By Favour Goodness
Ahead of the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra state, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), has accused Gov. Willie Obiano of seeking N60 billion supplementary budget to manipulate the electoral process in favour of his party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Loading ...The accusation was contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Awka, on Friday, by Mr Afam Dozie Ofomata, the Publicity Secretary, ZLP Campaign Council.
Ofomata, cautioned the governor against his administration’s plans to funnel out N60 billion belonging to the state, two months before election, under the guise of a supplementary budget.
He alleged that Obiano plan was to waste the money in a desperate bid to play the godfather and impose his unpopular candidate on the state so as to sustain his so called “continuity” of failure and cover the atrocities of his failed administration.
According to him, the ZLP has already been made aware of how the Obiano camp, having realized that there is no way the APGA can win in free and fair election, is now seeking to sweep the state’s reserve and use the supplementary budget to provide slush fund for electoral bribery and enrichment of corrupt APGA leaders.
“A detailed review of the so-called supplementary budget, reveals very opaque content that cannot translate into development investment reality for the benefit of the people, thus exposing an evil design to defraud the state and suppress the wishes of the Ndi Anambra at the election.
“ZLP therefore calls on all Ndi Anambra; community unions, professional groups, traditional institutions, faith-based organizations, youth bodies, market unions and other stakeholders across Anambra to be at alert and say no to this provocative budget robbery being plotted by the Obiano-led APGA.
“Gov. Obiano must know that coffers of Anambra state is not an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for installation of his puppet; a plot that will be firmly resisted by Ndi Anambra. He should therefore rescind every idea of a supplementary budget until after the election in November.
“Moreover, Gov. Obiano by now, ought to know that Ndi Anambra have made up their minds to liberate their state by electing the people’s candidate, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, on the platform of the coalition ZLP and no amount of vote buying, bribery of electoral officials and propaganda can stop this quest, which has already become an unstoppable movement.
“The ZLP therefore advices him (Obiano) to allow the will of the people to prevail in this election. He ought to know that Ndi Anambra abhor godfatherism and that such will never have a place in the government of the state.
“Gov. Obiano should be cautious and use the remaining period of his tenure for judicious deployment of the state’s resources so that he can have a legacy, rather than engaging in a futile venture of seeking to install a stooge to whom he will play godfather.
“He must know that the best thing is for him to complete his tenure on a good note and avoid being pushed to engage in any act that will bring him to disrepute so that he will not end up being a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after office”, Ofomata warned.
Attempt to speak with the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba, to react on the acussition, proved abortive, as his phone line was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
