₦airaland Forum

Today, a court seating in Port Harcourt wrote another page in the unfolding saga in the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] selection process for the November 16, 2013 gubernatorial elections in Anambra State.



The federal high court in Port Harcourt in a ruling delivered by Justice Salami Aliyu disqualified the candidacy of Comrade Tony Nwoye on the grounds of irregularity in the documents presented to the PDP and the payment of taxes.

The Judge then declared Nicolas Ukachukwu as the candidate who won the PDP primaries conducted by the Emeakayi-led PDP faction. Nicholas Ukachukwu had polled second in the Emeakayi-led PDP primary election.


The disqualification certificate issued by PDP to Tony Nwoye

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Another court seating in Port Harcourt had also made a ruling pointing to Senator Andy Ubah as the authentic candidate that emerged out of the PDP primaries. It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to accept the name of Andy Ubah as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the November 17, 2013 elections.

Senator Andy Uba had emerged the winner of the PDP primaries conducted by another faction of the PDP in Anambra State. The faction, interestingly, had the INEC supervise its primaries – while the other faction [Emeakayi] did not have the INEC supervise/monitor their primaries.   

http://247ureports.com/anambra-guber-court-disqualifies-tony-nwoye-declares-ukachukwu-candidate/

AS  the people of Anambra State count down to the forthcoming governorship election, supporters of Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige  and stakeholders of good governance are getting set for the November 16 race.

The supporters gathered in his campaign office, Awka, the state capital, recently to review, reposition and look for possible means of ensuring that the rights and will of the people are adhered to.

Dr. Ngige, they say, is the best among the rest and needs to return to Government House in next year.

Daily Sun reports that Ngige officially announced that he would flag off his campaign on Saturday, September 28.

At the gathering, issues bordering on the election were brought to the front-burner. Top on the list is the double candidacy of the opposition party, which some considered as tricky and unhealthy for good democracy. They further considered it as one of the tricks of the opposition to impose a government that is against the will of the people. According to them, Dr. Ngige is the best among all the candidates eyeing the number one seat of the state because he has been tried and tested, adding that he can be trusted with the destiny of the citizens.

They said that Ngige, who was adjudged well-performed governor of the state between 2003 and 2006, has to return to Government House on November 16 so he can use his vast experience to bring meaningful life and sanity to Anambra State. According to them, Anambra at the moment is epileptic and needs emergency surgery to bring about the long-desired wish of the people.

Responding to the confidence reposed in him, Senator Ngige thanked them for their consistent support, trust and confidence in him, saying records are available to show that he has not betrayed or failed them in the past.

He, however, assured all that he will continue to spend his time, money and energy to provide the basic amenities that will make the change they desire come to fruition, even as he disclosed that he is regarded as the truly-trusted and tested choice of the Anambra people because he has not disappointed them at any point of his career, political or otherwise.

On the double candidacy of the opposition, he said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) promised to stop one of the candidates, positing that his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) will take up the issue if INEC does not live up to its assurance.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/politics/ngige-flags-off-campaign/

@freeglobe please hate peter obi but i beg you in the name of God don't hate Anambra State,those pictures you posted were taken long time ago and beside you should have gone round awka or better still take pictures of internal roads done by the government and not showing us parks and federal roads which is already under serious reconstruction.

Kairoseki77: GDP (2010; in millions of USD)

1 Lagos State US$74,674[2]
2 Rivers State US$21,073
3 Delta State US$16,749
4 Oyo State US$16,121
5 Imo State US$14,212
6 Kano State US$12,393
7 Edo State US$11,888
8 Akwa Ibom State US$11,179
9 Ogun State US$10,470
10 Kaduna State US$10,334
11 Cross River State US$9,292
12 Abia State US$8,687
13 Ondo State US$8,414
14 Osun State US$7,280
15 Benue State US$6,864
16 Anambra State US$6,764
17 Katsina State US$6,022
18 Niger State US$6,002
19 Borno State US$5,175
20 Plateau State US$5,154
21 Sokoto State US$4,818
22 Bauchi State US$4,713
23 Kogi State US$4,642
24 Adamawa State US$4,582
25 Enugu State US$4,396 <----- International Airport?
26 Bayelsa State US$4,337
27 Zamfara State US$4,123
28 Kwara State US$3,841
29 Taraba State US$3,397
30 Kebbi State US$3,290
31 Nassarawa State US$3,022
32 Jigawa State US$2,988
33 Ekiti State US$2,848
34 Ebonyi State US$2,732
35 Gombe State US$2,501
36 Yobe State US$2,011


Why is this state so poor?

where is your source and who told that Enugu is the poorest in Nigeria.

GOVERNOR of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, and the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, are expected to lead other chieftains of the party to Anambra State for the kick-off of the campaign of its governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, billed to hold Thursday at the Basillica of the Most Holy Trinity Centenary field, Onitsha.

  The outing, which has been tagged a ‘mega rally’, promises to be an eye-opener to other parties and candidates in the forthcoming governorship election. Ubah’s home-town, Nnewi, Awka, Nkpor, Ogidi, Onitsha and other neighbouring towns, including Asaba, have already been bubbling in the last few days as virtually all the hotels were said to have been fully booked. Eateries and souvenirs sellers have also been busy with new stocks and designs.

  It was discovered that airlines that hitherto operated only one or two daily flights to and from Asaba, Owerri and Enugu airports have made special arrangements to accommodate more flights at the three airports for the week because of the “Ifeanyi Ubah magic.”

  The state chairman of LP, Chief Sam Oraegbunam and the party’s member in the House of Assembly, Emeka Anohu, described Ubah as “a political enigma, resourceful, active and energetic world citizen.” 

  In introducing him, the chairman said “we are bringing out a very youthful, energetic, resourceful and successful young man who has already made his mark in the world, not just in Anambra and Nigeria. He is the quality material we are bringing to transform Anambra State; to give the state and her residents the desired and required leadership it has lacked in the past 19 years of existence.”

  Oraegbunam said he would like to see a sweeping victory at the polls for him as he displays unassailable credentials in most areas currently troubling the nation today, including industrialisation, job creation, philanthropy and transformation of social infrastructure. He, therefore, wants Ubah’s administration, if elected, to focus his first one hundred days in office on tackling insecurity, youth unemployment and revive the education, agriculture and health sectors as well as embark on massive social infrastructure renewal that, according to him, have been neglected to rot and decay completely by successive administrations in the state.

  Anohu said the LP administration would be the greatest value added to the lives and existence of the citizens of the state. 

  He reiterated that Governor Mimiko has continued to cart away awards after awards by various world bodies who have literally adopted him as the yardstick for what Millennium Development Goal (MDG) should be. Mimiko’s examples have been documented as the standard now being exported to other developed and developing nations. The lawmaker said that is what the Ubah’s midas touch has come to unleash on the state.

  Ubah had noted that with an experienced and widely travelled medical doctor, Emeka Eze, a scion of the Eze N’Ukpo Dynasty, as his running mate, they would synergise ideas with other equally well-meaning citizens to take the state to the next level in a record time.

  Ubah said he was very contented that God transformed him from his parents’ native thatch house, near penury to a level that ranks among the best among his peers. 

He said he clearly understands the challenges facing most households in a state where good inter-connectivity roads, jobs, potable water, healthcare, agriculture, electricity, sanitation and proper planning are clearly non-existent, because he had been there. 

  Ubah said with the LP administration in power, every citizen would be part of governance and leadership in the state because everyone has some useful contributions to make always in the development and progress of the state.

  His running mate, Eze, noted that “in the heat of the Boko Haram menace in the northern parts of the country when indigenes of Anambra State and environs became the only ones neglected and abandoned to their grave fate after other states had evacuated their people, it was Ubah who sent in two aircraft to airlift the surviving Anambra indigenes and others out of danger zone. He had on a number of times used his rich contacts and connections to intervene on behalf of Anambra and Igbo people anywhere in the world without prompting.”

  Eze pointed out that just like Ubah stated, he had done a lot as an individual, but would do so much with the leverage of an office as a governor. He said it was the reason the LP logo remains human beings, unlike others with inanimate objects. He, therefore, urged the electorate to support and vote the LP massively for the total transformation of the state.

  The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Patrick Obianyo, appealed to the people of Anambra State to give full support to the LP so as to benefit from the transformation plans of Ubah.

  Nwanyanwu said the Mimiko example in Ondo was just a tip of the iceberg to what the party is bringing to Anambra State. He said that LP would never support any form of inhuman treatment or treating any one as a second class citizen, including deportation in one’s own native country. He sees it as a terrible policy.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/132565-mimiko-nwanyanwu-others-storm-anambra-for-ubahs-campaign-kick-off-today

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi yesterday ordered the immediate employment of 5,000 teachers and other administrative workers into the state’s primary and secondary schools.
Obi directed the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Uju Okeke, to ensure that the employment process followed due process in the 21 local government areas.
The governor, who spoke at the 2013 Principals’ Annual Retreat at Nkpor, Idemmili North Local Government Area, said the state would spend N15 billion on primary and secondary schools by December.
He said before the end of October, the 410 secondary schools in the state would receive new buses, generators and computer sets, with complete accessories.
Mrs. Okeke said the state education system was being repositioned and schools would continue to benefit from the government’s intervention.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/anambra-to-employ-5000-teachers/

The Maxi Okwu-led faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Monday in Awka chose Dr Chike Obidigbo as its candidate for the forthcoming Anambra governorship election.
Obidigbo was picked at a special congress of the faction, which was attended by no fewer than 450 delegates and where he was the sole aspirant in the race.
It will be recalled that Chief Willie Obiano had been picked on Aug. 26 as the party’s flagbearer by Chief Victor Umeh faction.
Speaking at Monday’s congress, Chief Chris Eze, Chairman of the faction’s Screening Committee, said the party had come out with “a most qualified and well-known candidate’’.
He said Obidigbo was returned unopposed with a score of 450 votes, and Okwu later handed the party’s flag to him.
Commending the delegates for their large turnout, Okwu expressed the confidence that the flagbearer would win the governorship election on Nov. 16 in the state.
“Obidigbo will take over the mantle from Gov. Peter Obi. It is my honour to present the flag to you to fly it high,’’ he said.
In his reaction, Obidigbo said APGA was one indivisible political party.
He however commended Gov. Peter Obi for “the good job he had done to lift the state to enviable heights’’.
The flagbearer urged the party faithful from various parts of the state to work harder to deliver the state to the party during the election.
“I will not disappoint you if you vote for me during the gubernatorial election on Nov. 16 to take over from Obi in 2014,’’ Obidigbo assured.(NAN)

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/anambra-2013-okwu-faction-picks-another-apga-flag-bearer/

slimghost: Only a goat would think that APC can win a givernorship election in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we have lots of goats on Nairaland!

perhaps, you are one of the goats.

