By Okechukwu Mmadubugwu

One of the conspicuous brain behind the popular 21/21 landslide victory of the Anambra state Governor, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano at the last gubernatorial election in the state, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi has officially declared his intention to serve the people of Idemmili North and South Constituency at the green chambers.

Hon. Ibezi made his intention known to a mammoth crowd that besieged his country home at Ezimuku, Agbaja, Abatete. Ad midst the mammoth crowd include men and women with resounding and overwhelming influence at various hierarchies of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party and other admirers of his.

Equally conspicuous at the glamourous event was the distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic, representing the people of Anambra central senatorial district at the red chambers, Chief Dr. Victor Umeh and the Honourable member representing Anaocha constituency at the green chambers, Hon Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo, among others.

Addressing the crowd, Sen. Umeh attested to the ingenuity, unparalleled hardwork and sheer vigour in carrying out assigned tasks of Hon. Ibezi which according to him was evident at the build up to the Governor’s resonating victory at the polls. The distinguished senator posited that Hon Ibezi has the requisite qualifications required for a better representation of the people at the green chambers. The former APGA National chairman recalled with bitterness the broaden daylight theft of Ibezi’s mandate in 2015 but remained ever optimistic that the stolen mandate would not just be recovered but the margin of recovery would be reverberating beyond the shores of the state. He called on Ndi Idemmili to vote Ibezi en masse in 2019 as he remains the right candidate to take the constituency to enviable pedestals.

Earlier in his declaration speech, Hon. Ibezi popularly called “Ochiagha” bemoaned the absence of dividends of democracy in Idemmili at the constituency level, this he ascribed to abysmal representation at the green chambers. Hon. Ibezi made a pact with Ndi Idemmili to be a voice, a friend and advocate for the people of Idemili, promising to ensure to the best of his ability that the promises on his manifesto would be executed to the very last.

Below is the full speech at his declaration:

“In the last 16 years, we have entrusted our hopes and dreams of a better and progressive representation in the hands of few persons, with the expectations that things would change for better. But as days grew into months, and months into years, nothing has really changed.

From the erosion sites at Uke – Ojoto road, to Ogbu Abatete, Ogidi and Obosi, nothing has really changed.

The Afor Oba – Express road has remained a death trap and power is still epileptic in Abacha. Year in, year out it is same of the same. Children from Akwu – Ukwu still fetch drinking water from Ose Akama and Ose Ekele rivers, when they could have portable water.

Our graduates in their numbers are still unemployed when they have voices that can vouch for and recommend them.

The businesses of our rural women have remained stagnant, when micro loans could have done the magic.

There’s no doubt that Idemili has been short changed in terms of democratic representation.

But there is still hope that help is on the way.

Chinedu, the Vulcanizer at Afor Nkpor has not lost hope that we can make any difference even after waiting for many years.

Enenwa, who runs a poultry farm at Ideani still believes that he could still get a micro loan to grow his business from producing 15 crates of egg to 50 crates of egg a day.

Mama Nkiru still has hope that her income can still grow from 10k to 50k a month, if night markets would be introduced at Eke Umuoji Market.

Just like Chinedu, Enenwa, Mama Nkiru and many others, I am more hopeful now that our dreams are closer to reality than ever before.

Umunnem, I am ready to offer my service for the realization of this hope; the emancipation of the largest federal constituency in South East of Nigeria.

My journey to the Federal House of Representatives on behalf of Idemili North and South Federal Constituency shall not only bring us effective representation and a strong voice, it will also bring us Infrastructural Development, Women Empowerment, create employment opportunities for us, a plan for our youths and projects for each of the 17 communities in Idemili North and South LGAs.

My representation shall rekindle hope for Enenwa, Mama Nkiru, Chinedu and every Idemili son and daughter.

Together, we shall build an Idemili where we will collectively decide how our constituency allocations will be utilized; an Idemili where Town hall meetings are not once in four years but twice in a year; an Idemili where our graduates are recommended for high profile jobs and empowerment programs are created for our Women and youths; an Idemili where our students do not worry about tuition fees because there is a bursary scheme that covers that; an Idemili where our representative is a close friend and not an August visitor; an Idemili where there is effective, sincere and genuine representation of our interests.

Umunnem, in the coming weeks, the times shall get tougher, and I will need your support, because I cannot do this alone.

While I offer my service for an impactful representation and fruitful realities for Umu Idemili, I want you by my side. I urge you to remain steadfast and unshaken in your support.

Today, as I declare to run for House of Representatives, Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, I make a pact with every son and daughter of Idemili that I, Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi will be a voice, a friend and advocate for the people of Idemili and I will ensure to the best of my ability that the promises on my manifesto would be met.

Join me, let us make our dreams for Idemili, a fruitful Reality.

Arise because help is finally on the way.”