From Chuks Moses, Awka
Anambra-born oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze has vowed to ensure that every kobo belonging to the 21 councils of the state allegedly currently being usurped and misused by certain individuals in present administration in the state will be refunded at the appropriate time.
Speaking to a group of politicians under the aegis of All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Forum, Eze went down memory lane on his sustained efforts to work out a good relationship between the South East geopolitical zone, especially Anambra state, with the Federal Government.
“But Gov Willie Obiano has been undermining the efforts, until he realised his futile efforts and retraced his steps only three days ago when he called me and started apologising.
“I want him to know that since he has refused to hold Local Government elections since he took over power, he must be ready to vomit all the allocations and revenue of the councils at the end of his tenure.
“He will not go free. I have taken up the matter formally in writing with President Muhammadu Buhari concerning all the governors, especially those of the geopolitical zone who have refused to organise council elections but chose to unilaterally usurp the functions and finances of that level of government. They will all be called to account. None will get away with it”.
Eze welcomed the Forum and commended them for choosing him as their Grand Patron. He pledged to support them to ensure that APC clinches the state in the coming 2021 governorship election.
A key member of the Forum and former Vice Chancellor of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof Paul Iheanacho Orajiaka, described Prince Eze as truly an iroko tree and tireless eagle who has adopted Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s political philosophy of “One United Nigeria” where peace and enterprise thrives. He acknowledged Eze’s round-the-clock efforts to liberate the nation from underdevelopment.
The Forum’s Director of Communications and former Majority Leader of the state Assembly, Hon Humphrey Nsofor, said that as elders and lovers of the citizens, they visited the elder statesman to seek his backing in relaunching selfless service and committed development beginning with the coming governorship poll.
According to him, “…we had somehow allowed ourselves to be sabotaged out of the federal administration, where the state government manipulate itself into the central government at the expense of the ruling party and its members in Anambra. It happened with the former Peoples Democratic Party-led FederalGovernment, and repeated with the incumbent APC-led FG”.
Nsofor said that it won’t happen anymore, noting that the PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have serially failed the state and her citizens, hence have completely lost the people’s trust and cannot be salvaged. He said the APC is well prepared and focussed to replace Obiano.
In his address while introducing the Forum, the chairman and chieftain of APC in the state, Chief Innocent Obi described Eze as “our illustrious son, motivator and great grassroots mobilizer – Prince Engr. Arthur Eze (Ozoigbindu), for all your open support for President Buhari and behind-the-scene tireless efforts to ensure that our dear Anambra state remains in the centre stage of our nation’s activities always.
“Ozoigbondu, you are indeed a worthy son and generalissimo of our state. We commend you immensely. We sincerely urge others to emulate your selfless disposition and kindness”.
He introduced the Elders Forum as “a non-partisan child of necessity created by distinguished and committed elders from all parts of the state, and made up of top technocrats, retired and seasoned civil servants, and academics who came together to galvanise the abundant human resources and ideas in the state.
“It’s meant to harvest ideas, stabilise and grow the party(APC), revive and resuscitate the political interest of the citizens, especially the elders who have been sidelined and replaced by a generation of mindless godfathers and political buccaneers. Unfortunately these godfathers clearly discourage politics of growth, achievement, human resource development, systematic succession through nurturing. We are here to play advisory roles in reconciling all real and imagined factions, cracks and interests for our collective good under one united APC to take over power from the incumbent come 2021 governorship poll in the state.
“We therefore want to re-awaken the consciousness of all the citizens, particularly the youth to once again become relevant, viable, resourceful and organized leaders of tomorrow so as to begin to ask the right questions and demand accountability from all duty bearers. We want to gather and persuade all the scattered honourable political class in the state to help elevate and instill the vision and mission of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari in today’s political firmament of Nigeria.
“Ozoigbondu, we also wish to inform you that we have already started a painstaking effort at changing the narratives and misgivings that APC is anti-South East. Soon we will come open with numerous life transforming projects embarked by the APC-led FG in the state. Some of which had remained mere political tool all through the sixteen years of the PDP. Again, under the APC, most of our sons and daughters have been given prominent strategic appointments. All these have been documented for education of our citizens.”
Among those present at the meeting were former Secretary to the State Government (SSG)Chief Alex Chukwura, the former Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon Dom Obieki, Mrs Nneka Ugwunze, Hon Mrs Amaka Obi, Hon Harry Okongwu, Hon J.C.Okeke, Hon Theo Nnorom, Chief Emma Nwajiaku, Hon Nestor Nnaemeka Okolo, Chief Chuka Nnoruka and many other distinguished elders of the party in Anambra state.