Obi: APGA Will Retain Anambra.....Launches Campaign In Grand Style
Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, Monday declared that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was prepared to slug it out with other political parties in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
Obi, who announced this when APGA commenced the campaign for its governorship election at the Ekwueme Sqaure, Awka, said: “As men we are more than prepared for the governorship election come November 16.”
He said the important thing in the state today was for Anambra people to elect a good person that would continue to build on the achievements of the past.
While insisting that he was convinced that Dr. Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkem Okeke, were the best candidates for the job, the governor called on the people of the state to vote them in and ignore those prancing about without managing their lives believing they will manage that of a state.
Obi, who said he had reviewed what those that wanted to become governors of the state were promising to do, stressing that it was what his government had either done or was doing.
“Before I became governor, Anambra worked with militias, today we are working with recognised State security agencies. In Anambra State, a governor was kidnapped, yet he is promising to stop kidnapping.
In Anambra State, we had no accredited hospitals, today it is different. We had no foreign investment, but today three South African companies are in the state, two of them fortune 500 companies. Our schools lacked basic infrastructure, today it is different. One can go on and on,” Obi said.
The governor, who said he was apparently overwhelmed by the turn out of people at the rally, officially presented Obiano and Okeke to the party's National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, who in turn presented them to the people of the state.
Speaking also, Umeh, who said APGA was the strongest party in the state, assured that Obiano and Okeke would continue the good works, which Obi had started.
“We promise you faithfulness and we will never disappoint you. This 2013 we will defeat (Dr. Chris) Ngige again. Anybody who supported the deportation of our brothers and sisters will never govern this state. Nobody can come here and take our resources to other people who don't believe in us,” he added.
The APGA national chairman, who tagged the governorship campaigns “Operation Osmosis”, said the candidature of Obiano and Okeke was aimed at saving the state from “mediocrity.”
While describing Obi as the most faithful APGA member, who had remained committed to APGA and was instrumental towards its growth, he said after eight years of governing the state and setting records in the development of all sectors, it was time to replace him with another person as good as himself, who will continue with his policies.
“In Obiano and Okeke, we found those with the pedigree to replicate Obi's magic in Anambra State. Obi is an exceptional governor. He did many monumental things in the state. In education, he returned school to the churches and is supporting them, to rebuild the returned schools.
In health, he accredited many health institutions. In road, he has built about 800 kilometres of roads that his predecessor claims some as his. In all sectors, it is the same story,” Umeh said.
Umeh also welcomed many people that joined APGA, including Anayo Obiakor, the Chairman of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP); Ifeatu Obi Okoye, former Chairman of the PDP and former Director Mobilisation of Ifeany Uba campaign; Chief Arthur Obi Nwandu, former governorship candidate of the PDP; former House of Representatives members, Hon. Echezona Okechi, Hon. Obiajulu Okeke, among many others, who came with their teeming members.
The defectors said the major attraction of people into APGA was because Obi had delivered more than any governor in Nigeria.
They described APGA as a great party in which the late Dim Chukwumeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, found fulfilment serving his people.
Meanwhile, Obi, while fielding questions from journalists after the rally, said the people had seen how successful the rally was, assuring that he would not relent in making the state a crime-free state. On health, he said he had been investing billions in the provision of infrastructure, which would be followed by the unveiling of a free ante-natal programme in January 2014 to be continued by the APGA government.
He revealed that primary and secondary education would soon be free as part of the final push, after ensuring that all the schools have teachers on all their basic subjects.
On the issue of housing, Obi said after the completion of Ngozika Phase 1 and 2, he would commence the first phase of the mass housing in the next four days, for civil servant and medium income earners.
While explaining that that plan for the Anambra airport had been approved by the necessary bodies with his successor expected to commence and complete it, Obi also promised that the local government election would definitely hold on December 14.
On sports, the governor said: “Everybody is aware that Anambra State has no mini stadium when I was elected, but today, we have completed two at Onitsha and have commenced the one at Awka, which is ongoing. We are also collaborating with organisations that are into sports for which we are rehabilitating the Rojenny and Chuba Ikpeazu stadia.
We have also resuscitated school sports and have invested half a million in all the secondary schools in the state for sports development and have promised within the next fortnight to give additional N750,000 to all the schools for the same purpose.”
Expressing satisfaction with the progress in agriculture, Obi said under his government, farmers for the first time received loans running into billions.
The governor noted that in order to guarantee food security, his government rehabilitated the Omor Rice Mill and was working towards the rehabilitation of the Nkwelle Ezunaka farm.
VOTE CHIEF WILLIE OBIANO AND DR NKEM OKEKE FOR GOVERNOR