THERE are strong indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may pull out of the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, should the court and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) insist on recognition for Senator Andy Uba.

The Guardian gathered Saturday that the leadership of the party has insisted on Mr Tony Nwoye, not Uba, as candidate of the party in the election, stressing that, “as far as it is concerned it has no business with Uba at least for now.”

Senator Uba, his brother Chris Uba and Ejike Oguebego were on Thursday suspended from the party by the leadership following the parallel primary, which they conducted leading to the emergence of guber candidates in Nwoye and Uba. Uba had since his rejection also by the PDP secured court orders asking the INEC and the party to recognize him as the “authentic governorship candidate,” as well as quashing his suspension from the party.

However, it was gathered that the leadership of the party, which had sent Nwoye’s name to INEC as her candidate in the election is considering ‘withdrawing from the exercise should INEC refuse to accept the name.”

A source told The Guardian, “the party is supreme than any individual; it is the responsibility of the party to present her candidate in any election and not the court or INEC. We have made our choice in Nwoye, who emerged after a thorough primary held in Awka; we cannot go back no matter what the court or anybody is saying. The worst that can happen is that we can withdraw from the election and let us see how the people who feel they own the party in the state can be governor.”

He added, “if we did it in Imo state in 2007, we can still do it now. There should be discipline in the PDP and no matter what anybody is saying, we must respect the party, not individual.”

It was further learnt that the party might be moved into expelling those who conducted the primary as a last option should they continue to disrespect the party.

On Wednesday, the leadership of the party in the southeast unanimously affirmed the candidature of Nwoye for the governorship election after her zonal meeting in Enugu. Those that attended the meeting presided over by the National Vice Chairman, Col Austin Akobundu (rtd) were the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, Governors Theordore Orji of Abia state and Martin Elechi of Ebonyi state.

Also in attendance were former National Chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor; Enugu Speaker, Eugene Odo; Senators Hope Uzodimma; Gilbert Nnaji, House of Reps member, Offor Chukwuegbo; Kema Chikwe and others.0

Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ali Odefa, said after the meeting that the party decided to adopt Nwoye based on the report of the committee it set up to conduct the primary, stressing that it had no parallel candidate for the election.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/131598-anambra-mass-expulsion-looms-in-pdp-as-party-threatens-withdrawal-from-poll-

Public display of stupidity.

Following his early exit from Anambra 2014 governorship race during screening, of Mr Henry Oseloka Obaze, the Anambra state governor, Mr Peter Obi has now reappointed him the Secretary to the state Government, SSG.
This was confirmed by Mr Obaze in a press statement he released on Thursday, Aug 29,2013. According to him, the reappointment and reabsorbtionto his former office and seat as the Secretary to the state government was seque to his ouster from the governorship race.

He said, “following my 12 August 2013 resignation and subsequent exit from the Anambra governorship race, I have been graciously invited by His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, CON, to return to the service of Anambra State in my previous capacity as the Secretary to the State Government. 
“After  extensive personal discussions with Gov. Obi, my family, constituents  and friends,  I have accepted Gov.  Obi’s gracious offer of  reappointment, in the belief that I can still bring added value to  purposeful governance and service of Anambra people as an advocate for  continuity and sustainable good governance.  I believe that we are  entering the most critical phase of the Peter Obi administration, given  the need to consolidate all political, economic and developmental  gains,  ensure continuity and finish strong by winning the forthcoming  gubernatorial elections and facilitating a seamless transition to the  next APGA-led government in the state, God willing. Consequently, I shall resume full duties as the Secretary to the State Government  after a very brief vacation and family visit, and attending the  forthcoming ANSG Executive Retreat in Johannesburg.”

http://247ureports.com/peter-obi-reappoints-obaze-anambras-ssg/

It is no longer news that the leadership of People's Democratic Party (PDP) have dropped Senator Andy Uba  in favour of Tony Nwoye as their candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra state. The National chairman of the (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, announced Nwoye as winner of the party’s primaries held

on Saturday, based on a report on the election submitted to the party’s leadership by Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema.

Tony Nwoye emerged from the primary election conducted by the Ken Emeakayi -led faction of the state’s PDP executive committee.



The question currently on the lips of many is: who is Tony Nwoye and who is he working for?

Mr Tony Nwoye was a former Medical student at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC). He dropped out in year three. Available information is that he was rusticated by the school authorities for cult activities. Mr Nwoye is a member of the notorious student cult organization. 

Upon being sent packing from UNEC, he ran to the College of Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki to continue his quest for medical studies.

While at Enugu campus, in 1998, Tony Nwoye [pictured] contested and won a seat to represent Medical Students at the university of Nigeria House of Representatives, Student Union. That same year, he was elected the Speaker of the Student Union House of Representatives making him the first medical student to hold that office in the history of UNN's Student Union Government. 

Between 2000 - 2004, Tony Nwoye became very prominent in the youth and student movement and on December, 2003, he was elected the National president, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). By that his election, Tony yet broke another record as the first Igbo student to hold that office till date since the inception of NANS.

Nigerian Universities remain the bastion of militarism and it is no secret that politicians recruit student cultists during the elections. Chris and Andy Ubah used Tony Nwoye to get members of the to work for them during Mbadinuju tenure in Anambra government government house. During this period and the 2007 gubernatorial contest in Anambra state, Mr Nwoye emerged as the chief thug for Mr Andy Ubah (Mkpiawa azu or ECOMOG for Andy Ubah, as he was then known). That election was won by Andy Ubah who then moved to fast-forward Nwoye’s political profile:

In 2005, Nwoye was elected the Assistant Secretary of PDP in Anambra State, a position he held till 2006. While holding that office, Andy Ubah moved him to occupy the vacant of the office of the State Chairman of PDP in Anambra State. He assumed the office of the State Chairman of PDP from 2006-2009 and worked assiduously for the interest of Andy Ubah in PDP in the 2007 general elections. 

In 2010, he contested and claimed to have won the seat to represent Anambra East/West Federal Constituency at the National Assembly but his Certificate of Return was issued to another person. 

He went to court to challenge the action and won on July, 13th 2011, court declared him as the winner of the 2011 general election into Anambra Eats/West Federal Constituency. However, he was not allowed to take his seat in the House by Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal despite being issued with a Certificate of Return by INEC on 16th July, 2012.

Mr Nwoye blamed his predicament on Andy Ubah whom he had fallen out with. The source of their quarrel was not revealed butTony immediately sought succor with the Business Mogul, Chief Arthur Eze; President Jonathan’s Man Friday in Anambra State.

“When I was running Andy's campaign in 2007, Tony was like the head of our ECOMOG having been a campus cult kingpin” said Uche Ezechukwu, a prominent journalist.

“He dropped out of 3rd year medicine at UNN. He was an Andy Ubah invention, but today, he has become Andy's nemesis with a lot of funding from Arthur Eze”, Mr Ezechukwu told elombah.com.

Elombah.com learnt that Arthur Eze [PICTURED ABOVE] gave each delegate to the PDP Primary N200,000 to vote for Tony Nwoye. In that primary conducted by Ken Emeakayi faction, Nwoye scored 498 votes to beat Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu who scored 357 votes. Dr. Alex Obiogolu came third with 13 votes. According to Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema who was the chairman of a five-man Anambra governorship congress committee set up the PDP to conduct the election, 14 aspirants participated in the congress in which 916 delegates voted.

A friend of Nwoye wrote this about PDP candidate: “Comrade Tony Nwoye is not only a mafian, he's also a magician. If he flies PDP flag at the election, APGA will need a miracle to defeat him. Talk of rigging, he will out rig. Talk of thuggery, he will out thug. Talk of maneuvering, he will out-maneuver. He's not a cultist but he controls capons. Aah! Tony Nwoye? Ayaka Nsugbe!! Former NANS President, Former Anambra State PDP Chairman. Fear himmm!”

Before the Anambra PDP screening, elombah.com received a strongly worded petition forwarded to Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi , Chairman, PDP Screening Appeals Committee, PDP National Secretariat, Zone 5, Abuja.

The petition signed by Kevin obi, of Ward 8, Agu Awka, PDP AWKA said in part:

SCREENING OF ASPIRANTS FOR NOVEMBER 16 ANAMBRA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS

RE: TONY NWOYE 

I am writing first to commend our party, PDP, for the marvelous efforts being made to sanitize, revitalize and reunite our party, and so reclaim Anambra State.

Let me particularly commend the Ambassador Wali-led Screening Committee, for their excellent job, which provided a level playing field for all the aspirants to compete without fear or favour. This singular act shook the Nation, and has the opposition sweating: “PDP is finally getting its act together”, they say.

We are hoping that the Appeals Committee, led by you, Sir, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, would tow the same line of discipline. Let us quickly alert you to the following:

1.Did Tony Nwoye present a degree certificate?

