Politics
Ejiogu’s ‘Rebuild Imo’ Rallying Cry: Will the People Listen?
| By Barr. Canice Manukaji (Obilimba)On a regular day, no one will mistake Tony Ejiogu for a Nigerian politician. With an impressive mien and the intellect of a professor, Sir Ejiogu, who had excelled in boardrooms in the United States and Nigeria, took many by surprise when he took the plunge and threw his heart into the political ring as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.His fiery and inspiring speech during his campaign flag-off in Owerri on August 31, 2023, cleared all doubts that he feels passionate about turning the fortunes of Imo State around and that he indeed appears better prepared than any of the other contenders in the race.His message was simple – “It was time to rebuild Imo”. Hurt by the rampant insecurity and the consequent needless loss of lives and destruction that had become commonplace in his dear Imo land over the past four years, Ejiogu rallied the people to ditch their differences and join hands with him to rebuild Imo and make it live-able again.“Despite our past triumphs and legacies, this is a time of great tension between good and evil, progress and retrogression, and a time to choose whether to continue on the path of destruction or begin the process of rebuilding our dear Imo,” Ejiogu said in his soul-searing message to thousands of supporters at the campaign flag-off that sweltering Thursday afternoon in Owerri.“My first charge in the rebuilding agenda is to make our communities livable again,” he added.Between August 31 when he launched this message and now, Ejiogu has taken the path less travelled by Nigerian politicians. Along with a dedicated team of supporters and party men, Ejiogu traversed the nooks and crannies of Imo State, including places like Obube Ancient Kingdom, which no politician has ever visited despite the community’s historic significance. The people of Obube Kingdom believe his visit was a sign of the light to come after decades of neglect.Beyond Obube, and from Owerri to Okigwe and Orlu Zones, Ejiogu has so far taken his message of Rebuilding Imo to all the strategic communities in the state and interfaced directly with community leaders and thousands of voters.In Isiala-Mbano, the traditional ruler of the Amato Amaraku community, Eze Joseph Mbamara, who could not hide his excitement extolled Sir Ejiogu’s character and leadership virtues, even as he declared that Sir Ejiogu’s candidacy heralds immense hope for a better Imo.When the campaign train touched Ngwuoma-Obube, Agballa and Uluakwo communities in Owerri North LGA, the people went agog as Ejiogu was the first politician of Imo Extraction to visit and pay homage to Obube Ancient Kingdom. In this historic community, Imo State’s creation was first announced in 1976 and Owerri was declared as the capital.”Sir Tony Ejiogu is an exceptional leader, we are praying for him to succeed because he means well for our people, we need a progressive-minded leader, who would create an enabling environment for business to thrive and for the state to prosper,” said one of the leaders of Obube, Chief Samuel Akujiuobi who saw Ejiogu’s visit as a bellwether political event.Perhaps, a major highlight of Sir Ejiogu’s campaign was the endorsement by the APGA leader and the governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, who believes Ejiogu’s candidacy to be a watershed in the party’s history.During Ejiogu’s visit to the APGA leader, Soludo assured of a successful outing because of Ejiogu’s outstanding personality and acceptance by the people.According to Soludo, one of the reasons he believes Ejiogu is the right man for Imo at the moment is because of the quality of his ideas. In his words, “Mr Ejiogu’s manifesto speaks volumes of a man who understands the problems facing Imo people at a fundamental level and is poised to provide solutions and deliver democratic dividends in an unprecedented manner.”At Ngor-Okpalla, Ohaji, Ezinihitte Mbaise and at several markets and churches across the breadth of Imo State, Ejiogu has taken the message of rebuilding Imo to the people.Having taken his message of rebuilding Imo to millions of Imolites across the 20 local governments he toured during his campaign, Ejiogu appears to have said all there is to say, and done all there is to do. One thing is certain, he seems an obvious choice as he appears ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work, and he has demonstrated it beyond the stump speeches. But will the people listen? Are the people of Imo ready to rebuild their land? | |||
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has dissolved the State Executive Council with immediate effect.The dissolution, announced on Wednesday, exempts two cabinet members—Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, and Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac—due to the critical nature of their duties.In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the affected officials were directed to hand over all government properties in their possession to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.The statement read, “The Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the dissolution of the State Executive Council, with immediate effect.
“However, the Governor has exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution, due to the critical nature of their duties. They are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.“All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.”Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to the outgoing cabinet members for their contributions to the state’s development during their tenure, wishing them success in their future endeavours.
