Exclusive Interview: Abia Guber aspirant, Anyaogu speaks on state of affairs in Abia

Chief James Okereke Anyaogu, a business man and frontline 2023 governorship hopeful  in Abia state,  and hailed from Alayi in Bende local government area of Abia state in Southeast Nigeria. In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Chijindu Emeruwa, Anyaogu bared his mind on the current state of affairs in Abia and his recent entry into the Abia governorship race ahead of 2023 general election in most states of Nigeria federation.

Except:

Recently, you indicated interest to vie for the office of Governor of Abia state come 2023, what necessitated your decision?

My effort to give my fellow Abians quality leadership has led to a series of questions from a lot of people. I have said it before and I’m reiterating the fact that I’m not a politician but a concerned, worthy, illustrious and industrious Abian

My decision to join the race for the liberation of Abia stems from the everyday pains Abians pass-through. A government that is so distanced from the people is never a government of the people, that’s the reality in Abia State, I want to return the government to rightfully “owners”; the ordinary people of Abia State. As I stated in paragraph three (3) above, the pains we’ve been subjugated to; are unbearable and beyond assessment. This is attested in the inability of the current administration to at least pay workers’ salaries and especially, our Senior Citizens (Pensioners) their pensions and gratuities. Considering the government-engineered pains, sorrow, and gnashing of teeth prevalent in our State, I took it upon myself to help, particularly, the Senior Citizens in ameliorating their sufferings and privations. This informed my decision to painstakingly select, amongst the Senior Citizens, the “weakest” who’ve been deliberately starved of their constitutional funds.

47 (currently in review for upward adjustment) Abia retired (Pensioners) Senior Citizens were selected from across the 17 LGCs of our dear Abia State and payrolled since April 2020.

Since April 2020, I have been sustaining these our elders, fathers, and mothers. Although, I don’t wish to talk about this and the assistance was never for political purposes, once more, I’m not a regular politician. However, it has become necessary that I equally tell my part of the story and what motivated my determination to redeem Abia State. My heart is pained, sincerely, I do not understand why people will comfortably sit on the salaries, pensions, and gratuities of people who diligently served them very well at their primes. This issue shall be given due and immediate attention in 2023 once you; my fellow Abians trust me with your mandate to steer the ship of Abia State for the next four years. Brethren, please, identify with me and join, the struggle to redeem and return power to the ordinary people of Abia State is now.

Many Nigerian politicians are known of making promises during electioneer campaigns, of making all kinds of  promises to curry favour and votes from the electorates, and which most of the promises turned out unfulfilled and huge disappointment to the electorates, now you have joined the 2023 Abia gubernatorial race, what should be the expectations of Abia populaces, and  the plans  you have mapped out to give the state, socio-economic and Infrastructural facelifts?

 Purposeful leadership! What I’m asking the good people of Abia State is to trust me with their mandate for a constitutional period of  four years.

With a detailed development plan that will be religiously followed and implemented, the story of Abia State will and must change for good. In the healthcare sector, the story of Abia State must change. The story of Abia State as it concerns the dilapidated, poor, and deathtraps our roads have become must change. The story of Abia State from the civil servants’ nonpayment of salaries needs to be changed Our senior citizens or better known as pensioners whose pensions and gratuities are owed also need their story changed. Our farmers with no fertilizer, tractors, and other farm equipment need to be attended to. The youths are not left out . What I’m coming to do in Abia State is to reposition, redevelop and place her on a pedestal worthy of good reference more than what’s happening in Ebonyi state in terms of infrastructural development.

Abians, the Project is Redemption for Abia is destined to be great. Tarry a little.

I can recall earlier this year, 2022,  you had encounter with journalists who gripped you for almost an hour interview in Umuahia, regarded the political platform you intent to actualize your bid to become Abia governor in 2023, and your lofty plans to rewrite the narratives in governance of the state, because, many people had continuedly asked on the party you intend to pursue your agenda, glancing on your posters, handbills that contained your developmental plans for Abia without logo and name of party attached So, can you let Abia people  know your the platform you habe decided to fly its flag towards actualizing your ambition of becoming the helmsman of Abia state in 2023? 

This is one of the toughest political challenges I’ve faced in recent times. Studying the manifesto of different political parties has taken me considerable time. The essence of this is to ensure that the Party’s manifesto reflects my good thoughts for Abia State and to equally detach myself from undue interference by the cabals who have held Abia’s destiny down for too long. The ruling party, The People Democratic Party (PDP) has failed the people of Abia State, in the last 20 years, the PDP with the mandate of Abians in the executive and legislative arms of government has failed woefully in delivering good leadership and the dividends of democracy they promised, they seemed to get worse at every turn of election and as such has lost the people’s trust.

With this unfortunate development and reality, in today’s Abia State, it’s not enough to claim, you are new and you will be different only to continue to associate with the same political party that has deliberately stalled the development, causing retrogression as can be evidentially attested by true conscience beings. Doing the same thing repeatedly and hoping for positive changes can only be attributed to a disorganized or one who doesn’t truly care about the pains of Abians, our people said “Anaghim ata oke, anaghim ata oke, mana ka-were eze kereya umuaka.” You can’t wine and dine with the problem and turn around to mouth you will be different, our people are wiser and able to detect these deceits, gambits, strategem, and lies, hence, can not fall for their shenanigans anymore.

