This is the Time for Old Owerri to be in the Senate
Elder Yemi Akinwonmi is the Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (South). In this interview with he bares his mind on the position of his party in Ogun State where he hails from, the level of preparedness of the PDP in Ekiti and Osun s
ike Kwazemam Nwachukwu’s formal education started at St. Joseph’s Primary School, Ulakwo Obube through to Zik’s Avenue Primary School, Uwani Enugu, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He then proceeded to Owerri Government Secondary School (OGSSIAN) where he obtained his ‘O’ Level Certificate in 1981. He attended the University of Nigeria (UNN) graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. This was followed by a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Port Harcourt.
Nwachukwu joined Diamond bank after MBA in April 1992 and left for Equitorial Trust Bank in 1997. Seven months after, he joined Fortune International Bank and retired from the banking industry in 2002. Afterwards, he offered financial and advisory services to private businesses.
Nwachukwu explains how and when he went into politics, and his plans for 2019: “I joined APGA alongside Chief Martin Agbaso and his supporters in 2005. This coincided with the party’s congress, where I contested for the office of the State Secretary and was elected. I remained the State Secretary for about six years. During this period, we worked hard for Chief Agbaso’s gubernatorial ambition in 2007; an election he won and at the same time lost. We were in court between 2007 and 2011. It was an unfortunate experience.
“In the run up to the upcoming 2019 elections, I reviewed the kind of representation our people have been getting at the National Assembly and decided that though they have done their bit, I could offer more to the people of Owerri zone in terms of effective representation. Given my experience as a business person domiciled in Abuja who has worked on legitimate government jobs linked to the budgetary process, I have a deep understanding of what it entails. I know that if you do the right thing, one can effectively address the infrastructural deficits prevalent in our environment. With the opportunity of the election coming on, I thought I would be well suited to represent my people accordingly in the Red Chambers of the National Assembly- the Senate.”
Why is this businessman insisting that it is the turn of the old Owerri Local Government Area to produce the next Senator for Imo East? He explains: “To be precise, let’s starts from the zone I come from within the Owerri Senatorial district. Today’s Owerri North was part of the Old Owerri Local Government Area, made up of Owerri North, Owerri municipal, Owerri West and Ngor Opkala; in the history of the politics of Imo State, particularly Owerri Sentorial zone, our folks from Mbaise and Mbaike (Mbaitolu and Ikeduru) have always represented the zone in the Red Chamber, starting from the 1979 experience.
“We have had Chief Tony Anyanwu from Umu Okirika in Mbaise, Chief Isidore Obasi from Ihite Afor Ukwu also in Mbaise and Bright Nwanne from Ezinihite. After him came Evan Enwerem from Atta in Ikeduru who later became the Senate President and then Ama Iwuagwu (Late) from Mbieri in Mbaitoli. When Senator Ama Iwuagwu passed on, Senator Eze Ajoku from Owerri North stepped in to fill the vacuum for about nine months. After the expiration of the term, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Mbaise stepped in and did two terms. After her, the pendulum swung wung back to Mbaike. This time around, it was Senator Sam Daddy Anyanwu. Perhaps, rhaps, Anyanwu is going to run for the governorship seat under the PDP as he e has said, otherwise he seeks for a second cond term.
“That created d a vacuum which I thought I could ld key in to, using my experience as a retired banker, I feel this is the right ht time for us in the old Owerri Local Government Area to have the opportunity ity to go and represent Nde Owerri zone. A lot of people are well qualified to seek for office from the old Oweri zone, ne, but I have decided to present myself. lf. Presenting myself does not stop any other person from coming out. We present nt ourselves for our people to make the decision. For me, I think I understand what the issues are. To me it is encapsulated psulated in addressing the infrastructural l deficits in our environment.
“The reality of the situation is that I am encouraged ed by my fellow APGA and my friends ds outside that belong to other parties. It has been encouraging. Everybody tells lls me that I have what it takes to do it and should work hard because the major hurdle that I have to cross is to ensure that I get the ticket t of APGA; and that once I get that done, I stand a very good chance.
“Everybody tells me that this time around, they are not looking at parties per say and that they are going to be focused on individuals, their capacities, competencies and their abilities. I am encouraged by that. Again, it essentially boils down to the fact that they will vote and line up behind me. That is my expectation. If I wasn’t certain in my mind that I will get the support of the broad spectrum of the electorates in Owerri zone, I won’t be running.”
Nwachukwu says he is not satisfied with quality of representation of his senatorial zone. For him, it could be better: “Like I did say, if the quality of representation was as much as we would have all desired, the level of infrastructural deficit that we are experiencing in our place wouldn’t be there. From Aboh Mbaise to Eziniihite, Ikeduru Ahiazu to Owerri North to Mbaitolu Ikeduru. Even from Owerri Municipal that is the state capital, to Ngor Okpala and Owerri West, you find litters all over the place and dangerous road infrastructure that makes you wonder whether the people we have sent there so far are really aware of these problems and issues.
“I went to Ogwa. The road to Inyishi is horrible. From Nworie Ubi to Mbieri is also nothing to write home about. If you are going to Itu in Mbaise through Ihite, it’s horrible. I can begin to mention these entire places one after the other, you will weep. That is the way it is all over.
“I intend to effectively engage the intervention agencies of the federal Government, Ecological Fund office, border communities’ development agencies, Federal Ministry of Works, Envi- ronment, FERMAN. Even the NDDC and also interface with members of the National Assembly who are members of the appropriation Committee in both Chambers to put into the budget fr om 2019 all these projects. “The assignment I am going to give myself will be to put these pr ojects into the relevant budgetary periods while ensuring that the projects are funded and executed. If we do these for the four years that we ar e going to be ther e, I am sure that we are going to achieve a lot. I am committing myself to that and I am going to do it.” If Nwachukwu gets into the Senate come 2019, his priority will also include getting jobs for youths in the senatorial zone: “I have given a lot of thought to jobs for our youths and I am going to that office to bring some kind of interface between our brothers from the zone who are qualified and looking for jobs, and the r elevant agencies, both government and private that ar e in a position to give out these jobs. As you well know, the office is not a job creation office, but you can do a lot of interface between those that want the job and those that ar e in a position to give the jobs so that you can package and present them properly. “Let me tell you that today, it is no longer having the degrees and diplomas t that at really matter; there are basic relevant skills required outside of your paper qualification, which must be obtained if you want to move forward. There are also basic literacy skills which youths lack. You have to address that and prepare them to face the market and fit in properly to job openings. The world is moving ahead, and in doing this we are going to work with socio cultural associations like the Dozie Mezie Owerri that I belong to. We will do it for our people and create a data bank, collate their CVs and help those that don’t have the relevant qualifications and prepare them to acquire the relevant skills.”