zone is not left out and Enugu East senatorial zone where myself and Edeoga, the gubernatorial candidate comes from is a walk in the park. Right now, they have no hiding place again. The people have a keen understanding of who has been squandering public funds for private benefit.
What will you do differently if you emerge a Rep member?
What I’m hearing in my constituency is “Enough is enough.” My people are tired of being taken for granted and ignored in federal decision-making. Enugu East/Isi-Uzo people want the same rights and representation as other Nigerians. My constituents have become deeply disillusioned and frustrated with the current state of representation. Despite always being represented, my people’s voices have not been heard at the National Assembly for decades. I am going there to make their voice heard. We now need genuine leadership to build a truly diverse and inclusive society – one in which everyone is seen, heard, valued and respected. We need real action, not just words, as well as policies that put us on a path to achieving equality. They are looking for more than simply a change in how politics is conducted; they want to see it done better. They want decisions made that best serves the community on the basis of expert advice rather than short-term political expediency, and they want those decisions delivered with greater transparency and accountability. I have volunteered myself in this capacity.
When politicians start treating politics as a job instead of a calling, they start acting more like business people than public servants. Most feel that politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary. That’s the case in my constituency. I spent a considerable amount of time in the classroom but I realised I needed to do something to change the current politics of cynicism, omnipotent moral busybodies, and shameless emphasis on self-enrichment, show-business, family dominance, and taking advantage of the vulnerability of the people in my constituency. I’m in politics to change things – for the better. I will fight for them at the National Assembly to square the ledger for decades of massive under-investment in my area and do all in my ability to put forth the needs of my constituents. To that end, I’m running on a platform of representative openness, personal responsibility, and constituent priority. My mission is to bring government closer to my constituents.