The senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Uche Ekwunife, has said that she is not working against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. In this interview, she spoke on various issues.

Nigeria is currently battling with the challenges of insecurity. As it affects the South East geopolitical zone, there are allegations and insinuations that the insecurity in the region is being sponsored by some politicians to suppress voter turnout on the day of the presidential poll. You’re a politician and probably know more than we do in that regard. Is there any information you can share with us concerning that?

Insecurity is actually the bane of this country. You remember when we went in for the 9th Assembly and we were debating the Senate agenda, I personally took on insecurity because I knew that without security, no matter how you try to develop any country, it will not work. So, insecurity is in the whole country, not in the South East alone. But because it wasn’t here before, so what we are seeing today, we are not seeing it in the past. For me, as a lawmaker, and you know the primary responsibility of the executive arm of the government is to provide welfare and security for the citizens. Ours is to make laws and the executive will implement our laws while the judiciary will interpret the law. As a lawmaker, we have put certain measures in place. But as for Anambra State, you’re trying to regionalise it, bringing it to the South East; I believe the South East governors are working hard to ensure that they bring back sanity when it comes to insecurity in our region.

But as citizens, we also have our responsibilities to play; see something, say something. We have less than 500,000 conventional policemen in the whole country and they cannot be everywhere at the same time.

It behooves us as citizens to report the happenings around us to the security outfit. And also, it goes back to what I am talking about – the local government autonomy; because the local government will partner with the president's-general and the traditional rulers in different locations to tighten up their communities. We have what they call solar cameras everywhere now. We have solar cameras in different locations in our towns. That will deter the armed robbers, the kidnappers and other criminals around to know that they cannot escape justice.

We cannot continue to be reactive; we have to be proactive when it comes to security. Let people know that the government has put measures in place to catch them and punish them when such things happen. So, as a lawmaker, I am also partnering with the governor, Soludo. I have sat with him several times, especially the things that happen around Ifite Awka; the killings, the kidnappings in Ifite Awka. I have engaged the governor on several occasions and I know that he has something in place to ensure that he curbs insecurity in my own senatorial district.

When the unknown gunmen burnt down some police stations, I visited those police stations and also made statements on them and I tried to accommodate the rebuilding of those police stations through the Nigerian budget to see how we can give comfort to our security men because our security men also need us to protect them; they need us to give them some comfort.

Sometimes when I pass through police checkpoints, I usually stop to have a pat on them, just to encourage them. We have all over the world like America, UK and all of that, they have certain welfare packages for their security people, just to encourage them. Even when you see military people in the airport you see people standing up for them, hailing them; giving them some moral boost in order to encourage them to do their work. So, as a lawmaker, we are working hard with the executive, partnering with them to see how we can improve the security in the country. But in Anambra in particular, we are partnering with the governor because of the insecurity in Anambra Central. We are putting our heads together and I believe the governor will definitely tackle insecurity in my zone.

We are aware that the South East Development Commission’s bill is in the National Assembly. The last time I spoke with one of your colleagues, he told me that all the lawmakers from this region were working hard to ensure that the bill succeeds. How far have you people gone with that? What is the situation with that bill right now?

When I was in the 8th senate, it was the first bill that I moved. But when I left the senate I dropped it. Somebody else took it over. It has gone through the Senate, gone through the House of Representatives. We are waiting for Mr President’s assent to the bill. The bill will assuage a lot of things, it is not just insecurity. It will help us. You remember the Biafra soldiers’ issues, all of them are covered in the South East Development Commission bill. It is not only an erosion menace.

The South East is prone to erosion. We have man made erosion and natural erosion. So, the natural ones, the South East Development Commission bill will be able to deal with them. We also have to bring back this Igba Boyi apprenticeship system of the Igbo people. It is part of what we recommended because that has actually reduced the number of millionaires we are throwing up in the country today.

