By Don Peters
The Honourable Member Representing Ekwusigo, Nnewi North & Nnewi South LGAs in the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Amb Peter Ifeanyi Uzokwe, has submitted that the death of Senator Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah is a national loss. He made this clear during an interaction with our newspaper. Shortly after the Interactive session with the Chairmanship candidates of the Parties contesting for the position of the Local Government Chairman in the forthcoming Local Government Election. In his words: “Nnewi might think that the loss is only to Nnewi people. No, Nigeria lost somebody in Ifeanyi Ubah. The world lost somebody in Ifeanyi Ubah. Let me ask one question. Who will intervene when Ndi- Igbo is at loggerheads with their Host Communities like in Trade Fair, Ladipo or Idumota in Lagos? Who will interface with the State Government, or Deidei in Abuja and get their shops unlocked? Who is that Senator who is the Senate Committee Chairman on State and Local Government, on whose platform he used to launch the Bill for Local Government Autonomy? Who is the Capital Oil that is the Chairman of the Down Stream Sector of the Petroleum Industry? Who is that Senator that will keep assuring us that our refineries will work again? As at today, I don’t have the capacity to step into his shoes, but I’ll try to keep the flag flying. I will try my best, and with the help of God, maintain his legacy.” On his message to Ndi–Nnewi in respect to the election coming up on Saturday, he said: “This election is not about opposition. It is about capacity. It is about what you have to offer the people with the allocation coming from the Federation Account and the Internally Generated Revenue, especially from the Markets. Nnewi does not need State Government interferance. It is her Right and not a Privilege for the State Government to give Nnewi what is rightly due to her. Nobody should play hanky panky with the allocation that is due to Nnewi. Take Nnewi from Anambra State and Anambra State will collapse.”
On his Candidate, Hon Paul Muoneke, he said:”Whatever I’ll say about him is just like me talking about myself. In YPP, we don’t present somebody without capacity. If he’s elected and doesn’t do well, he should be ready for opposition. Just like me, if I’m not doing well, I’m ready to be challenged. In YPP, we are very careful with the kind of candidates we present. He is a Candidate we carefully brought out with Lady Irene Udoaja. What a beautiful combination? Look at the way he answered all the cunning questions thrown at him. He is a material and I’m confident that he’ll win the election.” The Nnewi North Local Government Chairmanship Debate was organized for the various candidates contesting for the position of Chairman to engage in a debate and present their manifestos, somehow, only Mr. Paul Muoneke of the Young People’s Party (YPP) turned up and the event was turned into an Interactive Session.
