…commissions constituency projects
Felly Obi – Anambra
The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Dr. Chris Ngige is tipped to become the next Senate President, being a ranking senator in the incoming administration, just as he has commissioned some constituency projects he attracted and flagged off his 2015 scholarship award scheme for students in primary and secondary schools in the constituency.
The indication of Ngige emerging the next Senate President emerged in view of the fact that he is likely to become a second time and ranking Senator from the South East if elected, thus brightening his chances of occupying the seat of the Senate President since the Buhari and his running mate, would take their Presidential positions for the North and South-West respectively.
Ngige who took his campaign train to Oye-Agu and Ifitedunu, Umunnachi and Umudioka where he commissioned the 500 KVA New Sub-station at Town Hall, Umudioka as part of four new sub-stations attracted under Rural Electrification Projects to his constituency, also presented the Cyprain Udenwa and Nnamdi Chukwudebelu as APC candidates for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency and Anambra State House of Assembly representing Dunukofia to the electorates.
He condemned the act of domination of the federal constituency seat by both . at the expense of Dunukofia, saying the choice by APC was in the interest of justice and equity.
The Senator condemned the non-prosecution of offenders he reported to the police for illegal act of removal of his campaign bill boards in the past and at present, adding that his resounding performances both as a governor and Senator remain indelible in the mind of the electorates and would form part of his campaign strategies.
Senator (Dr.) Ngige confirmed that if re-elected, he would become a ranking Senator who should be positioned to occupy any of the juicy principal positions in the National Assembly unlike his rival in the contest who would be made to mark time before becoming a ranking Senator or would not make significant contributions, if they win, noting particularly that APGA has no place in the National Assembly as a minority party.
He described as an act of fraud, acts of presentation of double or multiple candidatures by PDP and called on the electorate to reject them as they do not have their interest at heart.
He stated that APC was at alert for any act of electoral malpractices including conspiracy to tamper of voters registers of INEC, removal of names of voters from ‘O’ to ‘U’ from the list to disfranchise eligible voters in Idemili North and Idemili South, his major strongholds, and disruption and rescheduling of voting for Sunday to reduce the large turn out, as witnessed during the governorship election in 2013, warning that the plan to repeat similar or any other act of irregularities may boomerang and the perpetrators charged with acts of being accessory to facts.
Meanwhile, Senator (Dr.) Ngige has tipped the APC Presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari (retired) to win the February 14, 2015.
Speaking in a phone-in programme on Odenigbo Radio, Tuesday, Senator Dr. Ngige berated the PDP of having squandered the goodwill of the people through inept leadership which has resulted in worsening economy and infrastructural decay.
According to him, the leadership failure of the PDP under President Goodluck Jonathan for the past 6 years has made it possible for the masses to yearn for APC as an alternative party to bring about social, fiscal, and political changes being desired.
He stated that government of the PDP has stalled and needs a new vehicle to take the people to the promised land, and pointed out that Buhari is steadfast on leading Nigeria and has vowed to fight to bring quality infrastructural and human development.
Senator (Dr.) Ngige expressed worry with the monumental waste in PDP as exposed by the former Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo who accused the Finance Minister of superintending the economy in which about N30 trillion was missing.
He stated that the money realized from excess crude and kept in reserves of the country has been siphoned and promised to use his status as a Senator to ensure its recovery pointing out that he courted trouble as the governor of the State from 2003 to 2006 with his stance to stop the siphoning of public fund of Anambra State, with the result that he was not able to finish his programmes of giving all communities roads, and other infrastructural development.
Senator (Dr.) Ngige observed that the Federal Government keeps a large chunk of collectable revenue of the federation, yet not much is done with it at the grassroots level, stressing that the incoming APC government would use the people’s money to work for them.
He stated that he left about N12 billion in the coffers of the State government from which some tangible developmental projects were executed.
The Senator pointed out that the perfection of some people from Igboland about APC being an Hausa-Fulani as well as Yoruba party has been corrected with the result that floodgates have been opened for more members from the South East.
He defended APC Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari from allegations of being an ethnic bigot and religious fundamentalist, describing it as an act of propaganda by opposition groups, , clarifying that as a former military Head of State, Buhari did not make Nigeria as a member of Organization of Islamic Countries, but his successor took the country to IOC.
The Senator added that Buhari’s driver of 40 years is a Christian and his last daughter is married to somebody from Anambra State.
He said APC would continue to impress it on INEC to conduct free, fair and transparent election and accused PDP of sponsoring demonstrators for cancellation of elections in 2015, even when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured it is ready for the exercise,
According to him, the call for the shifting was to enable PDP reap rewards from the rise in oil prices and salvage its already dented image and called on the people to remain eternally vigilant and are ready for the elections now.
He quoted INEC National Chairman of assuring an open ended option to extend the date if many people shunned meeting the February 8, deadline.
The Senator expressed worry that the apathy and fire brigade approach are responsible for limited number of permanent voters cards and called on the people to hasten up and take advantage of extension of deadline to February 8, this year to go to their local government areas to collect their voters cards and be eligible to enthrone candidates of their choice.
