A popular publisher and composer of Biafran Anthem, Chief Charles O. Okereke, has declared his intention to run for governor of Abia in the forthcoming 2019 elections under United Progressive Party (UPP).
Chief Okereke who is one of the pioneers of Internet/Information Technology not only in Nigeria but in Africa as a whole with publications such as Nigeria Masterweb and Africa Masterweb, in a press statement made available to Newsmen in Umuahia, decried that Abia, God’s own State, has become a major scapegoat to bad governance, bad choice of leaders and, above all, an atmosphere of nonchalance and passive carelessness from us towards our political future.
His words:“Take for instance, the Golden Guinea Breweries, Ulonna Farm Settlement and several other industries which Abia State was formally famed for: they have all gone moribund through several regimes of government. Different governments have ruled the State but the seeming inherent unwillingness in the hearts of hitherto elected leaders has maintained a policy of absolute neglect. Worst, few places of note, like the Ariaria market and the expressway, are gradually becoming dump sites for refuse. The led (people), as earlier said, are equally culpable due to the ‘I don’t care’ posture we adopted towards politics and governance” He enthused.
Okereke insisted that there is hope for Abia state despite the many years of darkness if the people will embrace the reality.
“At this critical stage in our nation’s polity, especially as it affects our dear own state, Abia, and the several unrests and demonstrations of dissatisfaction by our teeming unemployed youths mostly occasioned by vehement, willful and perpetual bad governance and politics of self, there calls for a deeper reflection on the way we, as a people, perceive and react to politics”.
“Today, thanks to men of good will, democracy which is the government of the people, by the people and for the people has granted us closer access into how we are represented by our elected sons and daughters”.
“It has also empowered us with our basic human rights and the rights to demand their implementation whenever and wherever we feel neglected, marginalized or threatened either by regional/political rivalry or by our very own elected representatives, he declared.
He speaks further on the motivation to accept the challenge to serve his people, “As a “son of the soil” and true Abian in every sense and having taken time to study both the political terrain of our dear state and the deficiencies occasioned, not by our inabilities and unworthiness but by sheer neglect and nonchalance, I have, this time and finally, bowed to pressure of cries for help from my Abia brothers and sisters to step out and show true, refined, functional, absolutely productive, enduring and efficient leadership”.
Chief Okereke declared that his government will be open, transparent with probity and accountability as its watchword.
“Reforming Abia and bringing her into the full statue of the State for God takes more than sheer desire to lead, it takes absolute and unflinching resolve to do the needful”.
“All moribund industries to be resuscitated and every meaningful and meaningless excuse against it removed; Agriculture will have its full place and will run in full capacity to enable us produce enough for ourselves and for exportation”.
“Abians have full constitutional right to use the basic resources given them by God – resources like land and waterways. We will process the modalities for and begin the dredging of the Azumini axis to enable it grant, not only Abians but Ndigbo access to the sea. To pilot our dear state to full productive capacity, people will be recognized and employed by merit. We will reconstruct Aba to reflect its true nature”.