This takes us to the national ruling party; the All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC is the party at the helm and in charge of our national affairs. Considering where we were before the emergence of the APC and where we are after, we can categorically, without mincing words state that the party has not faired any better at the national level, this is supported by the reality of economic quagmire, political instability, insecurity, hardship and even their inability to address the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), moreover, they could not articulate a clear stand on and against open grazing which leads to the invasion of communities and destruction of farms by herdsmen.

Then; one may ask, how about the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)? APGA was founded by a great man Chief Chekwas Okorie (Ojeozi Ndi-Igbo), who is also my brother, to be an alternative for an esteemed Igboman and as a vehicle for Igbo political emancipation in Nigeria, but it has since lost its doctrine especially here in Abia State, where only those disgruntled elements in PDP and APC have held sway at the pie with no proper vision or plan to move our state forward. However, with the emergence of Soludo in Anambra, giving APGA a second chance has led to studying the Anambra election, we discovered that before Soludo’s, there was Senator Ifeanyi Uba, whose political acuity, astuteness, and sagaciousness have been able to win the election through grassroots supports with a brand new party, a party with the motto “Service to the People“, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) which its manifesto aligns with mine and mirrors my ideology designed for ordinary people with clear agenda to take our state forward and place her on an enviable pedestal. Its core beliefs revolve around people, developing agriculture, education, healthcare, keeping our promises, and delivering our legitimate obligations.

Umunnem Ndi Abia, on the strength of the above, I am happy to announce today, that the Young Progressives Party (YPP) is our party, and I shall be contesting the governorship position in Abia State under this people-oriented platform.

While you were speaking on your experiences in search of people-oriented political party to prosecute your future political ambitions, you just mentioned that  APC and PDP has held sway at the national and the state levels and foisted on the Abia people developmental backwardness. And again, there is this factor, politics of  godfatherism; many believed it constitutes, hindrance to genuine desire of the Abia people to improve on the alleged  economic and Infrastructural deficits in the state. So, how do you intent to separate political godfathers, and leadership to achieve your lofty agendas for the state. Do you have godfathers backing and dictating to you?

This is one of the questions my people; the good people of Abia State whom I intend to preside over their affairs come 2023 are asking. It’s a fact that our extant electoral constitution does not permit independent candidates to vie for electoral positions, that’s any candidate seeking for any electable political must contest under a political party. In our State; Abia, the PDP has managed the greater part of the affairs of the State since 1999. How has our State fared under the PDP? Have we been able to have a functional healthcare system that’s accessible to Abians both in our cities and rural areas? How good are our roads, are they better or deplorable? How about our education system, are our children and younger ones going to or are being left to roam around the streets? How about their teachers, are they being paid as and when due or they’re owed a backlog of salaries in arrears? How about our ability, vibrant, and agile youths, do they have jobs in Abia State? You and I know the answers to these few questions. The leaders have claimed that they’re unable to deliver their promises and democratic dividends to our people because they’re subjected by their political Godfathers or better, their benefactors. They’re limited from carrying out their constitutional duties because they’re teleguided through a secret arrangement that they entered before their emergence as governors.

The consequences of Godfatherism in Abia State are the answers to the questions already asked. If we’re to go beyond Abia State and look at the national level, the APC that’s angling to take control of Abia State has not done better either as a national ruling party.

What then would be the fate of Abia State under them? They at the State level here already have Godfathers, one of whom was accused of stalling the progress of Abia State under the dispensation. I’ve said publicly and here that I do not have any political Godfather in this race. Relatively, my Godfathers are ordinary Abians like the traders, farmers, youths, bus and tricycle (Keke) riders, teachers, pensioners, the Church, artisans, etc. These are Abians with the legitimacy to be my Godfathers and whom I shall be answerable to.

As 2023 general election is fast approaching, what is your message to Abia people and Nigerian at large? 

My advise to the Abia people is that, they should go to designated INEC registration points or unit and get their permanent Voters cards, PVC, to enable them participate on the  election day; and cast their votes in order to enthrone the needed change in Abia state. Abia is bleeding and need total healing in Infrastructure, economy, and other critical sectors of the state’s economy to foster the desired development in the state.

Don’t sell your conscience and votes for a token. Your vote is your weapon to bring dividends of democracy to your doorsteps. Watch and vote wisely for the betterment of our children, grand children and our general well being. Abia is lagging behind in every facets of governance. That is why today, majority of Abia people are in pains over the poverty rate, unemployment, hunger etc. And I am assuring the people of Abia state that they should rally round me, and enjoy geninue economic and Infrastructural facelifts and through across the Local Government Areas of the state. YPP is the only credible political platform that genuinely has the interest of the people of Abia at heart. You can see PDP, APC have failed the people with their misruled. So, during the election days, vote YPP, vote Ihie Abia, Chief James Okereke Anyaogu for Abia governor come 2023.