The All Progressives Congress (APC)
candidate, Senator Chris Ngige, has
said he would not neglect the
people of Anambra North senatorial
district if elected governor of the
state.
Ngige made the pledge at a meeting
with over 20 traditional rulers from
communities in the seven council
areas that make up the zone at the
palace of His Royal Highness, Igwe
Rowland Odegbo, chairman of
Anambram North council of
Traditional Rulers.
The APC governorship candidate
who claimed to have come to
intimate them with his reasons for
wanting to come back to finish the
work he started during his stint as
governor said it was impossible to
neglect the zone by any right
thinking person and explained that
part of the reasons for staging a
comeback was that the state still
needs a solid foundation to revive
the fading structures he once
erected.
“I am still saying that the situation
we are in Anambra State today
means that we must lay a solid
foundation. Some people say I am
being immodest. No. The structures I
put in place have all collapsed. Take
security of lives and property for
instance, how many Traditional
rulers have been kidnapped?
Security of lives and property as well
as the welfare of the people are
cardinal in the constitution of
Nigeria. The same goes for food,
shelter and education of our
children so that they will become
responsible citizens,” he said.
Ngige stressed that he had immense
respect for the traditional
institution, a reason he said inspired
him to start paying Traditional
Rulers living allowances in what he
called his first missionary journey,
adding that he was the first to look
into their welfare and that anybody
who did anything for them
afterwards was only trying to walk
in his footsteps.
It was wrong, he said, to believe
that things are normal in the state.
Rather, he said they had become an
aberration such that the General
Hospital in Onitsha which he helped
to accredit and over 13 courses at
the state owned university that
enabled the accreditation by the
National Universities commission
(NUC) had all been lost.
“I am not contesting again to
answer his Excellency or ride with
the siren blaring or even answer a
senator. No. God has given me all
this and more. But we are coming on
a rescue mission. We are not saying
that Anambra north can’t rule, but
is it now things have gone so bad?
“If Governor Peter Obi who said he
has zoned the state governorship to
Anambra North is sincere, why
didn’t he do it after four years? It
is a poisoned chalice. Yes, he has
brought a northern candidate in
APGA in the person of Willie Obiano,
but is this the kind of northern
candidate that you wanted, his bank
associate?
His running mate, Hon. Ralph Okeke,
said the situation in Anambra today
is bad and which made it imperative
for those of them who were
concerned to draft Ngige to lead the
rescue mission.
“It is not a thing for trial and error.
We called him because of his
antecedents. Although those of us
from Anambra North felt we should
produce the governor of the state,
but I believe that in all things, God
determines. Why we haven’t
produced a Governor for the state is
just
a coincidence. It wasn’t the fault
of either the South or Central zones.
Chairman of Anambra North
Traditional Rulers council, Igwe
Rowland Odegbo from Nteje, Oyi
local government area, who
responded said Ngige had ruled
before and did well and prayed God
to lead him in his campaigns.