• Senator launches manual with N1.5m
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– By Ada Bosa
Former Governor of Anambra State and Senator representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly has received kudos from the Awka Diocese of the Catholic Catholic Church for his steadfast and effective representation.
Chairman of the Council of Laity in the diocese ,Dr Raphael Agazie who conveyed this commendation at the launch of the council’s latest manual in Awka today, commended Dr Ngige for his focused representation in the Senate particularly at as co-sponsor of the Anti-same Sex Marriage Bill and for effectively filling the gap for Anambra North and Anambra South Senatorial zones in the constituency projects of the senate in 2012 when there was nobody representing the two senatorial districts.
He also commended Ngige for being the first senator to operate with effective constituency offices to interface with his constituents.
Ngige has a constituency office in each of the seven LGAs that make up his senatorial zone, with a central Constituency office in Awka co-ordianting them.
According to Agazie, who spoke in response to an account of stewardship given by Ngige at the event, ‘there are so many things that people did not understand before this event which they now do and it helps us to appreciate that the mandate given to you to present Anambra Central Senatorial Zone is well-placed’
‘What we can say from here is that you should continue with the footstep with which you are going you are going and by which we have always known you. The LCN ( Laity Council of Nigeria knows about some of the issues you have raised here and has also been working on some of them.’
While summarising his stewardship so far, Senator Ngige noted that he had earlier he co-sponsored the anti-gay bill, the health bill. He also listed a plethora of projects such as bore holes, power sub-stations/transformer reinforcement and construction of schools, and scores of employment offered to youth in the entire Anambra State.
On the anti-gay marriage bill, Ngige recounted his experience with segments of international community seeking to influence the outcome of the bill, based on what they called ‘sexual rights’ and his insistence that the culture and sanity of our society must be respected, a resolute position which saw to the passage of the bill, via the health committee, one of seven such Senate committees Dr Ngige serves in.
On constituency projects for 2011/12, Ngige noted that at some point in the senate he was the only senator in Anambra State and had ‘to rise to the occasion of allocating constituency projects for all three senatorial districts without discrimination.’ .As a result he noted that Anambra South and Anambra North got N300 million worth of constituency projects apiece, out of a total of N1bn for Anambra State in 2012, adding that the feat did not come without arguments.
On power, Ngige narrated his leadership role in the recovery of the 23 containers belonging to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) , seized by custom officials which his committee, recovered to boost the power supply at Alaoji and other (National Independent Power Projects (NIPP) generating power stations and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
In answer to a participant’s question, Ngige announced that the power problem in Ifite Awka will be over as Agu Awka sub-station will be commissioned before long.
He acknowledged that Gov Peter Obi, who he said ‘built on my foundation has done his best as far as the governance of Anambra State is concerned in the past seven and half years, but that there is a lot more work to be done in Anambra State and there is the need to ensure that the leadership the state does not fall into wrong hands’
‘This is why the overwhelming call by the people of Anambra State for me to return as governor is getting positive attention’ Ngige declared
Ngige denounced the concept of zoning as espoused by Governor Peter Obi, insisting t that the goverveor did not propose the zoning in good faith as he has failed to answer two pertinent questions:.
• ‘Have the people of Anambra North Senatorial Zone failed to participate in any election in the state from 1999 till Date? ‘ and;
• Has Anambra State and its stakeholders ever sat down to discuss and adopt zoning as a concept and then gone ahead to draw up a schedule or turns?’
Ngige named candidates from Anambra North origin that contested the gubernatorial elections of 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2010 in the state .The 1999 list of Anambra North CANDIDATES A,ACCORDING to him were included Ichie Frank Oramulu, Nnamdi Ozobia, Mike Areh, Okechukwu Odunze and Joy Emodi, who was the only one of them that did not feature again in 2003.
According to the former governor, 2007 in which his name was illegally removed from the ballot paper threw up candidates like Mike Anigbata, Okechukwu Odunze, Emma Anosike, Alex Obiogbolu, Mike Areh, Nnamdi Ozobia, among others who all repeated in 2010.
Senator Ngige who was accompanied by the former Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Mike Balonwu,State Chairman of ACN in Anambra State, Chief Amaechi Obidike, four ACN lawmakers in the state including Barr Ebekle Obi, Dr Emeka Anaebonam and Hon Kene Chukwuemeka; Party Zonal and LG leaders, Chairman of Multiparty Coalition for Ngige 2014 Chief Ben Oranusi, party officials and state house of four Assembly members and other political associates donated a total N1.5 million along with his entourage at the occasion.
