Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Abia State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, AA, Onyekwere Akym Uche, has regretted the deplorable economic condition of the state, saying that few individuals are richer than the entire state.
Uche who stated this while unveiling his blueprint for the state, promised to rescue the state from stagnation and transform it into a model state if elected.
Blaming lack of development in the state on greed and avarice by present and past leaders, OAU as he is popularly known, vowed to re-set the state if given the opportunity.
“Those who were privileged to superintend over the affairs of the state did not only abuse the opportunities given to them to positively affect lives but regrettably embarked on insatiable chase for wealth.
“They criminally converted funds meant for the development of the state into their private possessions. Today, Abia has few individuals many times richer than the entire state while majority of Abians are wallowing in abject poverty.”
He urged voters in the state to reject both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state; and the All Progressives Congress, APC at the centre during the forthcoming polls, describing them as birds of the same feather.
The US-based Economist promised to do things differently and invest heavily on agriculture to create job opportunities for youths.
“My Government is the one that will bring change to Abia and end the sufferings of the people,” he declared.
“I make myself available to give Abia a new hope. I have come to change the narrative of our dear state from underdevelopment and retrogression to a progressive pace-setter state.”
He promised to declare state of emergency on health and education sectors which he said were critical for the survival of any society.
He regretted that medical doctors in the state had been on indefinite strike over salary arrears, promising to restore the dignity in labour if elected.
The governorship hopeful said he would not depend on the monthly allocations from the federation account but develop the internally generated revenue sources of the state.
He also promised to give attention to workers and pensioners as well as the less privileged.
Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of the party, Tony Orji, gave quit notice to the ruling PDP in the state which he accused of under-developing the state.
He urged Abians to reject big parties responsible for the woes of the state and focus on the competence and integrity of candidates in the forthcoming polls.
He decried the deplorable condition of the state due to bad leadership, saying that AA has come to “correct the anomaly.”
