By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Okafor has stressed the need for residents and people of the state to come out en masse and cast their votes for the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its candidate Professor Charles Soludo come the November 6 governorship election in the state.
He assured the people that APGA and its members are ready to deliver on the mandate for quality and purposeful leadership which is aimed at consolidating on the achievements made by Governor Willie Obiano and at repositioning the state as a leading light among the comity of states across the country.
Rt. Hon. Okafor stated this in an interview with newsmen in Awka the state capital.
He disclosed that 24 lawmakers in the house had adjourned house proceedings in order to embark on awareness creation and sensitization of the electorate in their various wards and constituents on the imperatives of the election and to vote massively for Prof. Soludo because of his charismatic qualities, vision and mission for a better Anambra state.
He explained that he was never disturbed by worries in some quarters over the conduct of the gubernatorial election but expressed optimism that APGA and its candidate, Prof. Charles Soludo would emerge strong at the end of the poll.
“I don’t want to fidget that there won’t be an election, my party, APGA, is over-prepared because we have the best candidate for this gubernatorial election. Like you all know our candidate Prof. Charles Soludo is a man of high standard having served as the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and being a consultant to so many international and well-known organizations and also being a two time Economic Adviser to past and present Presidents. We have someone that has all it takes to take Anambra state from where His Excellency, the Governor, Chief Maduabukwu Obiano has brought us to another level.”
I keep telling people that the two good things that will make APGA win this election are; one, the legacies of His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano. His Excellency came into Anambra state and revolutionized Anambra. Before His Excellency’s emergence as governor of Anambra state, it was like what most states are experiencing now; insecurity, no good road network salaries not being paid, no infrastructural development but His Excellency came and filled all these gaps.”
The speaker noted salary of workers was now paid as at when due by the APGA led administration while agriculture has been revolutionized in Ayamelum local government area with giant strides in rice cultivation, Coscharis Farm, Lending Farm in Igbariam; a move he said has made Anambra East to feed other states in the Southeast through rice cultivation and in other sectors of the economy of the state.
According to him, the Willie Obiano led government in the state has excelled in physical development strides through youth empowerment programmes which have heled to keep them off the streets; construction of the international Convention center, the international Cargo airport at Umueri and provision of effective logistics for security network as well as launch of Operation Nkpochapu that now boosts investors presence in the state.
“His Excellency empowered the youths a lot; as a matter of fact, one of the things he did for Ndi Anambra was taking the youths out of the streets; that’s what we call curbing anti-social behaviours by creating opportunities for Anambra youths to be gainfully employed.”
On physical development, he said, “We are all aware of the International Convention Center in Awka, the Awka City Stadium, the beautiful and standard Anambra International Cargo airport at Umueri. That one is what I call a sustainable project because it is going to sustain Anambra state in years to come. He fought security and makes sure that Anambra state becomes a fit and secure environment for people to come and invest.”
“Before now people don’t come to Anambra state for any festivity; things like marriages, burials, new yam festivals and stuff like that. But His Excellency came in and made sure we have security reformed through the launching of Operation Nkpochapu one and two where he distributed operational vehicles to various security agencies. That is one reason Prof. Soludo will lead in this election.”
African Union Suspends Sudan’s Participation in Organisation’s Activities
“The second reason Prof. Soludo is our candidate is that every other state in this country will want him to be their governor and that’s the candidate APGA is presenting to Ndi Anambra and his antecedents are career development,” he added.