The salesgirl, sales boy have taken over that one. Igba Boyi is actually what made Igbo people billionaires. This is because one man will train about 40 boys; the 40 boys will train about 30 boys each. Before you know it everybody will be self reliant because everybody is working hard. They grow the economy of the region and grow their own personal economy too. So, a lot of things are embedded in the South East Development Commission bill and it is on the final stage.

Not too long ago, a letter said to have come from your office surfaced online and its content was summarily an unwarranted attack on Peter Obi. About 24 hours later, another letter came out, and this time, it was a denial of the first one. What’s actually going on?

You see what I am suffering in Anambra Central; today they will blackmail me, ‘Oh Ekwunife jettisons Atiku for Obi’, the next day they will fabricate and forge my letterhead to write all manner of things’, blackmail on a daily basis. There is nothing they have not used my name for; there is nothing under the sun they have not done just to deter me, just to demoralise me and just to stop me. But God is there; God knows that they are lying against me and because they’re lying against me, God will never make them see the light of the day. I defeated them in 2015; I defeated them in 2019 and I will defeat them again in 2023. There is nothing you can do to an innocent person. All those things you see that were written with my letterhead were all not true. They were all lies. It is blackmail.

Today, they will say that Ekwunife insulted Agulu people. Is there any person contesting election that will go about insulting a community? It is not possible. And the community in question is one that I have executed constituency projects in. How many roads have I constructed in that town, Agulu? How many employments have I given? Umuowele Road is now being completed in Agulu. I have given two people in Agulu CBN jobs; I have given one person FIRS job; I have given NECO job, I have given NASENI job. I have given Agulu people a lot of jobs. Even last week I gave one Oderaa another job. So, we have to do politics of maturity. The blackmail is too much. If you go round Anambra Central, you’ll see my billboards being pulled down. Every night they will send the thugs to go and tear my billboards. And I say that my billboards are in the hands of the people. If you tear it out, you’re not tearing Ekwunife. Ekwunife is a human being. Billboard is just a photo.

This is Ekwunife here. So, you are tearing a picture and not Senator Uche Ekwunife. Having said that, all those things you hear and see with my letterhead and all of that, they are all fabrications; they are all blackmails, lies and deceits. They did not emanate from my office. As a sitting senator, I can’t imagine myself using my letterhead to go and write that nonsense. It wasn’t from me. I couldn’t have started castigating Peter Obi. Peter is running for President. I am running for senate.

They’re making it look as if I am running for president with Peter. I am not. My opponent in the Labour Party is Victor Umeh. Let it be clear. So, if I go for a campaign, my opponent is him, not Peter. They’re fabricating those things to see how they can pit me against Agulu people or against Peter’s supporters. Those things did not emanate from me. And I am a member of the PDP, running in an election in PDP, proud to be a member of the PDP and I will win my election under the platform of the PDP; to go back to consolidate on the achievements I have recorded so far.



https://www.sunnewsonline.com/im-not-working-against-peter-obi-ekwunife/

Peter Obi is sponsored by tinubu.

tsephanyah:
Peter Obi is sponsored by tinubu.

No dey send person to buy your loud, bro.

No need to explain
allow the urchins to wail and speculate

tsephanyah:
Peter Obi is sponsored by tinubu.

Actually Tinubu is working for Obi
If PYO was the one contesting, I would've at least had a reason to be campaigning for him

tsephanyah:
Peter Obi is sponsored by tinubu.

Did you smoke your brother loud?

Lastly, everybody is Obedient. A NEW AND BETTER NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE WITH MR PETER OBI AND DATTI AHMED. Vote Wisely But Remain Obedient.

Tinubu is the worst candidate in this election, pls don't vote for him

The way this woman will be beaten silly eh😏

I marvel at their guts to stand against Obi in Anambra.

People get mind sha.

Ekwunife should shut her trap. I have never seen a desperate Anambra politician like her.

Work against am na, make them send you parking from senate

She needs to say that before UGM kidnaps or murder her summarily.