2.If yes, is the degree valid?

3.If yes, did he do the mandatory Youth Service?

4.If he was found not to have paid his taxes as and when due, only last Thursday,

How can he correct that without cooking up some tax papers from inside? Is he going to reset the clock?

Sir your Committee should tread carefully, so as not to bring Ambassador Wali into disrepute. His Excellency is a respected Nigerian renowned for his integrity, and is one of our PDP Founding Fathers, a man who is not given to vanity. Disqualification should mean disqualification.

We wish to use this medium to also alert:

1.The National Chairman

2.The BOT Chairman

3.Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi-led Team

4.ANY OTHER PERSON OR PARTY CONCERNED,

To the sensitivities involved in this matter, and to urge you to refrain/desist from GIVING or TAKING any BRIBE, and to shun all forms of MANIPULATIONS in favour of TONY NWOYE or indeed any other Aspirant.

There are at least 13 other Candidates for now, and we are NEVER going to allow any such Favouritism or God-Fatherism to ruin and wipe out the tremendous gains we have made in this party. ANAMBRA ELECTION IS OUR CHANCE TO BOUNCE BACK.

We are therefore WATCHING, ready to CRY FOUL. If you take bribe or are coerced into sweeping the irregularities in Tony Nwoye’s documentation under the carpet, note that the opposition is also watching and waiting for any Legal Loopholes. They are ready to uncover any skeletons we choose to hide in the closet so that when we must have won the election, they will go to court and claim the seat again.

Note that I am not fighting for any candidate of my choice. Let the elections be CLEAN. Period. Let us put our personal interests aside and move our democracy forward because we are the ruling Party.

BE WISE. BE WARNED. SAY NO

The petition concluded.

ANDY UBAH

Elombah.com learnt that Tony Nwoye was initially screened out following grave discrepancies and forgeries discovered in his nomination form. We will publish details of those forgery in the second part of this article.

How Tony Nwoye later surmounted the initial rejection has been attributed to Chief Arthur Eze and the anti-Obasanjo elements in PDP who hated the idea of Andy Ubah’s candidacy. Ubah was a former domestic aide to former president Olusegun Obasanjo. It is open secret that Obasanjo is not favourably disposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition. 

“Andy Ubah lost out because of his closeness to Obasanjo”, a PDP stalwart told elombah.com.

On Tony Nwoye’s chances in the November Anambra guber contest, Uche Ezechukwu said: “he will have no chance at the elections, even with any type of rigging. Money can only take you far, but not all the way”

Comrade Tony Okechukwu Nwoye (as he prefers to be addressed) was born to the family of Chief Lawrence and Mrs. Christiana Nwoye of Offiantta Village, Nsugbe in Anambra East Local Government of Anambra State. He was born, a twin, (twin is Earnest Nwoye) on the 13th September, 1974 as the 4th child in Chief Lawrence Nwoye's family at Waterside Hospital, Onitsha .
In the pic :Arthur Eze,Tony Nwoye and Andy Uba respectively.
http://www.elombah.com/index.php/special-reports/17417-revealed-how-arthur-eze-used-tony-nwoye-to-spite-andy-ubah-nwoye-s-criminality-exposed

After the Ejike Oguebego led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP concluded their primary election at the Emaus House, Awka, Senator Andy Uba was declared winner with 645 votes.

Declaring the results, the Chairman of the Electoral Pannel and former Speaker of Anambra state House of Assembly, Mr. K.C Enemuo announced that Senator Uba polled total of 645 votes ahead of other 15 aspirants.

The results showed that Senator Andy Uba got 645, Emma Anosike polled 110, Mike Okoye, 22, Patrick Ugboma 89, Chief Ugochukwu Okeke 20, Tony Nwoye,  1, Jery Ugokwe, 86, Josephine Aneni, 3, Walter Okeke, 2 and Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, 17.

Mr. Enemuo who further disclosed that the total number of invalid votes were 48, declared Senator Andy Uba winner of the PDP governorship primary election. Responding, Uba thanked the delegates for electing him the party’s flag bearer, promising to lead the party to victory in November 16 governorship election in the state.

In the other congress, Mr. Tony Nwoye won with 498 votes to beat his closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu who scored 357 votes.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/anambra-guber-uba-nwoye-emerge-pdp-candidates/

FROM the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Thursday came a declaration: No calling off of the current strike until all demands are met.

 At a briefing in Lagos, ASUU’s President, Dr Nasir Issa Fagge described the much advertised government’s intervention in the current impasse as full of deceit and lacking in integrity.  

  Besides, Fagge insisted that the period of negotiation was over with the signing of the agreement between the Federal Government and the union in 2009, stressing that government should rather move towards implementing the agreement.

    Fagge explained that the government team, at the latest meeting between the two parties held last Monday in Abuja, spoke with a tinge of finality and declaring its unpreparedness to implement the agreed massive injection of funds to revitalise public universities.

  The ASUU president also expressed shock at the government’s declaration that it would not pay university academics their earned allowances which, he stated, had accumulated from 2009 to 2013 but would rather propagate the provision of N30 billion to assist various Governing Councils of Federal Universities to defray the arrears of N92 billion owed to all categories of staff in the university system.

  For those clamouring that ASUU should soft pedal on the negotiation, Issa-Fagge argued that they had, so far met with government 10 times since the action commenced on July 2, 2013.

   He said: “ASUU was shocked at the level of deceit, dishonesty and lack of integrity displayed by government. Here was a government that has been propping on the union at least since the release of the MoU in January 2012. Never in the history of ASUU-Government relations have we, as a union, ever experienced the kind of volte-faced exhibited by government.” 

  Fagge disclosed that the Secretary of the Federation ridiculed the agreement, the MOU and the Needs Assessment Report, mocking the Minister of Education to “go and give them N400 billion, at which point, members of the government team scornfully laughed.”

      According to him, the meeting was highly bewildering, embarrassing and highly unacceptable.

  “ASUU cannot believe that the agreement, MOU and the Needs Assessment Report, undertaken and endorsed by the highest public officials in the land would be so blatantly ridiculed by the same people,” he said.

   Fagge, who vowed that the union would never shift its ground on the agreement, also affirmed: “At this point, we can’t be talking about shifting ground because we shifted grounds in 2009.  In 2006, ASUU presented demands and government also presented demands and we succeeded in reducing the demands through an agreement reached in 2009, after three years of negotiation. At this point, we are not talking about negotiation but implementation of agreement duly signed by both parties.”

    Fagge hinted that the Union may opt out of the Suswam-led committee, based on principles, as the committee “lacks the will to effectively resolve the crisis.”

   Besides, he maintained that ASUU would not be corrupted. “Chaos has become the order of the day,” he averred, “and our goal is to ensure that orderliness emerges at the end of this. 

It is a shame that the government is talking about pace when we continue to churn out graduates of English who can hardly write English language or medical doctors who have not been exposed to manikins and are expected to perform surgeries.  The major aim of our struggle is to see that change is effected in this country.”

   The issues involved in the current industrial dispute include: Funding requirements for revitalising the Nigerian universities; Federal Government Assistance to State Universities; Progressive increase of annual budgetary allocation to education to 26 per cent between 2009 and 2020, and Earned Allowances.

  Others are: Amendment of the pension/retirement age of academics on the professorial cadre from 65 to 70 years, Establishment of the Pension Fund Administrator, Governing Council; Transfer of Federal Government landed properties to universities as the setting up of research and development units by companies operating in Nigeria as well as teaching and research equipment.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/130784-why-strike-must-continue-by-ASUU

Photo: ASUU’s President, Dr Nasir Issa Fagge

Barely 24 hours after Senator Chris Ngige emerged the Anambra State consensus governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), one of the aspirants in the race, Godwin Ezeemo has refuted stepping down for him (Ngige).

He also said that no consensus candidate has emerged for the APC as reported in the media and that he would not step down for Ngige.

Speaking on the purported stepping down for Chris Ngige, Ezeemo said, ‘’ I have not stepped down for anybody and will never do that. I have always believed in free and fair contest where the best candidate will emerge”.

According to him, he is still very much in the race for the Anambra governorship election on the platform of the APC.

“The rumour making the rounds that Chris Ngige has emerged the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the November 16 Anambra election is baseless and unfounded. The attempt to impose a candidate on Anambra people is a deceptive ploy by Rochas Okorocha who is battling to have a sound footing in APC in his own state Imo state.

“Those who do not want to go to the polls to test their popularity and want to take power through the backdoors are clearly scared of my pedigree. I challenge them to the contest before Anambra people who have the ultimate right and final say on who governs them”, he said.

Ezeemo stressed the importance of upholding internal democracy in the newly formed APC, adding, ‘’I have a very firm belief that a free and fair primaries for the purpose of electing a flag bearer for our great party in the forthcoming Anambra governorship elections will make our party stronger”. The  APC according to Ezeemo was formed to wrest power from the ruling PDP and right the several wrongs it has unleashed on the people since the inception of this political dispensation. He said that anything that creates doubt about the sincerity of that avowed principle in the minds of the party faithful certainly does not portend good for APC.

