Okey Maduforo
Contrary to the rumour bruited in some
quarters that the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano is nursing an
ambition to contest the 2019 presidential election in the country the members
of the public have been urged to discountenance such stories as they are
handiwork of mischief makers.
It has been confirmed that the governor
has no such plans rather he is more interested in improving the welfare of his
people and expanding the frontiers of development in the state. What the
governor achieved in his first term in office is nowhere close to what he
intends to do in his second term and as such does not want to be distracted by
idle rumours of the type making the round.
In the same vein the story that the
governor is threatening that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will
take over the remaining four states of the Southeast zone during the next
election was unfounded. The word threatening is alien to Governor Obiano who in
the face of provocation during the just concluded governorship in the state
maintained dignified silence. The governor is urbane and understands
politics
as a game of negotiation rather than force and or threat.
According to the traditional ruler of
Nteje Community in Oyi Local Government Area of the state and Chairman Omambala
Union, Igwe Roland Odegbo who spoke to reporters in Awka, Anambra State the
idea that governor ha presidential ambition come 2019 is not only mischievous
but equally malicious.
“How can anybody imagine that? The man
is saddled with the task of transforming Anambra state into the next Dubai. The
passion is so consuming that the idea of a presidential ambition easily pales
in insignificance. Don’t forget he just got re-elected with a resounding victory
that was never bettered in the history of the state and so has a responsibility
to discharge to the people.
Continuing Igwe Odegbo noted that the
governor is more concerned in supporting the efforts of President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration in improving the state of infrastructural development
in the South East Zone.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is a
democrat and he has demonstrated in the just concluded governorship election in
Anambra state by ensuring it was free and fair. It is only fair that the
governor reciprocates the kind gesture by ensuring that the president succeeds
in office by delivering the gains of good governance Nigerians, especially the
people of the South East ”
The monarch however appealed to the
Federal Government to facilitate the refund of N43.5 billion being the money
owed the state by the federal government for roads reconstructed by the Anambra
State government as it had earlier promised.
“Both past and present administrations
in the state reconstructed some federal roads in the area and we appeal to the
presidency to make good its promise of refunding the sum of N43.5 billion spent
by our state in reconstructing those roads”.
Odegbo noted that several basic
infrastructure that are under the concern of the federal government are in the
state of disrepair, adding that the Buhari administration is favourably
disposed to upgrading them to the benefits of Anambra people and the South East
in general.
He admonished those he described as
fifth columnist to desist from peddling the malicious rumour that Gov. Willie
Obiano is set to contest for the presidency of the country in 2019 for such is
never in the card.
Okey
Maduforo
Awka