The African Democratic Congress Gubernatorial Candidate in Abia State, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, has reeled out vital part of developmental agendas for the state when elected into the exalted office of the governor in 2023.
Ndukwe who was an ex-aide to former President of Nigera, Olusegun Obasanjo spoke during a recent interview with AFRIPOST.
He hinted that he would concentrate in expanding development of Abia state to foster inflows of local and foreign investors when supported to successfully emerge as governor in the coming general elections in the state.
The frontline Abia Governorship standard-bearer and foremost Global Peace Award-winner specifically maintained that his administration when elected by the people next year will interface with international experts to expand economic potentialities and development of Aba, thereby making Aba a new destination for huge business investment, and as well as raising the bar in generation of revenue to enhance Infrastructure in the state.
Ndukwe also promised he would be prudent, transparent, and held accountable in the utilization of funds accrued to the state from the federal account and the state’s internally generated revenue base to improve the welfare of the people critical infrastructure in the state.
His words: “I have a global name.I’m Global Peace award winner. And represent many Interests all over the world. Another one thing is that i have a name i must protect. I have establishments and institutions that holds me accountable. And also the people of Abia state should expect transparency. Whatever i do in governance, i will be transparent. People will know how much we get and how we spend it. That’s number one thing.
“Once you are transparent, people from other parts of the world we come and participate in governance, and participate in investment. I will transparent with my people. And that where i had been in all over the world. Where i have done many things all over the world, Nigeria and Abia State.
“It may interest you people to know i studied Infrastructural development in Harvard University. God knows there will be development. I am not here to say somebody didn’t do well or what he did well. We need to tackle the challenges headlong knowing fully well that any government that has come and gone has made it own contributions. And so, if there were areas they didn’t perform well, i will improve on it. If there were areas they did well, i will take advantage of it. And the key thing is this all through the years, we would been doing mere shift respond”.
Continuing, he pointed out “take a place like Aba, the commercial nerve centre, our drainage systems in Aba have to be looked into. Because we must address the drainage systems in Aba which you and i know will cost so much money to fix.
“We will bring in international experts to wade into it. And we begin with Aba expanding as city and other cities within Aba. And that we decongest the city and create more businesses.You know how much you get from FAAC. You also know how much you get from the revenue within the state. You cut your coat according to your side.
“So, when i get into government, i will encourage investors to come in and partner with us to expand the development of Abia state,”Ndukwe also assured.
While highlighting further on his developmental plans towards addressing Infrastructural deficits and most of other fundamental challenges facing the state, the ADC Gubernatorial candidate in Abia state called on candidates of other political parties jostling for various elective political seats in the forthconing polls to engage in issues-based campaigns devoid of character assassination, hate speeches, mere propaganda, blackmail and as well as name-calling.
Furthermore, Bishop Ndukwe, who doubled as founder and President of Vision Africa Group, admonished the electorates and particularly the youths not to allow themselves to be used as willing tools by disgruntled politicians to foment crisis and tension during the coming elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2023.
Words: “My advice is let all candidates talk to the people to vote for them and lets not create crisis in Abia state. Election will come and go, and Abia will remain. And the programme i was conducting at the national level at this time is for the youths. I encourage the youths not to be used by anybody to go and bring guns and begin to create crisis. They will keep their sons and daughters in abroad, and want others sons and daughters to create problems. It is time for them to say enough is enough. We want peace in the land”.
Recall that Bishop Sunday Onuoha had emerged as the governorship candidate of the ADC after a keenly-contested primary election held in June 2022 in Umuahia, the state capital.
Mr Nkem Ukandu, the INEC returning officer, Mr Nkem Ukandu announced that Sunday Onuoha scored 330 vote cast to defeat his close rival, Otisi Ebitu-Ukiwe, who polled a total of 160 votes.