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•My mission in politics is to enhance environment
Chimaobi Samuel Atu recently trended after he won the Enugu North/South Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the Labour Party. He was actually in the news not because he emerged a giant killer, having trounced the two-term occupier of the seat, Ofor Chukwuegbo in the poll, but due to a viral post on the social media purporting that the federal legislator-elect is a bus driver.
Saturday Sun’s MAGNUS EZE visited Atu’s Umumba Ugwuaji-Awkunanaw country home in Enugu South, where he spoke about his life; childhood, family, school years and community service. He also talked about his driving force in politics and mission to the National Assembly.
How do you feel having received your certificate of return?
I feel happy receiving my certificate of return. I say to God be the glory. Coming from the Labour Party, it’s a thing of joy that at the end, God showed us victory. I am grateful to God and the people that voted us in. And I believe that by God’s grace, we are not going to let them down. We are going to maintain and stand by the ideology of the party while serving the good people of Nigeria.
What will you do differently as you get to the House of Assembly?
By God’s grace, I know I will do a marvellous and different thing that people will be happy with. I will carry my people along. From time to time, we will call them for a town hall meeting to know what and what we are supposed to do and those things to be done for them. I know that Enugu North and South Federal Constituency is a vast area.
So, town hall meetings will enable us know their needs and how to tackle the issues. We will also focus on youth empowerment. I am aware that over 70 per cent of the youths in our area need to be properly engaged; discovering their talents to know how to help them. In terms of education, it is the bedrock of development. We will engage our people meaningfully and we must provide scholarships to our people. That is one of the things that we are going to do differently. In terms of health, there are some places in my constituency that don’t have access to health centres. We believe that we can attract health centres and other healthcare facilities in the area so that they can have access to these facilities. In the area of agriculture, though the two local government councils are urban, but they have their rural components. In those rural areas, we need to improve our agriculture so that we must have something to show. These are some of the things that I hope to prioritise and do for my people.
Have you held any government or political positions before now?
Yes. Prior to this period, I was Technical Adviser on rural areas to the governor of Enugu State. That is one of the positions I have held in government which I am convinced that I put in my best. I worked closely with the Hon. Onyinye Ugwu, the House of Assembly member for Enugu South (Rural).
What motivated you to go for this higher position?
I was moved to take this bold step when I saw that things have fallen apart in the constituency and people were clamouring for change; they were itching for good governance and effective representation. That’s why I said, staying on the fence cannot solve the people. I then said that it’s better to go there and make sure that I contribute my quota so that the lives of our people can be preserved and enhanced. Insecurity has become the order of the day in my area.
I would say that those representing us have done their best, but their best is not good enough for my people. They need people who will stand for them; who will feel their pains. I say I will go and do it for them. That is one of the major things that pushed me to come and ask them to support me. I will do it for them.
Was your victory a surprise to you?
I would say it wasn’t a surprise because since my people are looking for someone who will represent them and I know they say that I should be the one, and I know what they can do. I know the support they had given to me while I was campaigning. So, it wasn’t a surprise to me. I knew that God will prove himself to us.
At what point did you get involved in driving commercial bus? We learnt that you’re a bus driver…
I have never been a commercial bus driver. But I would say I have friends, brothers and relatives that drive buses. But I know the bus driver they are talking about is not that commercial one; they mean taking my people to where they are supposed to be. You know, because my people are clamouring for change, we need to move. We don’t need a stagnant place or someone that believes in stagnation. We need someone who will be protecting people and taking them to where they should be. And the commonest thing our people can identify with is a bus. And as a leader, someone that is clamouring for change, I am the driver, my people are the passengers and that which is conveying us is the bus. That is what they mean when referring to me as bus driver. So, it is the people that ascribed that to me because they know that we are moving to the Promised Land.
