By Praise Chinecherem
The Labour Party (LP) candidate for March 11, 2023 Anambra State House of Assembly election, Barr Sir Izuchukwu Unegbu has refirmed promise of “Obidients” in Nnewi to deliver him in Nnewi North Constituency in solidarity with the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Recall that Obi had in a recent world press conference after the presidential election told his millions of supporters and other Nigerians to vote for all LP candidates in the remaining elections as the party is already in control of the political space in Nigeria.
In an interview in Nnewi, Barr Unegbu said his quest to represent Nnewi North Constituency in the State House of Assembly was to change the narrative of failure to deliver democracy dividends to the people of Nnewi.
He said that it would be a misnomer to allow a novice and someone who was not conversant with public office to represent the industrial community in Awka.
“Everybody knows that the primary function of the House of Assembly is lawmaking. All we are asking from Nnewi people is to look critically at all the candidates contesting the election to know who is eminently qualified to do the job.
“I’m a lawyer by profession, a Notary Public and a certified business consultant as well as a Knight of the Anglican Church. Among all the candidates, I’m the only professional in the race. I have the capacity to genuinely bring the needed development to Nnewi.
“The business of lawmaking is not an all-comers affair. There are a lot of things in it that requires professionalism.
“All this while, we keep sending people and keep blaming them that they don’t deliver dividends of democracy to get to the grassroots. The electorate are the cause because we end up looking for what gets into our pockets. We don’t think about who has what it takes to work for the interest of Nnewi. What we need this time around is quality representation in the real sense of it, ” the lawyer said.
He noted that there were so many things he could do as a lawmaker. He said there would be need to consolidate the existing laws in Anambra State.
According to him, it would not be enough to churn out laws without execution, an area he promised to look into so that policies made for the advancement of society especially his Nnewi community would be implemented.
Barr Unegbu said he would pay adequate attention to education of the young ones through initiating moves for proper funding of schools.
“Anambra State has what it takes to give one hundred percent scholarship to our children. Believe you me, if I find my way to Awka, every child that has come of age will go to school without governement asking parents to pay penny. That will happen to a town like Nnewi.
“Nnewi records between fifteen and twenty percent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Anambra State. But we should ask ourselves whether we have developments that reflect IGR from Nnewi to the State governement.
“How do we make governement to accommodate us in the budget? The person to represent Nnewi should know how all these things are being done. He should be knowledgeable. That’s why a lawyer, a professional like me is properly and eminently qualified to be in Anambra State House of Assembly to represent Nnewi North.
“If you don’t know the powers and functions of the office you are running, there’s no way you will know what to do when you get there. I’m going there for the welfare of the generality of Nnewi people, the youths inclusive, ” he added.
Unegbu explained that whoever that could represent Nnewi should have the ability to visit governement ministries, departments and agencies to make sure that they have the developmental needs of Nnewi factored into the governement budget.
He said this would be in addition to what the representative would articulate and factor into the budget as the primary and secondary needs of Nnewi people.
“I know all these things and what to do to get them done and put in the right perspective, ” he assured.
On why LP did well in the last election he said: “When we started they said LP has no structure. I agree with them because we don’t have the structure of criminality. We didn’t have people to contend them in their criminal activities.
“But what you should know is that LP is a party that enjoys grassroots support. It’s a people-oriented political party with well tailored objectives for good governance. We appeal to our people to vote for LP to consolidate the efforts of our Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, ” he concluded .