“I stand for free, fair and credible primaries. No more, no less” Ezeemo enthused.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/politics/anambra-2013-i-wont-step-down-for-ngige-ezeemo/

A huge political tension has developed in Anambra State over a deal struck between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan to impose Senator Andy Uba as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party as well as the next governor of Anambra.
Several sources in Abuja and within Anambra State told SaharaReporters that Mr. Obasanjo was one of the architects of the plan to make Mr. Uba governor. A PDP executive in Abuja disclosed that the Uba deal was one of the conditions given by former President Obasanjo to settle a rift between him and Mr. Jonathan.
In addition, Mr. Jonathan has told his associates that he needs Mr. Uba in control of Anambra in order to guarantee him a landslide victory in the state come the 2015 presidential election. “The president wants to ensure that he carries Anambra and other southeast states,” said a source. “That’s why he needs Chief Uba to be in charge.”
Mr. Jonathan’s administration has been under fire from former President Obasanjo, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the incumbent president’s performance. Mr. Obasanjo has also told his associates that he was seriously considering the option of backing a northern candidate to run against Mr. Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
“I can tell you that nothing scares President Jonathan more than Chief Obasanjo’s ability to marshal forces, within Nigeria and abroad, against him,” said a source who is close to the current president. “He has been so jittery ever since Baba [Obasanjo] started launching his attacks. That’s why he quickly agreed when Chief Obasanjo told him that Andy must become the new governor of Anambra.”
Many top political sources within the PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) told SaharaReporters that President Jonathan has enlisted the hierarchy of both parties in the scheme to put Mr. Uba into the governor’s seat in Anambra by hook or crook. In meetings with Governor Obi and other PDP and APGA interests, Mr. Jonathan instructed that all steps be taken to ensure that Mr. Uba’s enthronement as the next governor becomes a success.
But the plan is being stoutly resisted, according to a spokesman for a coalition of interests from across different political parties, including PDP members. “Obasanjo couldn’t help his daughter carry his own polling station in Ogun State, but he thinks he can choose who will be our governor in Anambra,” said the man, who in a telephone conversation declared that his anti-Uba coalition was confident of resisting both Obasanjo and Jonathan. “Our people voted solidly for President Jonathan in 2011. Yet, instead of treating us with the respect we deserve, he sits in Abuja and wants to dictate who will rule us. Their evil scheme will fail.”
According to several of our sources, the recent upheaval in APGA was part of the plot to clear the way for Mr. Uba to coast to the governorship. Last week, APGA announced the disqualification of Charles Soludo, a former Central Bank Governor, Oseloka Obaze, an erstwhile top aide to Governor Peter Obi, as well as other key governorship contenders. “The [disqualifications] were part and parcel of a deal to ensure that Chief Andy Uba becomes the next person to rule Anambra,” said a longtime member of APGA.
Several sources revealed that Governor Obi was previously interested in supporting either Mr. Obaze, a lawyer and retired employee of the United Nations, or former banker, Willie Obiano, to succeed him. SaharaReporters also gathered that APGA chairman, Victor Umeh, once backed Mr. Soludo for the governorship. A source said the former CBN governor, who recently resigned from the PDP and registered as a member of APGA, had provided substantial cash to Mr. Umeh to help run the party.
However, both Mr. Soludo and Mr. Obaze became casualties of President Jonathan’s decision to appease Obasanjo as well as position a dependable ally in Anambra. Several sources revealed that Mr. Jonathan and his associates felt that neither Mr. Soludo nor Mr. Obaze could be fully trusted to help him in 2015. In addition, Mr. Jonathan and his team dread the prospects of Senator Chris Ngige winning Government House, Awka. A few days ago, Mr. Ngige emerged the APC’s governorship candidate in a controversial congress that some party members described as undemocratic.
According to some sources, President Jonathan persuaded Governor Obi to abandon Obaze, his primary choice as successor. SaharaReporters learned that the Presidency also paid a huge sum of money to APGA chairman, Umeh, to persuade him to back away from Mr. Soludo.
A source close to Mr. Obi revealed that the Anambra governor was “taken by surprise and is very unhappy” with the president’s advocacy for Mr. Uba. “He [Obi] wanted either Obaze or Chief Willie Obiano, but what can he do once the president has spoken?”
Of all the serious APGA aspirants, only Mr. Obiano, a respected former banking executive, survived the purge that swept away Mr. Soludo and Mr. Obaze. A source in APGA told SaharaReporters that the Presidency perhaps spared Mr. Obiano because they saw him as a political push-over who would be easily rigged out by the PDP machinery. But the source added that both Mr. Obiano and Mr. Ngige would beat Mr. Uba in any free-and-fair contest in Anambra.  
One of the members of the emerging anti-Uba group told SaharaReporters that the PDP would have had an uphill task winning an election in Anambra even with a good candidate. “But when it becomes clear to our [Anambra] people that Obasanjo and Jonathan are engineering Andy as our next governor, more of our people will rise in stout opposition.”
A PDP member of the coalition vowed that the people of Anambra were tired of what he called “the politics of imposition.” “Don’t forget that Chief Andy Uba did not even win senatorial election. We all know that the seat he has in the Senate truly belongs to [Nicholas] Ukachukwu. I can assure you that our people still remember the role Chief Uba and Eselu [Mr. Uba’s younger brother, Chris Uba] played to destroy Anambra when Obasanjo was president. We won’t allow a partnership of Ogboni members to treat us like boy-boys,” he said.
A source within APGA told SaharaReporters that the blame for what is happening should go to Mr. Obi. “The governor disappointed us and our late leader and father, Ikemba Nnewi [Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu] when he effectively turned APGA into a branch of the PDP and an arm of the Presidency.”
Several PDP members told SaharaReporters that party officials had directly or indirectly told major governorship aspirants within their fold not to waste their money and time. “We were told not to bother spending our money, that the [governorship] ticket will be delivered to Dr. Andy Uba,” said a source who said he was mulling a run for the post. He added that other aspirants like Nicholas Ukachukwu and Annie Okonkwo had received the same message.
“Is this democracy that we are seeing in our country?” the source questioned. “Our party says nobody should run again except Andy. And the oppositions are doing the same thing. Dr. Ngige was just announced like that, without following any real democratic way.”
The source said he had heard of the group mobilizing to fight against the imposition of Mr. Uba, but said he was not a member. Asked if he would campaign for Mr. Uba, the source spoke angrily. “If they impose him, why then should I fight for him? Let those who imposed him come and fight for him.”

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/obasanjo-jonathan-strike-deal-make-andy-uba-anambra-governor

In the pic: Peter Obi and Andy Uba

ONITSHA—The Labour Party in Anambra State will on August 28 hold its governorship  primaries to nominate the party flag bearer for the November 16 governorship poll in the state.
Addressing reporters at the party secretariat, Awka, the state chairman, Mr Sam Onyearugbulam, said so far, the party had three aspirants, including Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and two unidentified others.
He said of the three aspirants, only Dr Ifeanyi Ubah had paid the necessary fees and scaled through the party screening to qualify him to contest the primaries, while the unidentified aspirants were yet
to concretize their intention to run for the plum position on the platform of the party.
Last week, the party in its congress, elected five delegates each from the 21 local government areas of the state that would join the statutory delegates to nominate the party flag bearer next Wednesday.
Onyearugbulem, who said he was very comfortable with INEC arrangement for the governorship poll, urged the electoral body to give all the political parties a level playing ground by conducting a credible, free and fair election.
On the scheduled October 5 local government poll in the state, he said the party was prepared and ready for the LG poll  whenever Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, was ready to conduct it.
However, he expressed doubt that ANSIEC would conduct the election this year as it had started on a faulty note by postponing the issuance of Forms 001 and 002 that political parties should give to their candidates to fill and submit to it .

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/anambra-lp-holds-guber-primaries-aug-28/

The disqualification of Prof Charles Soludo from contesting for the governorship of Anambra State under the ticket of APGA has been traced to a presidential pressure from Goodluck Jonathan to the trio of Governor Peter Obi, Chief Victor Umeh and Chief Mrs Bianca Ojukwu . Prof Soludo had earlier been disqualified by the Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi led Gubernatorial Screening Committee of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Information revealed that the reasons given for disqualifying the aspirants ranged from non-presentation of their voter cards, lack of evidence of financial strength to execute the campaign, incomplete certificate , failure to submit tax clearance and pending cases with the EFCC. An APGA appeal panel headed by Chief Tony Ojielo upheld Soludo's disqualification and the later has been very moody since the rejection of his appeal . He was reported to have told party loyalists that party chairman, Victor Umeh, Odumegwu Ojukwu's widow, Bianca and Gov Peter Obi had earlier asked him to withdraw his ambitions from APGA because President Jonathan had asked them to do everything within their powers to stop his candidacy. The screening committee was a smokescreen targeted at Soludo, however, some fall guys including Mr Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnaechetta, Mr Chinedu Francis Idigo, Dr Chike Obidigbo and Mr Oseloka Obaze were made to fall with him.

The chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Victor Umeh also reportedly informed enraged party chieftains and some prominent Igbo leaders that the order to disqualify Soludo came from above and with the assistance he is expecting from Abuja to fight his enemies at APGA, he cannot afford to reject a presidential favour.

Professor Charles Soludo, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had earlier contested for the Governorship of Anambra State in 2010 and lost to the incumbent Governor Peter Obi. It was known that Goodluck Jonathan, then the Acting President, had frustrated the assembled PDP rigging machinery and ordered them out of Awka on the eve of the election.

Prior to Soludo's entrance into APGA, a major gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Ifeanyi Uba, had earlier fled the party for Labour Party (LP) when he got feelers that the president's influence over APGA could lead to his disqualification at the last moment, exactly what happened to Soludo . With the exit of Ifeanyi Uba, APGA seemed headed for imminent failure in the upcoming polls until Obi convinced Soludo to join the party. Soludo, encouraged by Gov Obi, joined APGA, and was promised the party ticket in order to boost their chances at the pools and help checkmate PDP and APC rampage. The deal for Soludo to join APGA was sealed after Peter Obi visited him during the memorial thanksgiving service of her mother-in-law at Isuofia in July where an elated Soludo commended the governor for laying a solid foundation for sustainable development in Anambra State. Subsequent meetings followed the visit and few days later Soludo declared for APGA.

