Journalist craves fresh legislative style in Akwa Ibom

 • Group backs VON DG against Ekweremadu

A lagos-based media practitioner, Goodie Ofose, says his 15 years experience has equipped him with unique ideas to change the face of legislation in Akwa Ibom State. Ofose said the decision of the people of Mbo Constituency to invite him to contest election into Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came at the right time.

This is just as some youths under aegis of All Progressives Congress Youth Circle (APCYC), have declared support for the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (DG VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, saying he is the best man to retire the Deputy President of Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, from active politics.

In a statement by its national coordinator, Comrade Geoffrey Eze, assured that Okechukwu’s antecedents would place him at a vantage point to give selfless service to the people of Enugu West and unite the zone.The group said unlike Ekweremadu’s tradition of providing commercial motorcycles for youths, especially graduates, the VON DG “would revamp the abundant coal deposits in Enugu State to ensure the creation of employment for thousands of youths in Enugu West.”

While stressing that Okechukwu’s Buharist inclination would help the zone to easily key into President Muhammadu Buhari’s roads, rails and agriculture projects if elected, APCYC said reinvigorating the economy of the country and generating employment outweighs petty handouts from lawmakers.

The group said the election of Okechukwu as senator would help to unite the zone after Ekweremadu used divide and rule tactics to cause disaffection in the zone.
They commended the spread in the appointments facilitated by Okechukwu so far as a pointer what he would achieve as a Senator, including Mr. Titus Okolo, Commissioner ICPC (Awgu), Polycap Udah, member Board Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (Oji River); Major General Chris Eze, Ambasador to India, (Udenu); Bath Ugwoke, member Board of Voice of Nigeria (Igboeze north).

While commending the leadership style Governor Udom Emmanuel, Ofose said: “The foresight and purposefulness of his administration is commendable. In the last three years, his three focal points- Industrialization, Tourism and Agriculture, have been driving sustainable development projects that will outlive his administration.
“Specifically in the area of industrialization, before now, we had industries in the states set up and run as an extended arm of parastatals, so mortality rate was high, especially if an incoming administration does not buy into it. But what he is doing now is to anchor and bench mark things with international best practices.”

He said Udom administration has provided the enabling environment, security, infrastructure, good governance and economic policies that attract investors.“So in the last three years, we can proudly talk about at least four world class new industries namely, syringe factory, metering solutions industries, pencil and toothpick factory, and the paints factory.
 
“This means business has been created and investment made in areas where there is market, so sustainability is assured. Take the syringe factory for instance Nigeria spends over N30b to imports syringe, so the market for them is readily there. We cannot even meet demands for Nigeria so it will expand with time. The metering factory meets the needs of Nigerians moving massively to pre-pay metering.  It is same with the paint and toothpick factories. Many other moribund industries in various sectors have been resuscitated,” he added.
 
Ofose said Udom’s endorsement for a second term is well deserved, saying no other state has been able to do as much as Akwa Ibom State, even as he declared that the administration is focused on the path to economic diversification in the area of industrialization to create wealth. He added: “The dream is that by the time this administration exits, the economy will have a 360 degree turnaround with the private sector taking over the driving seat of the state economy. Four years cannot be enough to fix everything, a second tenure is key to consolidate on this laudable master plan.”