₦airaland Forum

The senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Andrew Uchendu, has distributed various empowerment items worth millions of naira to hundreds of his constituents, as he marks one year in the Senate.

The items included seventy four computing sets, fifty eight sewing machines, forty deep freezers, twenty five motor bikes and twenty five power generating sets.

Uchendu, Acting Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, while presenting the items to his constituents at the empowerment programme in Port Harcourt on Saturday, assured them of more effective representation.

He said: "Dear colleagues and compatriots. I am grateful to God today that you are all here to honour my invitation. Thank you for your support and prayers.

"I was sworn in on the 27th of September, 2017, and I formally sat on the Senate seat on the 3rd of October last year. So, effectively, I am one year old in the Senate.

"Fortunately, when I got into the Senate, as late as it was, I was able to grab an opportunity to fight for the empowerment of our people, and these are the items that we have here today. I sliced them out of the 2017 budget. The one for 2018 is coming and we will repeat something like this.

"They may not be enough, and of course, they will never be enough. But with what is available now, I want to see a situation where at least one ward in each of the 117 wards in the 8 Local Government Areas that I represent will get an item. It is a sign that greater things are coming."

The federal lawmaker recalled that through adequate representation, he was able to present various issues affecting his constituents on the floor of the Senate.

"The most important thing that a legislator must do for the citizens is representation and that comes in different forms. Presenting to Nigerians what your position is on any issue and making sure that when it matters most, you will stand and speak up for your people.

"The issue of Rumuekpe community's problems with oil exploration and exploitation for the past sixty years was heard in the parliament for the first time. I also presented that of Egbeda community, and I am following up on these issues.

"One interesting case is that of the 108 Federal Civil Servants, including six Rivers citizens, who were employed three years ago, but have not been receiving salaries and allowances. When it was brought to my attention, I made sure that it was presented on the floor of the parliament, and unanimously, the matter was taken up.

"I am happy to inform you that the six Rivers people and their colleagues have been captured on the Federal Civil Service payment schedule, and they will start receiving their due financial entitlements from this month end.

"Some of you may have heard about the case of Stephen Oleli, one of my constituents that put in thirty good years as a senior officer in the Nigerian Prisons Service but was dismissed for an offence that was not connected to him.

"I had to fight for him. The Senate rose in support, and after due investigation, they agreed that he was wrongfully dismissed, and directed that he should be reinstated and that all his allowances for the past twelve years should be paid to him.

"By the time I got into office, the budget for 2018 had been presented. But I am happy to tell you that in that budget, if and when it will be implemented, I have tried to put in a number of projects across the eight local government areas of Rivers East Senatorial District.

"During the amendment to the Electoral Act, an amendment was proposed that would have created greater confusion in the polity, and since I was in touch with my people, and knowing their mood, I was among the ten senators that walked out of the parliament, and this ultimately led to the withdrawal of that amendment which has brought peace in the country.

"This is just the beginning. The next phase is the consolidation of these and other accomplishments, and to also give more effective representation to Rivers people." Uchendu assured.

The Chairman of all the All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government Area Chairmen in Rivers East Senatorial District, Princewill Tobin, in a motion which was unanimously adopted by all the constituents present at the event, passed a vote of confidence on the senator, urging him to run for a second term in office in 2019.

Solomon Okocha
Media Aide to Senator Andrew Uchendu
Rivers East Senatorial District

September 29, 2018

Cool

Campaign, if you know you know.

Yeye people

My useless Senator

Better than Sekibo George

But God will punish whoever start this kind of gesture in Nigeria. The person planted bad seeds.

TonyeBarcanista:
My useless Senator

oga how this man is your useless senator. I thought you are from bayelsa state? I think the person you should regard as useless should be buruce.

Lipscomb:
oga how this man is your useless senator. I thought you are from bayelsa state? I think the person you should regard as useless should be buruce.

The clown is from Okirika

Lipscomb:
oga how this man is your useless senator. I thought you are from bayelsa state? I think the person you should regard as useless should be buruce.

Keep thinking my brother...