While the Soludo- Obi romance was on, the presidency was said to be very uncomfortable with the alliance. There is feeling within the seat of power that a Soludo governorship in Anambra State would spell doom for Jonathan's 2015 re-election campaign. They believed that he might mobilize Igbo votes against his re-election. The second reason being that losing a core-Igbo state to someone outside presidential control is not strategic.The presidency believes that Soludo is still loyal to former president Obasanjo and that handing over the governorship to an untrusted ally is very risky. President Jonathan is yet to make up his mind on his choice of candidature for the PDP but there is frantic effort by Senator Andy Ubah to get the his nod. Two known pro-Jonathan candidates, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpa and Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu are making efforts to secure the president's approval.

Prior to Soludo's disqualification, the fight for Anambra Guber was meant to be between Senators Chris Ngige of APC, Ifeanyi Ubah of LP, Soludo of APGA and Andy Ubah of PDP. APGA chieftains have condemned the disqualification of Soludo and have threatened to make a protest vote against the party. They accused Peter Obi and Victor Umeh of selling APGA to the PDP while their counterparts in the South West and North are consolidating their gains with APC and newly registered PDM by attracting heavyweights and credible persons to their party.

http://m.modernghana.com/mobile/483642/1/president-jonathan-behind-apgas-disqualification-o.html

The Joint Task Force(JTF) in Kano arrested a suspected Boko Haram member at the residence of the son of late former Head of State Sani Abacha, Mohammed, Daily Trust reliably gathered.
It was gathered that the suspect who is a domestic aide of Abacha's son at his residence located on Magajin Rumfa road at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Nasarawa local government area of the state was trailed to the house following the arrest of a suspected Boko Haram member in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Security forces comprising men of the Nigerian Army and those of the State Security Service (SSS) went to the residence at around 1pm on Wednesday.
A source close to the family told Daily Trust that the security operatives arrived the house at a time when the aides of Mohammed were saying their Zuhr prayers.
"They came during the Zuhr prayers; in fact the people around in the house were observing the prayers. The security men alighted from their cars and about 10 of them who were well-armed entered the building and waited till the end of the four raka'at prayers.
"After the prayers, they asked all the people around to lie down. In fact some security men who were among those people praying were also asked to lie down because they were in mufti. When the security men among those people that were lying down indentified themselves, the JTF members asked them to stand up," he said.
According to the source, the JTF operatives then brought out a suspected Boko Haram member who was handcuffed to identify the suspect in Mohammed's house.
"As the suspect was trying to identify the one in Mohammed's house, he started running and jumped a fence but the security operatives arrested," he said.
However, when our correspondents went to the residence of Mohammed around 1pm yesterday, security guards stationed there denied knowledge of the military operation and the arrest of the suspected Boko Haram member.
But a trader near the residence said he heard about the arrest of the suspect from a friend. "I was not around when the operation took place but I heard that a suspected Boko Haram member was arrested in the house yesterday (Wednesday)," he said.
When contacted by telephone, Mohammed Abacha said nothing like that happened.
Spokesman for JTF in Kano state, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, confirmed the operation but declined further information, saying investigation was still on.

http://m.allafrica.com/stories/201308161092.html/?maneref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fclient%3Dms-rim%26hl%3Den%26q%3Dmohammed%2520abacha%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26channel%3Dbrowser

After 13 years of dry taps in Onitsha, the town is set to experience free flow of water, courtesy of Governor Peter Obi’s administration which paid N1.8 billion to a South African Water company, PC Africa.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Governor’s Lodge, Onitsha, after inspection tour of the major facility of Onitsha Water Scheme at Nkisi.

Gov. Obi said that the choice of a foreign company was for a thorough job, as according to him, the company had done a job of such magnitude in different parts of the world.

Obi, who said he decided to make full payment in order not to entertain excuses for non-performance or delays, however, apologised to the people of the town for the late intervention, saying it was because things did not work out early as planned.

Speaking earlier, the State Commissioner for Water Resources and Public Utilities, Dr. Emeka Nwankwu, lamented that Onitsha, with a population of four million was having potable water problem.

He said that by 2006, when the Federal Government rehabilitated some water schemes in the country, Onitsha did not benefit because the government at that time was fighting the Federal Government. He said that when Obi became governor, he tried and was able to get the Federal Government to include it, but that the company handling it, Funtai, in spite of receiving bridging lone from the state government to the tune of hundreds of millions of naira was not serious or technically deficient.

He recalled all other efforts to resuscitate the scheme through partnership, which failed and that as a last resort, the government decided to do it directly with the full payment of N1.8 billion that would take care of the first phase, involving the restoration of the collapsed facilities. He said that about N10 billion would be required in the long run for expansion of the facilities to serve the entire Onitsha and its environs.

Speaking on behalf of PC Africa, its managing director, Glenn Burton-Durham, said with the payment and cooperation of the people, the company would deliver within time.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/onitshas-dry-taps-set-to-run-again-13-yrs-after/

Governor Peter Obi will on Thursday announce a minor cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of the Secretary to the state Government, Oseloka henry Obaze Monday night.  Tension is high that three commissioners may be dropped by Obi to accommodate the new found peace interests in the party.
The Nation reports that Umeh’s interests were not protected in the current Executive of Governor Obi and now that this opportunity has created itself Umeh would be adequately compensated.
Already various individuals have started scheming for the position while a government source said Obi is considering elevating his Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna and her Education counterpart Dr Mrs Uju Okeke as SSG . They have topped the list penciled down for consideration.
A government House source said a new Commissioner entrant to the Obi’s government would be nominated by Chief Victor Umeh, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
‘’Chief Umeh will nominate the new SSG or if Okunna or Okeke is elevated then Umeh will nominate the new commissioner and three other commissioners may go to give room Umeh’s interest in the government as usual.
Oseloka resigned according to him ‘’in furtherance to my personal commitment to public service and having been encouraged by well-meaning Anambrarians and close associates following due diligence and introspection, I have this week commenced formal exploratory talks on my possible candidacy for the governorship of Anambra state in 2014.
He added that he did this ,’’in Pursuant to Section 5 (e) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance Electoral Guidelines for the Anambra State Governorship Primary Election 2013, yesterday Monday 12 August, 2013 I tendered my letter of resignation as the Secretary to the State Government to H.E. Mr. Peter Obi, CON. It has been an honour to serve the people and government of Anambra State.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/anambra-ssg-resigns-obi-to-sack-three-commissioners/

Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, has launched a unique social security scheme of one billion naira welfare package for over thirty thousand non pensionable indigent senior citizens of above 75 years of age and above in the state.

The scheme which provides the initial one billion naira has been passed into law by the state House of Assembly under the Anambra state Indigent Relief Law and covers a period of six months with effect from July first to December, 2013.

The event which took place at the place at the Women Development Center, Awka, presented the governor with the opportunity to enkindle hope in the hearts of the ageing men and women that came for the occasion.

Launching the Indigent Adult Welfare Scheme, the governor announced that the initial one billion naira provided for the project would cover from July to December this year having been signed into law by the State House of Assembly.

He said the state has a special account for the project in which his administration has saved enough for the first six months and would continue to save in order that the scheme does not die or suffer set back in any way even as he was not aiming at encumbering his successor.

He assured the people of the sound planning policy of his administration which translated to necessary measures that would ensure continuity and sustainability of projects initiated by him.

http://news.bestnaira.com/posts/view/gov-obi-launches-indigent-adult-welfare-scheme

‘If I were the governor of Anambra State, I will punish the staff in the liaison office who failed to identify persons claiming to be from Anambra State , and bringing them home if confirmed, provided to got their allocation from the budget , and as governor of Lagos, I would punish those who brought in 14 persons into Onitsha and failed to do a proper handover for any reason, even if one side failed to turn up’ –Senator Ngige

Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District and front line governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige has asked the people of Awka in Anambra State to rejoice in measured steps as the plan for Awka as contained in the Constituency projects for the area is not fully yet realized.
Awka recently got a boost in their electric supply with the injection of six megawatts of electricity into the Agu-Awka sub-station via the Enugu supply line, one of the three major supply lines emplaced into the appropriation bill by the Senate Committee on Power, where Ngige is Vice Chairman.
This development reflected in the tumultuous reception given to Ngige when he arrive Awka at the weekend for the last phase of his third quarter town hall meetings and thank you visit to the federal constituency comprising Awka North and South Local Government Areas
The other two are the new Onitsha industrial supply line from Benin City and the Nnewi supply line through Aba axis.
According to Ngige, ‘It is not yet time for Awka to celebrate as this is only a test-transmission, which at the end will lead to the introduction of 15 megawatts and then 30 in quick succession.
Ngige noted that it is only one step in a long journey to raising Awka from the underdeveloped capital it is now, into a capital city that Ndi Anambra will be proud of, when you have elected me in to the governorship seat from March Next year’.
Ngige spoke at his last of the three third-quarter constituency meetings, which also afforded Nigeria’s busiest and most productive senators the chance to thank the people of the federal constituency for their massive support during the senatorial elections.
Ngige also seized the moment to pooh pooh those who claim that he in not active in the Senate saying that it is either they do not have television sets in their house or they are not in the proper frame of mind to appreciate hard work and results’
He explained that what he is doing in the Senate is complete legislative work , which bother on teamwork and not a scamper to take credit for bills which may not add to the quality of people’s lives adding that ‘that is not enough for anyone to begin to sponsor negative reports in the media to serve his own narrow interests’
According to Ngige, why should those who speared this poison forget our anti-Gay Bill co-sponsored by me? Why did they forget that the Health committee that I belong to sponsored the Bill for the review of the National Health Insurance Scheme and that it even takes the sponsors of the bill and its opposers to give value to the legislative aprt of a senator’s business.’
On a lighter note Ngige added: ‘But assuming without conceding that I was not an active senator, why are the same mischief makers reluctant to support me to return to the governorship position, which they accept I did well?’.
Will they refuse to move forward and refuse to clear the road? Ngige asked in Igbo shortly before the question and answer session.
Although he did not name anyone, observers believed it was a veiled reference to Gov. Peter Obi who has referred to Senator Ngige on three different occasions as an inactive senator.
Ngige took time to explain to the constituents his potion on the repatriation of destitute to Anambra, noting that ‘I went to Lagos in anger because I cannot be in the same party with the Lagos State governor and my people will be maltreated’, but was surprised to be shown documents showing that Lagos State government had been in communication with Anambra State since April 09, 2013, and yet Anambra State government could not work out an adequate response to Lagos’
‘If Anambra State government had any misgivings about the intentions of the Lagos State government, they had ample time to say so’ Ngige said adding that I received the kind of letters Obi received when I was the governor of Anambra State and I did not neglect the people like they did, but took custody and adequate care of them’
Continuing he said that when Lagos now called to remind the liason Officer, and to find out why she was yet to identify the people who claimed to come from Anambra he claimed that they had no funds to run the Alison office in Lagos’
Ngige blamed Anambra State government for gross neglect of duty and also blamed the emissaries from Lagos for dropping the 14 persons they brought home under tight security without signatures, noting that if it was senior offices that were sent, they should have known that they should check into a hotel when their Anambra State counterparts failed to show up to receive them.’
In conclusion Ngige noted that as a governor, I would have punished the Anambra State Liaison Office r in Lagos for neglecting their duty, provided I have released the funds budgeted for the office, and as Lagos State governor, I would punish those people who now deposited person in their care in a government office without handing over to anybody in particular.
He therefore noted that since both sides have their issues, it is better to learn from that and proceed ,noting that inter-governmental relations is not consummated on the pages of newspapers as Anambra State government tried to portray.


