ABOLISH STATE SECURITY VOTE - EBONYI ANPP GUBER CANDIDATE

Reinstated Senator Julius Ucha has called for the urgent abolition of security votes for state governors, which he described as a major avenue through which needed funds for the development of states are being siphoned by state executives.

Senator Ucha who is the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) for the April 2011 general elections in Ebonyi State further said security vote had become an avenue through which some state governors robbed their states thereby under-developing the states and impoverishing the people.

Ucha, who was sacked from the Senate last year following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, had his case reversed by the Supreme Court last Friday, further said it was the provision of security vote which was unaccounted for that was the main bait that lured most non-performing governors to seek for second term in office.

The ANPP governorship candidate who was elected to the Senate on the platform of the ruling PDP, said the court verdict reinstating him would not in any way affect his membership of his new party, stressing that there was no way he would defect from the ANPP to the PDP or any other party if elected governor in April this year.

According to Senator Ucha, 'the free money that comes through the vote is one of the major reasons some non-performing governors seek re-election at all cost leading to political rancour across the country. I must say that security vote leads to rancour and distortion of the value system of our democracy and that is why we are witnessing the insistence of the incumbent to come back even when he is indolent.

'I have said this at various times. The greatest burden of our democracy is the burden of security vote where a man receives N1.5 billion or N2 billion for his state and he takes N500 million for his pocket. That is robbery and wickedness. What will he use to administer the state?'

He assured that based on his campaign and interaction with the people and the lack of performance by the present administration in Ebonyi State, he was determined to wrest power from Governor Martins Elechi in the 2011 polls.

Senator Ucha said, 'I intend to stay in power for only a single tenure of four years during which I promise to deliver good governance and put the state on a solid foundation for social and economic growth. I believe that a governor does not need two terms to perform and prove to the people that he is good.'

The ANPP governorship candidate described the PDP as a party whose machinery had been hijacked by undemocratic elements, just as he said the ANPP on which platform he was contesting the governorship election had proven to be a party built on the foundation of justice, honesty and sincerity for the good of all.

Ucha said his victory at the Supreme Court last Friday based on a pre-election matter that was initially manipulated has reinforced his faith in God and in the judiciary.