IFEANYI EZUGWU, ENUGU.
The chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu state, Mr. Godson Ogenyi has decried the level of poverty and unemployment in the council, pledging that his party will tackle the two problems when voted into power on November 2, 2013 local government election.
The APGA candidate therefore urged the people of the area to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from power and install APGA in order to have a fresh breath in the local government.
Ogenyi lamented that the standard of education in the council area has gone down to an alarming rate, just like amenities such as safe water, good roads basic heath care are none- existent in the area.
He urged the electorates to resist money politics, stressing that for the past 14 years, the PDP has not done anything for our people but to come during the elections and throw money around, after which they will not hear anything from them again.
The candidate who spoke at Eha-Amufu during the party’s flag-off campaign, weekend, further promised that when voted into power, he would give the youths a promising future, take agriculture as a priority for revenue generation and development of the council.
The chairman of the party in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the State, Mr. Benjamin Edeh expressed shock and anger on what he alleged was high level intimidation on APGA by PDP insisting that his party would not succumb to any form of intimidation from the PDP.
Ede condemned the PDP and the Police for collaborating to deny APGA their original venue for the rally.
Ede said: “We wrote to those in charge of the hall and they gave us approval, but to our greatest amazement, while we were getting set for the rally to kick off, the police stormed here in two Hilux vehicles and told us that they were under instruction to stop us from using the place.
“At first we thought it was a joke, but they stood their ground; at that point, we made contacts to the authorities of the local government, and the chairman confirmed that he gave the order. We had no choice than to relocate to another place.
“I must say that the level of intimidation we are facing here is unwarranted; these people claim to be educated but they don’t know the principles of democracy; since they claim to be popular in this local government, they should allow their popularity to be tested by the people”, he said.
In a speech to flag-off the campaign, the chairman of APGA in Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Nkolagu called on the relevant agencies to put an end to frequent harassment and intimidation of APGA members in Isi-Uzo.
He equally urged the party supporters to discountenance claims that the election would be rigged by the PDP, stressing “I heard that some people are going around spreading the news that the election has been rigged already; if any of them tells you such thing again, tell the person that he is mad; I am assuring you that nobody will rig this election.
“However, all of you have a duty to perform, as soon as the materials arrive, make sure the result sheet is there; if you can’t find it, don’t allow the election to start; after voting don’t leave the place until the votes are counted and declared. When they had declared the votes, collect your own copy of the result, then your job is done.
“Let me see how the ENSIEC chairman will announce a different result in Enugu, if he tries that, you will hear that I fought with him. So, be courageous in the face of all this intimidation, the crowd I saw here today is a clear testimony that APGA is in charge of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area”.
Councilorship candidates also received their flags from the state party chairman during the rally.
The APGA candidate therefore urged the people of the area to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from power and install APGA in order to have a fresh breath in the local government.
Ogenyi lamented that the standard of education in the council area has gone down to an alarming rate, just like amenities such as safe water, good roads basic heath care are none- existent in the area.
He urged the electorates to resist money politics, stressing that for the past 14 years, the PDP has not done anything for our people but to come during the elections and throw money around, after which they will not hear anything from them again.
The candidate who spoke at Eha-Amufu during the party’s flag-off campaign, weekend, further promised that when voted into power, he would give the youths a promising future, take agriculture as a priority for revenue generation and development of the council.
The chairman of the party in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the State, Mr. Benjamin Edeh expressed shock and anger on what he alleged was high level intimidation on APGA by PDP insisting that his party would not succumb to any form of intimidation from the PDP.
Ede condemned the PDP and the Police for collaborating to deny APGA their original venue for the rally.
Ede said: “We wrote to those in charge of the hall and they gave us approval, but to our greatest amazement, while we were getting set for the rally to kick off, the police stormed here in two Hilux vehicles and told us that they were under instruction to stop us from using the place.
“At first we thought it was a joke, but they stood their ground; at that point, we made contacts to the authorities of the local government, and the chairman confirmed that he gave the order. We had no choice than to relocate to another place.
“I must say that the level of intimidation we are facing here is unwarranted; these people claim to be educated but they don’t know the principles of democracy; since they claim to be popular in this local government, they should allow their popularity to be tested by the people”, he said.
In a speech to flag-off the campaign, the chairman of APGA in Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Nkolagu called on the relevant agencies to put an end to frequent harassment and intimidation of APGA members in Isi-Uzo.
He equally urged the party supporters to discountenance claims that the election would be rigged by the PDP, stressing “I heard that some people are going around spreading the news that the election has been rigged already; if any of them tells you such thing again, tell the person that he is mad; I am assuring you that nobody will rig this election.
“However, all of you have a duty to perform, as soon as the materials arrive, make sure the result sheet is there; if you can’t find it, don’t allow the election to start; after voting don’t leave the place until the votes are counted and declared. When they had declared the votes, collect your own copy of the result, then your job is done.
“Let me see how the ENSIEC chairman will announce a different result in Enugu, if he tries that, you will hear that I fought with him. So, be courageous in the face of all this intimidation, the crowd I saw here today is a clear testimony that APGA is in charge of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area”.
Councilorship candidates also received their flags from the state party chairman during the rally.
