THE CAMPAIGN FOR ABIA STATE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE 2023: The Objective behind the Vision of “THE NEW ABIA”.
By Amechi Onwubuemeli
The next Nigeria general election is months away. Eligible voters will cast their votes for their candidates in February 2023. The candidates and political parties have engaged the citizens by disseminating their respective manifestoes and ideas in other to win their confidence and votes. This is the time when politicians make promises to the people. It is a time when ideas are shared on how to resolve conflicts, a time when solutions are proffer on impending issues. Election is a time when eligible voters perform their civic duties with the right to vote (Franchise) as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was established under the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to organize elections into various political offices in the country. The duties and responsibilities of INEC is to conduct and supervise elections into various offices in the country. INEC derives its power from the constitution and it is guided by the Electoral Act. On February 25th 2022, President Buhari signed the 2022 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into Law, after withholding assents for months. The 2022 Electoral Act (the New Act) repeals the Electoral Act of November 6th, 2010. INEC have stated that the campaign for 2023 begins on September 28th, 2022. Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, INEC has set dates for the commencement of the Presidential and National Assembly for September 28th, 2022. The Governorship and State House of Assembly commences on October 12th, 2022.
At an event organized by a group “America Support OAU 2023”. Youths, middle-aged and Senior Citizens were invited to an interactive session with Mr. Onyekwere Akym Uche (OAU) as the guest speaker. The agenda was on his plan for Abia State and his vision for The New Abia.
OAU, emphasized on a popular quote by former America president, Late J.F Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. He believes he is an Abian first, followed by being a Nigerian. His commitment and dedication is to Abia State and Nigeria. As a people, we are faced today, with a myriad of problems arising from poor leadership. And everyone understands that leadership is the activator for either success or failure. The ambition and aspiration of any system is all about vision and good management. OAU highlighted his blueprints for Abia state if elected into office in 2023. He calls it the 12 point agenda which his campaign displays on its website www.onyekwereakymuche.com. He elaborates on Security giving it top priority of any administration to ensure protection of lives and properties. He proposed a state security outfit backed by law to legalize their activity and funded by the State government. The second point is Anti-corruption, a government of transparency and accountability. To audit office holders when they make a certain amount while in office and after leaving office. The third point is Infrastructure, Abia State suffers infrastructural decay, and the mission is to restore confidence on its citizens by ensuring transparent and productive transaction between government and contractors. Fourth agenda is Education for all. Introduce a scheme of student loan for possible applicants into tertiary institution and each applicant must meet the loan requirements. The Fifth point is Agriculture, invest on all agricultural value chain by advancing investment in the processing of finished products. Introduce mechanized farming and create a subsidy to alleviate the hurdles farmers face. Revive the agriculture banking sector to grant loans with moderate interest rate. The sixth point is Health, provide accessible and quality healthcare. Motivate health workers and provide healthcare facilities. Partner with private sectors on healthcare programs. Make provision for people living with disability is also essential. The seventh point is Economy, promote made in Abia products and setup an online trade e.g. America Amazon and China Wish. Support small business that will also create jobs by empowering such businesses. The new age of technology and entertainment have become a lucrative sector, the objective will be to invest in it, build a film village (like Hollywood), and organize talent shows. Furthermore, organize writing workshop to discover budding writers with aim to revive reading culture and wipe out ignorance. Information and communication is the face of the future. Local technology will be encouraged with funds for innovation and research. An e-commerce hub and computer village will be established within the state. The eight point is Public/Private Partnership, such partnership has worked successfully in many countries, for instance U.A.E (Dubai). We are going to replicate this business and cooperative model in Abia State because every responsible government recognizes the role of the private sector in governance. We will even go further by using our international connections to enlist the support and services of foreign development partners who are already in the know of our great plans for the state. The ninth point is Youth Empowerment and Development, to provide resources and every necessary assistance where and when needed. Provide training and resource centers across the state for capacity building and orientation. The aim is to concentrate on human capital development. No society develops without the right caliber of people at the helm of affairs. The tenth point is Sports, The sector is a big franchise that could generate revenue for the state, empower the youths, serve as a tourist attraction and create employment. Abia State is very active in all sporting events. Part of our initiative is to introduce sporting scholarship that will enable an individual with a good Grade Point Average (GPA) score to attend a tertiary institution on scholarship while he/she is a competitor representing the State. Our aspiration is to revive and energize the sector by providing facilities, coaches, incentives and Hall of Fame for our distinguished and deserving sportsmen and sportswomen. The more talents we discover the more we can expose them to the world in return they could establish academies that will aid in nurturing other gifted sport individuals within the state. The eleventh point is Tourism and Hospitality, Abia State can actually leverage on its great tourism potentials to attract quality visitors and make additional income for government from such visits. Our state has amazing and breath-taking cultural and historical sites. We can become the preferred tourist destination if we create the enabling environment like good hotels, access roads, parks and relaxation centers, among others. There are over 42 interesting places to visit in Abia State. The prominent ones among them are: the War Museum, Azumini Blue River, National Museum of Colonial Historical, Enyimba International Stadium, the Long Juju Shrine of Arochukwu, Abia State University, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Ojukwu Bunker and more. The twelfth point is Environmental Hazard and Climate Change. Abia State has seen its fair share of environmental hazards such as gully erosion and flood. These are natural phenomenon that are inevitable. However, with the proper tool and aid to combat it we can reduce its impact when we outline appropriate funds and tool to empower the Environmental Protection Agency. Abia State faces hazards that can be categorized in four elements which are; Climate change, Biological, Chemical and psychological. Nigeria is part of the Paris Agreement which is a framework within the United Nations Convention on Climate Change dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. Nigeria has 0.57% of greenhouse for ratification. To curb the menace of environmental hazards the state/Country must ratify its laws to give the Paris agreement the required legal backing which will also provide for international support from members.
The vision for ‘The New Abia’ is a depiction of El Dorado, which is a State abound by wealth. The forth coming election provides an opportunity to change the narrative and change the fortunes of Abia State for glory and greatness. For far too long had Abia state been neglected and allowed to rot away. The 2023 election provides a pathway for eligible Abians to take charge of their destiny, it will serve as a parameter to measure the people’s desire. In one of his previous interviews OAU stated, “Show me the Heroes that the youth of your country look up to, and I will tell you the future of your country”. Also, in an article written by OAU, he commented that leadership or public office doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are. If a leader have no clear plans to implement their goals or showcase their plans for the state and such leader makes vague and empty promises just to sway voters, it would be sad to say that the state will be in turmoil because they have nothing to offer the people. In the interest of Abians and in the name of good governance, OAU assures to establish a performance indicator. He believes strongly that to create jobs and grow our local economy, there should be an evaluation instrument at every point of contact. Issues of implementation and supervision of projects must be executed prudently. This is the reason implementation is very critical to our plans and future undertakings as a team determined to change Abia State for the better. We are convinced that without strict and purposeful monitoring, proper accountability will yield less result.
OAU reiterated that the interest of Abia State is his best interest. Nothing will supersede the interest of Abia state if elected into office. The New Abia is a rebirth of transparency, wealth, security, employment, viable economy, structural infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, equity, fairness and most importantly peace.
