The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has said the state is on the verge of total redemption and redirection from misgovernance and underdevelopment to sustainable development.
Emenike stated this during a meeting of elders and stakeholders of the party in Umuahia, noting that the level of infrastructure decay and poor service delivery in the state was begging for attention.
He said it was surprising that almost 24 years since the return of democracy in the country, Abia residents were still yearning for quality infrastructure, essential basic services and regular payment of salaries and pensions.
“By the grace of God, if I am elected into the office of governor, I will make the difference from my first day one in office. I have taken a thorough study of the needs of the people and will make them the cornerstone of my administration,” he said.
According to him, the undoing of successive administrations in the state has been overdependence on statutory allocations from federation account which had never been stable due to many factors.
“We should not expect any difference in infrastructural development and quality service delivery if we continue to rely solely on the statutory allocation. We must think outside the box on how to improve our Internally Generated Revenue,” he added.
The development economist and publisher stated that the annual budget of the state must be raised, to double fold or even more to enable the government drive the economy to the desired destination.
He said his exposure and involvement with many international financial institutions has placed him far ahead of the other candidates to source grants and facilities to run the state with less financial burden.
Lauding the elders and stakeholders for their huge turnout, he urged them to take the message to every nook and cranny of the state that the days of failure were numbered in the state as the APC will be the party to beat.
In his remarks, the Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency candidate, Hon Obilo Ogbonna said all hands must be on deck to ensure victory, adding that the current situation in the state has become unbearable.
“Securing the ticket which is the first step is one thing but winning the election is another hence we should not sit on our oars until the battle is won,” he said.
