The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Constituency, Engr. Ike Ugwuegede has declared that the 2019 election in the constituency will be a smooth sail for him.
According to him, the constituents are aggrieved.
This is also as he played down on the crisis which trailed the conduct of the party’s primary elections in the State.
Ugwuegede, who spoke to journalists in Enugu on Friday, said every dispute would be internally resolved before the general elections in February.
He further disclosed that the people of his constituency were more concerned in voting for individuals that had character and the capacity to change their current situation.
“Whatever issues that exist, I can assure you that we are going to resolve it as a family. We will go into this election united and victory is certain.
“You should also not forget that the people are aggrieved. It is so because they gave me their mandate in 2015 but the rest is now history.
“I contested that election and was declared winner by the INEC. I protested up till the Supreme Court. The reality is that the entire people feel aggrieved. This is because I campaigned in the entire 36 wards that make up the constituency.
“So, this time around, they will be voting for the same Ike Ugwuegede they know.”
While describing himself as “the best candidate to represent the federal constituency,” he added that “I am not a puppet or champion of any narrow cleavage – be it gender, class, section, religion or race. I am the candidate of all.”
“My constituency will be the Igboeze south/Nsukka federal constituency. The young man in Itchi, graduate but with no work for the past five years, the school teacher at Opi Agu whose Classroom roof has been blown off by wind and is forced to teach under a tree, the worker in Nsukka whose car is always spoiling because of the flooding on our roads, the farmer in Eha Ndiagu, whose produce will be sold at half price because of lack of ready transportation to the market, the market trader in Ibagwa Aka who struggles from sun-up till sun-down and yet is hard put to pay for rent and pay school fees or hospital fees for the children, all these will be my constituency.
“I want to represent everybody, speak for them, join in articulating their problems and needs and therefrom seek for the solutions to the endemic cycle of poverty, ignorance and disease bedeviling our people.
“I want to be the spokesperson for our youths, young men and women who are willing to work hard and earn their living but are denied such opportunity because of the impunity with which our collective wealth is being squandered.
“I want to be the representatives of our old men and women, our senior citizens, and generate legislation that will give them assurances of adequate care being taken of them after they have served the state and nation.
“Have opportunity to cause government to further look into the issues of job creation, infrastructure development, education and health. I believe that quality representation at the federal level can go a long way in alleviating the problems of our people.”
He further stated that “there are communities in Nsukka LGA that have a very tortuous access to them. In Edem, for example, there are places where the access roads are so poor that they are still only accessed through Kogi state. Needless to say, their immediate need is one of access roads to the rest of the local government area and the state. So also lacking in motorable roads are very many of the rural communities, from Eha Ndiagu and Opi Agu to Anuka and Okpaligbo: the peasant farmers living there in need of further government intervention to improve their lives.
“The case of Igboeze South LGA is perhaps even more worrisome. The entire LGA has possibly less than 20 km of all-season asphaltic-tarred roads. Every community here is begging for additional infrastructural intervention especially roads, electricity and water projects. The only federal road passing through is yet undone and this particular “ring road” through Iheaka, Ovoko, Iheakpu Awka, Ibagwa Aka, Itchi, Unadu, Alor Agu leading to Akpanya in Kogi state, connects most, if not all, communities and will offer a big boost to the socio-economic life of the entire LGA. Igboeze South is also host to the largest Hausa/Muslim community in the state living harmoniously with the rest of the people.”
He further stated that “beyond championing the cause of the people’s needs to aid their economic development within the immediate constituency, a legislator must also participate in the national discourse and contribute to the general issues affecting the nation as a whole.
“To this end I intend to initiate and support legislation that seeks to encourage economic empowerment of the poor, reduce wastage and leakages in the operations of government especially in the procurement processes and those which will show employment enhancement, wealth creation and a reduction of poverty, disease and ignorance.
“My experience in the executive arm of government under the dynamic leadership of Barrister Sullivan Chime where I was privileged to serve as the Honourable Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory for over three years and my training in management and engineering have expanded my passion for integrated community development, service to the people and improvement in the fortunes and lives of our people.
“I will draw on that stock of experience to position myself for greater service to our people while in the National Assembly.”
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