On the second leg of his “Thank You Tour” of the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra state after the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last April 5, in which he came tops, the party’s candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, has assured the people of Anambra West and East council areas that their problems are now his and what concerns them concerns him too.
At the Umueze Anam community Angelican Church field at the weekend where a mammoth crowd of supporters from over 10 communities in Anambra West council Area of the state gathered to receive him, the people unanimously adopted him as a son of the local government area saying that they needed him to passionately look into their problems which they itemized and help them out.
The APC chairman of the council area, Mr Egwemi Emmanuel, and the Women leader, Mrs Theresa Okoye who spoke on behalf of the people noted that the communities in the area, namely Mmiata, Nzam, Olumbanasa, Umueze Anam, Oroma Etiti, Inoma, Ukwale and others are all farming communities but have neither access roads nor seen any form of development in the past 18 years that they had supported the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state.
“Nobody remembers us, nobody even reckons that we are farm communities who produce the food with which the state is fed. No access roads to evacuate our produce to centers of consumption and the federal road that runs through our communities to Abuja has since been abandoned,” they said.
“Today, I have been adopted as a member of Anambra West council area. What this means is that what concerns you concerns me. Anybody who troubles you does same to me.
“What we are saying is that the APC government in the state will tar your roads. It will be a top priority. We shall declare a state of emergency on the roads. I am now part of you. The APC administration will work to ensure that the federal road that runs through your communities to Abuja is tarred.
“We are going to do all things together with me as your Governor and member of your community.
“I will farm with you, provide tractors, bring grants, farm inputs and expect bountiful harvests together.
“We shall give scholarships to school children and provide electricity. The Federal government has approved the provision of solar energy for 12 local government areas in the state. Anambra West shall get priority attention. I was in APGA before I discovered that they were hypocritical and fraudulent, so I retraced my steps,” he said.
He said that he shall co-exist with the people of the area as kinsmen and drink palm wine together, adding that they had made history.
He told them he was simply on a thank you visit and the inauguration of the ward campaign council comprising a 27 member ward executive who will go back to the wards and convene a meeting of all the wards executives and members and raise 400 members per polling unit.
“They must be members of APC, old or new and community based who must be physically present,” he said.
The APC deputy governorship candidate, Senator Mrs Iyom Uche Ekwunife who spoke earlier had decried the emphasis APGA keep placing on paper qualifications instead of antecedents, competence and pedigree.
“It is only in Nigeria that people make emphasis on paper qualifications. In other climes, people look at your competence and pedigree, what you have been doing for the people.
“The important thing about leadership is the people, taking care of them and galvanizing them to action.
“We need a governor that fears God, that will work for Anambra state, that will not be an emperor,” she said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a member of APC who has a good candidate in Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu.
“The President gave us the flag of the party because he knows that he doesn’t only have a good candidate but a marketable one. I want to assure you that Mr President will stand by his party’s candidate and not those deceiving you that they had entered into an alliance with him.
“He supports us wholesale, and knows that we are a good product and marketable and will not do anti party. We need to win to connect to the center. That’s our mission,” she said.
At the Saint Mary’s Catholic Church field in Aguleri, Anambra East local government areas where a crowd of supporters from the communities in the area converged, they expressed optimism that the APC would lift them out of the woods.
Mr Ossy Nwoye from Nsugbe community who spoke said it was time they got away from the deceit of APGA in the state.
“The broom is the credible alternative”, he said, adding, “the way we did it for Obiano in his first and second tenures is the way we shall do it for Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and the APC on November 8 this year in the wards in our area. He is a blessed man because Anambra East is now the heart beat of APC in the state”.
Chief Willie Obiano, the immediate past Governor of the state hails from Aguleri.
Ambassador Innocent Nduanya, Coordinator, Coalition of Anambra Youts for Progressive Change, a support group who also spoke said the people of the area were declaring their support for the APC and its candidate because they saw in him a leader with sound pedigree, a listener with the fear of God and a workaholic who does not discriminate against any one in his philanthropy as a both a business man and private person.
“We are declaring today that all the wards in Anambra East will vote massively for Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu. We are not saying this for you to be happy but the reality,” he said.
While responding, Ikukuoma as Prince Ukachukwu is fondly called said that a spade must be called by its name.
“In terms of security, the APGA administration in the state simply scored 10 over 100 percent. With just five wards Aguleri produced a Governor for the state and later supported his successor who turned his back against you.
“Today, we have agreed that change is inevitable and an incoming Governor that will respect you and remember that you made him is here with you.
Senator Mrs Iyom Uche Ekwunife, Ukachukwu’s deputy governorship candidate picking from there said.
“And he is one who will not over tax you, low income earners, pregnant women selling vegetables in the market and barrow pushers. I had thought that taxation on certain items and social category should have attracted a waiver.
“That is wickedness. Former Governor Obiano made Soludo the governor the is today but now he has turned out to be a bad market, a disused imported container of no value to your people,” she said.
On Saturday when the “Thank you” ship berthed in Awka North and South, it was something else.
At the mini stadium in Nibo town where the people of Awka South council area gathered, the people literally mobbed Prince Ukachukwu blocking his entrance to the stadium, singing his praise and dancing away.
For one hour, the ecstatic crowd of supporters besieged him dancing saying “Here comes our new Governor, the wind of glory. You don’t need to talk, we know the way and where we are going. Ikukuoma is the way today “
When eventually Ukachukwu aligned from the vehicle, every where was electrified and the APC chairman in the Area, Chief Frank Fanzack Ndife who spoke had very little work to do.
“What do I say again. Every thing is manifest today. Awka South is APC and we are pleased” .
Ukachukwu thanked them for their love and show of solidarity and assured them that his administration if elected the Governor on November 8, would be inclusive and no community would be left behind.
At Ebenebe community in Awka North, the APC candidate who was warmly received told the people that his party’s manifesto is community driven and grassroots based.
“We are going to work for the people of the state and seeing will be believing. What I have come to tell you is that we must unite to make progress.
“Before APC was not seen as a winning party in the state, but thank God all that has changed. I thank you for your support all these years. Somebody said he built a road for you, but tell me what would he have done as somebody in government,” he asked, adding, “the missing link is that he didn’t work the people.
“Insecurity has become the order of the day, killings, kidnapping and armed robbery are the real vices starring us in the face,” he said.