http://247ureports.com/we-shall-build-a-capital-city-to-behold-in-awka-ngige/

AWKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has debunked the allegation that he has endorsed a particular candidate among the governorship aspirants in All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
Obi, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, described as mischievous the idea of associating him with endorsing a candidate for governor when he had been preaching against it.
According to him, sponsoring anybody is dangerously close to godfatherism.
He said the only thing Governor Obi had continued to do in his usual spirit of fairness and equity, was to insist that Anambra North should produce the next governor and had urged them to come out with best candidates for the job.
The governor said: “For the governorship election, a number of aspirants from Anambra North have come out, with competitive advantages to rival the best from other zones.
“We have the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, an international civil servant; we have Dr. Chike  Obidigbo, a renowned industrialist; we have Mr. Tony Nnaecheta, who was an ex managing director of a bank; we have Chief Willie Obiano, who was an executive director in a bank, among others. With this array of people from the zone, nobody can say the zone lacks quality people.”
He described as laughable the antics of those who by their conduct did not believe in God, adding that Governor Obi was said to be “playing God” simply because he insisted that Anambra North should be allowed to produce the next governor in the spirit of equity and fair play since it had not produced any since the state was created 22 years ago.
Obi said further: “All over the country, states are going for fairness and equity in the distribution of political posts. Enugu, Edo, Ebonyi, Abia, among others, are all saying that governorship should move to a particular zone for the sake of equity.”
Meanwhile, the long drawn crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State may not have been over as the state chairman recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chief Ejike Oguebego, yesterday, described the PDP rally organised last Friday by a factional chairman, Chief Ken Emeakayi, as illegal and unconstitutional.
This came as Labour Party, LP, started sensitisation campaign ahead of the local government election scheduled for October 5 this year.
Chief Oguebego’s outburst is coming barely 24 hours after the PDP faction led by Emeakayi, held a rally at Ekwueme Square, Awka, where the national deputy chairnan of the party affirmed that he was the state chairman.
Speaking with newsmen, Oguebego said Emeakayi had no locus standi to organize such rally in the name of the party when he was not the chairman of the party in the state.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/2014-ive-not-endorsed-any-candidate-obi/

Ahead of November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has perfected plans to frustrate the ambition of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.

A highly placed source told Daily Sun that the ‘Stop Soludo’ campaign has become the new mantra within the highest ranks of the PDP both at the state and the national level with overtures being made to Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, not to renege on his support for the emergence of a candidate from Anambra North senatorial zone as his successor.

The former CBN boss, who is from Anambra South zone, recently resigned from the PDP and joined the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a move considered strategic and which seemed to have changed the tempo of the tension-soaked governorship race in the state.

But Prof Soludo’s ambition may be heading for the rocks as our source disclosed that power brokers in PDP had been ordered to leave no stones unturned to ensure that the former CBN boss does not pick the ticket of his new party for the governorship election.

He informed that the PDP hierarchy was uncomfortable with the resignation of Professor Soludo from the party and his subsequent joining of APGA to contest the election.

Daily Sun learnt that Soludo’s joining of APGA had become a major headache to the PDP hierarchy as it has cast a question mark on the capacity of the party to succeed APGA government, which would leave office early next year.

Top PDP chieftains in Anambra State and Abuja were said to have been jolted by the sudden reconciliation of factions in APGA and the subsequent joining of the party by Soludo.

“While our party is currently battling with the challenge of finding an accommodation amongst the many gladiators being sponsored by the different factions of the party in the forthcoming election, the last thing that we had expected was the entry into the race by such a formidable candidate as Prof. Soludo, especially through APGA, a party that is in power and enjoys fanatical followership in the state.

“It would make a lot of sense to eliminate every obstacle to the emergence of more qualified and better-favoured candidates in the other parties against whom the PDP candidate would not be a match,” he said, adding, “it is also being canvassed inside the party that Soludo is the most prominent among such potential opposition candidates due to his clout, acceptability and standing in the state,” he said.

He said the PDP was scared that on picking the APGA ticket, Soludo, who contested the last Anambra governorship election would take away his supporters that constitute a bulk of the party’s membership in Anambra.

Part of the fears in PDP according to our source was that the crisis following the outcome of the PDP screening and selection processes might result in exodus of members from the party and that APGA and Soludo would be the greatest beneficiaries.

Daily Sun was informed that the PDP was determined to checkmate Soludo, considered as the front-runner in the APGA primaries even as the party is also worried over who becomes the APC candidate.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/anambra-guber-pdp-moves-against-soludo/

abbeylincon: If u reject Ngige's selfless service this time, on flimsy reasons, then Ngige shud jus wait till 2015 wen APC Wíℓℓ make him Minister of Health! Ngige would have bn your Messiah,I was passing thru Onitsha wen I stop over on my way to Aba, I felt sorry for that state, no single tarred major street road! Too bad! Ngige leave them to remain backward all in the name of APC,wit or without u, APC has come to stay, only Kano state is more than the entire east in terms of population, so wot re we sayin? Why d braggin?

you must be blind by not seeing any development in onitsha.