…As HoR Aspirant, Fadiran Empowers 400 Constituents The Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji has received over five hundred defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party in his local government area, Irewole. Receiving the new party members on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, Oyebamiji said it is a boost to the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its chairmanship candidates, in the forthcoming local government election in the State. Mr. Oyebamiji received the new members during the distribution of Ileri oluwa relief package, organised by Engr. Adekunle Kazeem Fadiran, in Ikire, to celebrate the Nation’s independence. Receiving the defectors mostly from Ward eight of the local government area, Oyebamiji, described their defection as the best independence day gift the party could ever get on an auspicious day, when the nation was marking its independence. Oyebamiji who was supported by Engr. Fadiran, and other party leaders, stated that the party has become the beautiful pride of Osun people, due to the unsatisfactory performance recorded by the present administration under Governor Ademola Adeleke. He affirmed that “Ikire is an APC stronghold and the empowerment programme by Mr. Fadiran, as well as our formidable team of leaders in the party, has become an attraction to well-meaning citizens and residents of the State.”
Oyebamiji urged the new members to join hands with other party faithful to harvest those remaining in their former parties to vote for APC in forthcoming elections, so as to attract the needed development to the council area. During the event, House of Representatives aspirant, Mr. Kazeem Fadiran, donated relief funds to over 400 members of the constituency. Fadiran, a registered member of the Council of the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, aspires to represent Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan federal constituency at the House of Representatives, in 2027.
He pledged his unflinching support for the less privileged in Ikire, Apomu and Ikoyi, including those in the remote areas. Speaking at the event, Fadiran said, “This is my widow’s mite to some of the residents in my constituency. As time goes on, I will reach out to more people in my constituency. This is not the first, and it will not be the last, by God’s grace”, he said. Apart from the cash gifts, members of his constituency also went home with food packs. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former PDP leaders of Ward 8, Aderogbin Wakeel, Abeeb Sheriff, Jimoh Nuru, Waidi Elubo, Fathi Adekunle, and Adeleke Kaosara described the APC as the only party that would deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun State at large. They promised to deliver the ward to APC, adding that it was the only way to reward Oyebamiji for his good works and visionary leadership. Earlier, the Akire of Ikire, HRM, Olatunde Falabi, gave royal blessings to Mr. Fadiran and his team. He spoke highly of Fadiran, and the role he has played in the development of Ikire town. The event was attended by Fadiran’s political associates, friends and family members.
▪︎Says his record of compulsive, selfish acquisition of public properties is still fresh
Kwara State Government has described as laughable and self-flattery the comments of Senator Bukola Saraki on the outcome of the recent local government elections in the state, which the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) convincingly won across the state.
The government said Saraki’s PDP not only fruitlessly tried to frustrate the conduct of the election through the court, but it mobilised urchins and its local collaborators to disrupt the balloting with their shenanigans and hooliganism after seeing that they lacked the credibility or a record of convincing people to vote for them.
“It took the popular will of the people to cast their ballot. The government has done well enough to win the trust of the people, and that was what played out, regardless of the noise from Saraki’s men. It is bewildering that Saraki’s party is confused between floating the narrative that no election took place and claiming a victory from an election it said was never held. That is the lot of a confused, desperate people that Senator Saraki leads,” according to a statement by the Honourable Commissioner for Communications Mrs Bola Olukoju.
“We also find it incredible that Senator Bukola Saraki was talking about people’s welfare. The record of his iron-fist imperialism, which featured non-payment of salary, use of thugs to intimidate people, and high rate of suicides and destitution and other menaces faced by workers is still fresh. In 2016 when things were so tough and various categories of workers were not being paid, Kwarans remembered how Senator Saraki was fighting to buy exotic cars while public funds were also being used to transport people to show solidarity for him in the dock. The same Senator Saraki is notorious for his conversion of public properties for personal use, even as the government he inspired was not paying workers while all their appointees were getting 100% salaries and other perks of office. The government that he struggles so hard to bad-mouth has cleared the years of salary arrears that his lackeys left unpaid.
“As far as people’s welfare is concerned, Saraki lacks the moral standing to talk. He is a bald hairdresser recommending his unfailing hair restorer. He is a snail claiming a championship in a community of horned animals. The world is facing serious economic challenges. Nigerians have not been immune to the same.
“In addition to the efforts of President Tinubu to ease things, not only is the Kwara State Government committed to public welfare, as is evident in its many programmes, it continues to execute different infrastructural projects and social protection programmes that strengthen the purchasing powers of the people. The government is also not denying people their wages while its appointees enjoy the perks of office as the Saraki-inspired government did. We urge Senator Saraki to reflect on his legacies of impoverishing people and organising questionable philanthropic feasts to throw morsels at the same people during which hundreds died.”
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