The fomer minister of labour and productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has said that the choice of High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia has finally provided the main opposition party the formula to enter government house.
He stated this Thursday at meeting of APC stakeholders of Aba federal constituency which he hosted at his home in Aba, saying that there was no stopping the main opposition party from dislodging the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Abia government house come 2023.
He said that the emergence of Emenike as the APC governorship flag bearer was timely given that Abians were already yearnng for redemption from the hands of bad leaders and have
“You have come at a time Abia needs redemption. You came at a time when Abians are not talking about political parties but about individual who has the capacity to rescue the state and rebuild it,” he told Chief Emenike.
According to the former minister, Abia people have grown tired of governors with apron string of fathers who picked them and foisted on the state with disastrous consequences of underdevelopment and looting of state treasury.
“Emenike represents political independence. I can attest to the fact that he has no godfather,” Wogu said, adding that ” the time has come for Emenike to become the governor of Abia State” irrespective of the antics of detractors and nay sayers.
He said that the people of Aba federal constituency, comprising Aba North and Aba South local governments were pleased that a man with the right blueprint to solve the peculiar problems of the commercial city of Aba has emerged hence they would work hard to market him to the electorate.
In his response, Emenike told the Aba people that “redemption is near (and) we’ll keep working and marching till we reach government house in 2023”.
He said that the economic importance of Aba not only to Abia but the the Southeast region, Nigeria and the West Africa cannot nit be wished away even though the managers of Aba economy have failed go leverage on the status of the city as centre of production and innovation.
The APC governorship hopeful said that it has always been his belief that if Aba is fixed it would have ripple effect on the economies of Nigeria and other countries in the West African subregion that equally enjoyed the booming days of Enyimba city.
“This state must he saved for businesses to grow,” he said, assuring that he would provide the much needed infrastructure and security to bring Aba back to its glory days as centre of commerce and jndustrial hub.
Following requests by the party candidates and other stakeholders for Emenike to make Aba revival a top priority if he becomes the Abia governor, he told them that building roads and paying salaries and pensions are normal functions of government.
He said that it is absurd for a governor to count salary payments and construction of roads as achievements, adding that any governorship candidate that hoped to use these issues as electoral promise should not be considered fit to preside over the affairs of a state.
“Payment of salaries and pensions and building of roads will be sacrosanct in the APC government in Abia come 2023,” Emenike assured.