Former governor of Anambra State and
senator representing Anambra Central
Senatorial Zone, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said
that Governor Peter Obi was playing God
by insisting that Anambra North Zone
would produce his successor.
Ngige made it clear that Anambra
stakeholders have never, at any time, sat
and deliberated on zoning and rotation
and has not in the past preclude any zone
in any governorship election.
He spoke to GEOFFREY ANYANWU about
his interest in the November 16
governorship election, his past elections
and experiences, his party, APC, and
other national issues.
Excerpts:
In the Anambra 2013 guber election, are
you running?
Well, your question is a categorical
question; you want a no or a yes. But I
will disappoint you; I don’t do yes or no
in this type of situation. I have to explain
to you what the season is like. The issue
at stake now is that governorship election
will take place in Anambra State on
November 16, 2013. We have always
known that and we’ve always known that
the incumbent tenure, that’s Governor
Peter Obi, will end on the 17th of March,
2014.
So we have known that, and by the end of
2012 I started being under pressure from
people to consider coming for this
particular election 2014. I tried to ward it
off initially. But try as much as I could,
the pressure continued. So I have been, as
it were in the last two to three months,
doing some intense consultation with
members of my family, political
associates, friends, colleagues in the
Senate and large spectrum of
Anambrarians, including religious leaders.
And by last week I’ve concluded my
consultations and whether I like it or not,
the preponderance of views and
preponderance of opinions and majority
of the people consulted, very large
majority, wants me to do a second
missionary journey in Anambra state.
The reasons vary. Some say the present
government has not achieve much; some
say it tried but they have not measured
up to the expectations. They cite the issue
of unsafety or lack of security in the
enclave called Anambra; they cite lack of
infrastructure, rural development, rapid
infrastructure development, lack of
airport for air travellers, rail lines for land
transport. Some even talked to me about
the poor state of Medicare, which
abounds everywhere. Today as I speak to
you, I’m meeting with the Nigeria Medical
Association, Anambra State Chapter and
they want to consult me on this, but even
with this consultation, I can tell you that
it is becoming clearer to me everyday that
I have no choice than to run in this
election. I think, with this explanation,
you can now put together whether or not
I will run. Yes or no is for you now to
pick. We will do the running in two
stages. I will inform my colleagues in
Senate and then I will inform
Anambrarians. You know I do have a
constituency, which is the Senate and I
respect that Hallowed Chamber and the
occupants so much. So this is the
situation with the Anambra 2013/2014.
Yes, I can deduce you shall be running.
Yes, I will run.
Why did it take you this long to decide?
It has to take me that long because the
variables that are there, the mathematics
of it, the possibility of winning it, the
layout for your campaign and the logistics
support are not things you can underrate
if you are a very good politician. I’ve seen
a lot of people making noise and going all
over the place and distributing money,
sometimes at road junctions they stop and
throw money up in the air and they carry
about deadwood politicians and some
whom I can refer to as urban gorillas.
They don’t have any grassroots appeal but
in the urban areas of Abuja, Awka, Lagos
you see them, they are now the people
going about with some of this people. So I
look at them, I laugh because it means
that the nitty-gritty of the journey, the
dancing steps are not clear to them. The
dance is coming and this dance will be
for those who know the beat and how to
step, how to do the stepping. For some of
us, if we go into it, we go there with
measured steps; any step we take means
something, to add value to the journey, so
it has to take me that long.
More so, when some people feel or tell
me that they are my friends, that I have
done wonderfully well at my first outing,
that they are afraid that I cannot measure
up again to that first outing, that the bar I
put there has not been met by any of the
occupants after me, and that they rather
want me to leave the bar at that point
instead of going now and maybe I will not
cross the bar like others, that that is their
own fear and they tell me, because or
that reason, they prefer me to continue
with Senate which is a place for statesmen
with less hassles, less job risk and
everything. And I tell them no, I’m a stoic;
I like hard work, I’m one of those who
believe that the reward for good work is
more work. So, I have seen certain things
in Anambra State, which I can do to add
value to the people. I have seen so many
things that are still in my blueprint and
yet they are unattended to in this state.
Talk in terms of airport, for example. I
was at the brink of starting to build my
airport before I left. I had already
commissioned a consultant about four
days before my departure from Anambra
seat of government. But today, no airport.
The present government botched the idea,
formed a committee, promised Anambra
people an airport by the end of 2007 and
later removed it to 2008, the committee
was in place, later they said they will build
it with Orient Petroleum as a partnership.
Today, nobody is talking about it
anymore. I don’t feel good about that.
Hospitals, I worked tirelessly to get
Onitsha General Hospital accredited with
my Commissioner for Health, Prof. Brian
Adimma, who incidentally is also my
classmate, so we knew what and what to
do. I worked in Federal Ministry of Health
and I left from the Directorate Cadre and
in one of the beats in the Directorate
Cadre I was supervising Nigeria Medical
and Dental Council. I was the supervisor,
so I know what and what that can be
done to get a hospital accredited. So am
not pleased that after Onitsha General
Hospital, seven and half years, none has
been accredited.
Then the area of education, the tertiary
education in Anambra State, when I came
our university at Uli had no accreditation
for their courses. I put action in motion
and the National University Commission
came for their accreditation and by the
time I left here, I had done accreditation
and gotten accreditation for 35 courses
out of the 36 that we presented, including
more and a partial accreditation for, I
think either music or one of those liberal
arts, that is the 36th. But today, I hear,
the lecturers call me and tell me they have
lost accreditation – those ones I gathered
for them. As a matter of fact, I hear that
about 22 accreditations have been lost, in
courses that are very dear to my heart
and I don’t feel good.
This is apart from the fact that in my own
blueprint, which I had when I came here
as a governor, a blueprint is your work
plan, I had only done about 23 per cent
of it. I go to that my blueprint I look at
what the present government has done,
they have only done seven per cent. So
together, my blueprint has been 30 per
cent done I don’t blame the present
government because it is not their own
blueprint; it’s not their work plan, even if
when they see it they might not know
how to approach it in execution. Even my
work plan on road, when they saw it, they
didn’t use it. They started using it during
their second tenure and even at that, they
couldn’t do my roads to my specifications
and my standard and the quality needed.
I was doing anti-erosion roadsm because
Anambra is an erosion-prone area. So you
cannot see, any road done by Ngige
administration that does not have enough
drains to collect water and with collecting
and channeling the water, the roads get
dry and you don’t have the roads giving
way after some years. Most of my roads
are 10 years now, some nine years, some
eight but you cannot see potholes on
them. They are still firm because of the
degree of supervision we gave those
contractors, even though I had major
reputable contractors, RCC, Setraco,
Nigercat and Inter Bau, but you must
supervise them well.
So I am not happy that those blueprints
of mine have not been fulfilled,
particularly our blueprint on agriculture
and agro-base industries. So I intend to us
a method of carrot and stick to attack the
issue of insecurity in Anambra state. You
take the carrot and eat if you are
amenable to what we suggest, that you
come out from the bad ways, be a good
citizen and join us, we provide job that
will enable you feed your family, feed
yourself, have a decent live, but use the
stick too if you refuse and decide that,
that is the path you must take forever, we
will flog you. That is what I want to do.
For those who don’t understand and said
that I have set a bar, a high jump, that I
have jumped six feet 10 or seven feet or
10 feet and that if I now go again I will
not be able to jump that 10 feet, I laugh,
shake my head because it means they do
not have access to my blueprint, which is
true of course. It is the man who designed
a blueprint that will know how and where
it can be made operational. So I am
confident, if I go back there, that I will
put smiles on the faces of Anambrarians.
My only draw back is my colleagues in the
Senate, they will miss me and I will miss
them and I really enjoy the Senate and
the legislative work there.
Now the last time you contested, you lost
to the incumbent Governor, what is giving
you the hope that you will win this time
around?
I did not lose, I did not lose to the
incumbent Governor, and I did not. If
you remember, I was and I’m still in the
Election Petition Tribunal. A panel came
here, Justice Abariya and left, another
panel of Justice Damulak of the Plateau
State Judiciary came again and they were
still on the chase before they were
dissolved when some things that were
abnormal began to happen. So they got
dissolved. The then President, Court of
Appeal, not former because he is still
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice
Salami, was to give us panel but he didn’t
do that before he had his own troubles
and had to vacate his seat. His new
successors have always been in acting
capacity and have not been too keen to
put up a panel for us and we were
embroiled in a new election for the
Senate in 2011, just nearly one year after
that other election. So we decided to fight
this Senate election first and when we
finished we can come back. But one thing
led to the other, from the Senate we went
to Election Tribunal on my case. Prof.
Dora Akunyili took me to the tribunal and
we spent another half-a-year there. That
six months saw us into late 2012 and
there was really no time to go and start
fanning up that case. So I decided to face
the job in the Senate for a while and as
we are doing that, this other election is
now coming up. From all indications, we
have to abort that other case.
We did not loose the election, we
querried that INEC has no right to
announce Obi winner because Obi did
not satisfy the mandatory requirement of
winning 25 per cent of votes in two-
thirds of all the local governments in
Anambra state, two-third of the local
governments is 14 and he had 25 per
cent in 13 local governments and that’s
why we went to the Tribunal.
In the present election, there has been
much noise about Anambra North
Senatorial zone producing the next
governor and Governor Obi has been
championing it. Do you think you have a
chance going by this development?
Well, the truth of the matter is that the
incumbent is saying that he wants
Anambra North. You can then ask some
pertinent questions. Has there been any
election in Anambra State that the
political gladiators from Anambra North
did not participate in? The answer is
capital, no. Starting from 1999, gladiators
from that side like Senator Joy Emodi
battled Mbadinuju in the elections; you
had Nnamdi Ozobia, the Ede of Onitsha,
Mike Areh he ran for governorshi in
1999. So, in Central, we had people who
ran too in 1999 but Mbadinuju from the
South took it. From Central you had Sam
Okechukwu, Aneze Chinwuba and
Agunwa Anaekwe. And from the South
you had Frank Oramulu, the Labour
Leader; Okechukwu Odunze, so many of
them. In 2003, ditto. All of them came out
again, Okechukwu Odunze, Frank
Oramulu, Joy Emodi came out for a little
while and went back, Ede came out and
others. I came from Central, Peter Obi
came from Central, Ajulu Uzodike, Obinna
Uzoh, Mbadinuju from South and we
battled, I got the ticket and later on when
the baton fail down, Peter Obi, from
Central, also took it. That is how it is. In
2007 when they say Peter Obi’s tenure
had ended, you had many people from
the North – Dr. Obiogbolu, Okechukwu
Odunze, Mike Areh, Anibata, Mike Okoye
and others. So there has not been any
election they did not participate or
struggled for.
Two, we have never sat down as
politicians and stakeholders from
Anambra State to say this power will
rotate in this manner in the zones. Never.
Not even at the PDP level when I was in
PDP; not even in other party’s levels,
none because Anambra has always been
free. In 2007, Andy Uba got it and
became Governor for 17 days, the court
sacked him and Peter Obi came back
when the Supreme Court pronounced
that his tenure was not ended. Same goes
for 2010 when we contested – Soludo
South, Obinna Uzoh, so many people, I
even thought I was disqualified in 2007
by INEC, I was barred. But in 2010,
everybody, including Andy Uba, came
back again and all the people from the
North came.
So, the point I am making is that, we
never sat down to debate and it will be
preposterous for anyone now to start
proposing it – you don’t change the
goalpost in a match midway or half way,
you can’t do that. So the Governor, from
all indications, is not doing that as a
patriot or a statesman, he is doing it for
reasons best known to him and the
reasons are not far fetched. The fact is
that he wants to preclude Senator Dr.
Chris Ngige from vying, Senator Andy Uba
from vying and may be Prof. Soludo from
vying. These are the people the governor
doesn’t want to hear their names as
possible successors. But he is not God; it’s
only God that will say who will succeed
him. Even we, like me now, I have made
up my mind that am going to run. It is
God who will determine my fate; it’s not
in man’s hand. So, going to be waging this
war, he is trying to play God, but he is
not.
More importantly, we have never, in
Anambra State, regarded ourselves as one
group being superior to another or
another group being the weakling. The
history of actions in this state lays
credence to what I am telling you. Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe ruled this place as
Premier. When he left for Lagos in 1960
to become Governor General, he handed
over to M.I Okpara the mantle of
leadership of NCNC and Eastern Region as
Premier. In 1967 when the war started,
Ukpabi Asika was made Sole Administrator
of East Central State, he was in the
Supreme Military Council and when the
war ended he became full Sole
Administrator. He ruled unfettered in this
part of the world to the extend that he
was able to appoint the Chief Justice from
Onitsha and he Ukpabi Asika was from
Onitsha. He appointed two Commissioners
in East Central states cabinet from
Onitsha, nobody queried, nobody said
anything. That is to show you what I mean
that we don’t segregate or regard any
other person as superior or inferior;
nobody queried it. And when our
brother, Chuba Okadigbo, decided to run
for Senate, he got the Senate seat, wants
to become the Senate President but
Obasanjo thwarted it with AD Senators
supporting a handful of PDP senators to
make Evans Enwerem Senate President.
And when Evans Enwerem fell from the
thrown, the Anambra senators were asked
to produce a replacement, the three
senators we had then, senators Mike
Ajaegboe, Okadigbo and Nnamdi Erobuna
came to meet us in our caucus. I was the
Assistant National Secretary of the PDP.
They met us at the caucus and we were
asking them who will replace Enwerem,
they should go and find somebody, they
went out and came back in less than one
minute and said Chuba Okadigbo should
take over. Chuba Okadigbo is from Oyi
Local Government of Anambra State in the
North, number three position, the
number three man in the country. Ukpabi
Asika from Onitsha, in the North, Nnamdi
Azikiwe, the Rt. Hon. from Onitsha in the
North the revered Nnamdi Azikiwe.
So we have never talked about
marginalization, even the present
dispensations from Yar’Adua, the ministers
have been coming from the north. John
Emeka, Transport Minister from Anambra
West, Stella Odua is from Ogbaru, North,
we have never queried their credentials.
So why did they now query the
credentials or other people and the
governor because he wants to preclude
some people, he wants to play God now
say, ‘I decree.’ We are saying to him that
we un-decree this decree; it will not
stand. In fact, his posture has embolden a
lot of us, especially me, to contest this
election, because we don’t want anointing
anymore in this area. Let him not anoint;
if he wants to anoint, let him go to his
family to anoint people; let them take over
his private business, not the government
of state.
I have nothing personal against the
governor, but when he does something
that is not proper, I’ll tell him and I
should be able to say so. I’m an elder
statesman in this state; I’m the young man
too in this state. I fit into any cadre you
call me in this state. So I should be able to
speak the truth; it’s only the truth than
can set the people free.
What lessons did you learnt from your
experience in the race with Obi now that
he is bent on installing his successor?
Which of the races? I did the
governorship race with him, I did the
Senate race with him, even though Dora
Akunyili was in forefront, it was the
government machinery that fought me.
The Governorship race
No, no no, the lessons I learnt in the
2010 governorship and the Senate race, I
will not leak it to you because we are
going into a fresh combat. If I reveal
them to you, you publish them and they
will go and redesign their own war
strategy. A good general doesn’t say
where and how he defeated his opponent
in a war that is continuous. You don’t
even show your arsenal, they will go and
destroy it before the war starts or before
the major battle, and you will be
handicapped. So for now, I want to keep
them to myself, but I learnt a lot about
their style and I know their style and they
know I know.
What hope do you have in APC?
With that party we have at least a
semblance of pure democracy, where you
have two major parties striking themselves
– PDP and APC. It will make for a very
healthy competition and even Mr.
President, Jonathan said he was happy
about that, that it enthrone competition,
that there is nothing that brings out the
best than free and fair contest. So we are
going to do contest with them, with PDP
and others, APGA here in the
governorship election and if by the grace
of God they allow the council election to
hold in October, that will be the first
major test.

