2023: Ihiala Doesn’t Need Egusi, Ogiri Politicians, Says Nnabuife

 Raymond Ozoji, Awka

High Chief Sir Chuka Nnabuife, an Ihiala-born renowned astute administrator, journalist, author and politician of very high repute has categorically stated that Ihiala federal constituency does not need those he described as Egusi, Ogiri politicians in 2023.

Nnabuife, who is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Newspapers and Printing Corporation, told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that some people were only interested in personal aggrandizements without recourse to the actual needs of Ihiala federal constituency.

Nnabuife said the issue was not a presentation of a non-verifiable  hyperbolic scorecards but what Ihiala federal constituency needs are people with exceptional intelligence and brilliance to be able to think out legislative instruments that would entrench the needed platforms for Ihiala to be placed on its deserving pedestal.

Nnabuife, who the Anambra chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has commissioned to be immortalised in no distant time for his monumental legacies in the journalism profession, noted that there was need for an urgent rescue mission in Ihiala federal constituency because he believes very strongly that Ihiala will no longer settle for Egusi and Ogiri politicians.

He said, “Everybody now dwells on Ihiala as if there is no challenge. Everybody now appears to be interested in what they personally want to gain but they are not interested in the collective challenges of Ihiala local government.

“As we speak, there is a very dire security situation in Ihiala and nobody has asked why Ihiala? We have a big problem of awareness in Ihiala local government area. We have the challenge of youth engagement. We have infrastructural challenge. We need to get Ihiala mainstreamed into the general happenings in Anambra state, Nigeria and in the world.

“But due to politics of blindfold, people don’t consider the quality of people who represent them or who should represent them and equally look at their capacities to understand what the problem is; to put solutions to what they want and get the solution to advance Ihiala from the situation it is now.

“We have a very huge population. Interestingly, you can count even in your fingers Ihiala people in public service both local government, state government and federal. Are we going to settle for politicians who give you handouts and when election is drawing near they find one Keke for twenty persons to share. One motorcycle for one person as empowerment program.

“Anybody who is representing you and you can’t point at one concrete thing he  instituted that generates employment for the people and radically transforms the economy is only representing himself and not the generality of the people.

“When I look at you after being in government on my behalf, I should look at things that are of record just like the Michael Okparas, the Sam Mbakwes, the Zik of Africa. These people didn’t stay up to 8 years in power but we have people who have been in power for 6, 7, 8 years and even forever yet you can’t point at what they have achieved.

“In Ihiala for instance, we used to have Ekwenugo Okeke Polytechnic. That polytechnic was built after the first republic education minister of Nigeria G.E Okeke. That polytechnic is still existing in the gazette of Anambra state but does not physically exist anywhere in the state. And nobody in the federal and state legislature has made that school resurrect again. Even the main campus of the Anambra State University has been taken away from Ihiala which to me is a function of poor legislation to drive social development.

“Ihiala has three universities. One of the biggest private universities in Nigeria is in Ihiala local government; Madona University. Legacy University is in Ihiala. Atlantic University is in Ihiala but how much have we galvanized the system to benefit from these universities? It’s still the same bushes full of grasses and sands. It’s still the same roads full of potholes and what have you.”

High Chief Sir Chuka Nnabuife who is currently eyeing Ihiala federal constituency seat in 2023 however noted that political representation is about ideas in governance and how to deploy legislative instruments to create a congenial and conducive atmosphere beneficial for all to realize their full potential.