UGOCHUKWU EKE
The former speaker of Abia state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martins Azubuike has declared his intention to run for the seat of the governor of the state in the forthcoming general elections under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking in Umuahia while addressing the state chairman Hon Donatus Nwankpa and members of the state working committee of the APC, Azubuike said that his desire to be the governor of the state is to correct the ills he has noticed in the state.
Azubuike said that after 20 years of democracy that Abia state is still lacking behind in all spheres including economic and political activities which has made it to depend solely on Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for its revenue, which should not be so.
He noted that the state has the potentials to be a great state with its attendant abundant resources such as Modern Ceramics, Golden Guinea brewery, International Glass Industry, Abia Palm, Abia Golden Chicken, Metallurgical Complex among others which are all moribund.
The immediate past speaker of the state assembly said that any serious government would have put these business ventures into good working use which will in turn bring out the best of the youths of the state and also increase its internally generated revenue.
Azubuike said that if he becomes the governor that all these business ventures in the state will not only be alive but that they will be fully functional for the benefit of the state and its people.
He said that he has eight point agenda which include, agriculture, commercial and industrial development, education, quality and affordable health care, civil and public service reform, youth and women development, infrastructural development and judicial and justice sector reforms.
The former speaker said, “With the above foundation in place, coupled with enablers such as peace and security, social justice and democratic freedom, we believe that Abia will then be placed on sustainable path to socio-economic growth and development”.
Azubuike however said that giving attention to the eight point agenda will not mean neglecting other important sectors of the state economy, “Our administration will work tirelessly to ensure that stakeholders of the state are carried along through consultation, public memoranda, effective budgeting among others”.
Responding the state chairman of the APC, Nwankpa welcomed him and thanked him for his courage to seek the mandate to run for the office of the governor of the state, adding that the party and state want somebody who will work for the state.
Nwankpa explained that APC is going to rewrite the political history of the state come 2019, adding the power of nomination does not rest on the party chairman but that it rests on the party members.
He however assured him that all contestants for any political position in the state will be given a level playing ground and urged him not to entertain any fear as every one of them has the same opportunity of emerging as the party’s flag bearer.