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IN Anambra State, there is a rat race for the governorship ticket of the newly registered mega opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The leading contenders for the party’s flag are Senator Annie Okonkwo, Senator Chris Ngige and Mr. Godwin Ezemo.
Senator, Okonkwo, the party’s deputy national chairman (South) says he is in a pole position to become APC’s standard bearer ahead of other anglers for the slot, giving his business acumen, employment creation, care for humanity through philanthropy and experience.
However, Senator Ngige is currently the lawmaker representing Anambra Central in the Senate says the position of Anambra chief helmsman is not for green horns just as another aspirant on the banner of the APC, Mr. Godwin Ezemo, says Anambra citizenry need a capable hand like him to salvage the state from hopelessness.
I’m tested and trusted – Ngige
Ngige, a medical doctor, governed the state between 2003 and 2006 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until the courts nullified his election on account of irregularities and handed the seat to Mr. Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Obi has been ruling the state since 2006. His second term will expire next March.

Godwin Ezemo, Chris Ngige and Annie Okonkwo
Ngige, who later decamped to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on which platform he won a senatorial seat is in the race to succeed Obi. But to do that he has to get a ticket, which he hopes to accomplish through the APC, a party he co-founded. Until the ACN merged into APC with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and some members of APGA, he was the defunct ACN’s sole South-East senator.
Declaring his ambition via a letter to the Senate President, which was read on the Senate floor, late July, he said: “I have concluded my consultations, and now find it necessary to officially inform this Senate that I will be an Aspirant, and hopefully a Candidate in the November 16, 2013 Governorship election in Anambra State. Please wish me luck and offer your prayers for me, even if you are not of my party.
“I intend to use the vehicle of the Progressives – our newly merged political party – The All Progressives Congress (APC)…It is to the benefit of all Nigerians that Anambra State is well governed, has peace, progress and sustainable development. This task is, therefore, not for unsteady or untested hands that would seek to learn on the job. Anambra State needs an experienced, tried and tested hand. The people believe that the Almighty God will do it for them through me.”
How I’ll transform Anambra —Okonkwo
A knight of the Order of St John International (KSJI), Senator Okonkwo, 58, was Ngige’s immediate predecessor at the Senate. He represented Anambra Central in the Upper Chamber on the plank of the PDP between 2007 and 2011. He aspired for the governorship seat in 2011 and later defected to the APGA. He was in the merger committee that hammered out modalities for the APC merger, leading a host of APGA members to the nascent opposition party.
Senator Okonkwo said he would transform Anambra State, if elected. A numerous local and international award winner and chief executive of numerous communication and telecommunication companies, Okonkwo, in a statement on his gubernatorial quest, said, “after a proper look at the aspirants vying for the position of the governor and as somebody who has the people at heart, I believe I would do the job better.”
The aspirant, who has informed the party that he was going to contest the Anambra governorship election, said he could forfeit anything to enable him salvage his people from what they are currently facing in the state.
His words: “Our great party, the All Progressives Congress believes in internal democracy, I don’t want to be imposed and I also know that nobody would be imposed. To that extent, I believe I stand to win the party’s primary election and with that, the party will comfortably win the governorship election. It is a first test for the party.
“APC is seriously preparing for the election and we are very confident that we are going to win the election, to enable us deliver what we have for the people of Anambra State.
“Today, in Anambra, people are scared of traveling to the state because of the fear that they might be kidnapped, but if we win the election it will stop automatically because we are going to provide sufficient job for the masses.”
Essentially, Okonkwo said his mission statement is “to offer quality service inspired by selfless and faithful commitment to the development of our nation in general and our people in particular.”
The business czar is chairman, Zoom Mobile Ltd (winner, This Day Best Information Communications Technology (ICT) Company 2008); Clemco Industries Ltd; Modern Communications Ltd (MCL); Maclemms Marketing Communications Ltd; Clemco Plastic Limited; Pentagon Oil Limited; and Sunflower Industries Ltd.
His numerous awards and honours include: Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Award for Excellence in Enterprise by WAIM; National Productivity Order of Merit Award; Euro Market Brussels leadership award in recognition of exemplary Leadership by Leadership Watch;
Award of Excellence by Advocacy for Democracy Dividend; International Business Leadership award by News Agency of Nigeria; Eminent persons Hall of Fame Awards by Nigeria News world Fame Achievers Award; and Reltel wireless, Best Telephone Company of the year for four years by NITTA and the West African Direct Marketing Award (2006). With over 2,000 Nigerians and expatriates under his employ, Okonkwo said: “I founded this manufacturing company that produces high quality soaps and detergents which is competing very well in the West Africa Sub-region markets. Its success is a testimony of my entrepreneurial competence.”
I’ve a big task to redeem Anambra’s hope— Ezemo
Also speaking, Ezemo said he would redeem what he termed the hopelessness of the people of Anambra State, if elected.
Addressing guests at a reception organized by a socio-political group, Association of Anambra Indigenes Revival Initiatives, AAIRI, in Lagos, Ezemo lamented that despite the natural and human resources in the State, Anambrarians have become beggars and destitute in their own fatherland.
He said: “I’m delighted to be among the capable hands that can govern Anambra State. But despite our abundant natural and human resources, the people have pitiably become beggars and destitute in their own country. Returning to the country, in the last six years, I have been bothered by the level of poverty glaring my people in the face; that is why I have decided to take this bold step to see how we can cause change in Anambra.
“I must tell you that I have lost my privacy because I want to save Anambra State from its doldrums. However, I strongly hold the view that the forthcoming election is not a do-or-die affair.
This is why I leave everything in the hands of God to decide. If God says yes that I’m the one to lead Anambra State, then Anambrarians should start counting their blessings. But if it doesn’t happen, I will take it in good fate, because it will be on record that when Anambrarians called upon me to lead them, I answered their call.”
He decried what he referred to as the moral decadence of governance that had become a do-or-die affair.
Asked his major programmes for the state, Ezemo, who described himself as a successful farmer promised to invest massively in power, if elected governor. “As a successful farmer, I will ensure that Anambra becomes the food basket of Nigeria. Agriculture will have to come back in the state …When there’s stable power supply in Anambra; massive industrial revolution will take place, even as the high graduate unemployment bedeviling the state will be a thing of the past.
However, I still insist that government can’t do this alone. All hands must be on deck to achieving this. One major thing my administration will do is to provide the thriving environment for investors. Once this is done especially through the provision of stable power, we need not go all the way out to look for investors, because they will come looking for us.

In the photo :Godwin Ezemo, Chris Ngige and Annie Okonkwo

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/anambra-2013-okonkwo-dares-ngige-over-apc-ticket/