By Chinelo Obogo
The Tony Nwoye Campaign Organisation has berated the Willie Obiano administration for the deceit in its claim that it had distributed N20 million to 177 communities for development projects.
It noted that the total amount of money allegedly distributed is a little fraction of the more than N70 billion total allocations to the councils in the state.
In a statement issued by the campaign team, Nwoye said: “It is a thing of joy for us that the Willie Obiano administration after much pressure to show what it did in the last three and half years came out to say that it donated N20 million projects to 177 communities in the state. We had been waiting for the government to make this mistake as it would confirm to Anambarians the deceit that we have been saying is the hallmark of this administration.
“After collecting an estimated N70 billion in local government statutory allocations and donating N3.6 billion to the communities, the question Ndi Anambra now want the governor to answer is where is the balance of the estimated N66.4 billion? Fact is that the 20 million naira per community for project of their choice is nothing but a deliberate act of deceit to steal funds accruable to our local communities from the federation account.
“Fraud is when you collect a total of 6,647,448,978 billion naira from the federation account for Idemili North LGA and give 20 million naira each to Abatete, Abacha, Obosi, Ogidi, Eziowelle, Ideani, Oraukwu, Uke, Nkpor and Umoji totaling 200 million naira to ten towns to do projects of their choice. Where is the balance?
“In Idemili North alone the Willie Obiano’s administration’s biggest achievement for three and half years is that it has taken over N4 billion belonging to the people. On the 18th of November, Idemili people will definitely say no to the illegal diversion of their share of the federal revenue allocation into private pockets.
“Fraud is when you collect N5, 789,580,449 billion for Ihiala LGA and donate N20 million each to Azia, Amorka, Ihiala, Iseke, Lilu, Mbosi, Okija, Orsumoghu and Uli. On the 18th of November Ihiala people will talk with their votes and ask Willie Obiano to account for over N4 billion of their funds which have disappeared into the air under his watch.
“Fraud is when you collect N4, 327,571,060 billion from the Revenue account for Nnewi North and magnanimously gave Nnewi Town a whole sum of 20 million to execute a project of their choice. On the 18th of November Obiano will definitely understand the ingenuity of an average Nnewi man. They will ask questions with their votes.”
In a related development, Nwoye has welcomed the endorsement of his aspiration by the Nimo Community in Njikoka Local government Area of the state promising to provide the environment to harness their potentials in commerce and industry.
Political and business stakeholders from the community had earlier this week at a gathering in the residence of Justice Anthony Iguh, a retired jurist of the Supreme Court endorsed Dr. Nwoye’s aspiration on the claim that he is the best qualified of the major candidates to represent the interest of the community and the state.
Among those at the gathering were the President General of Nimo Community, Chief Frankanthony Igboka (Mmilinaezuluora Nimo), Chief Matthew Omeokachie (1st Vice-President of Nimo Town Union), Chief George Ibezimako Ozodinobi, FMHR (Aja-Ajanze Nimo); Dr. Nicholas Igwe (Omeluora Nimo), Nduka Aguofia Esq (Ojidembuba Nimo), Chief Emma Ndubuisi (Keduifemgaemeluobodom Nimo) Ozor Paul Ezenwa (Akpokuedike Nimo) Chief Fide Nwabunie (Omeluora) Tony Aniedobe (Immediate past Onitsha North LG Legislative Leader), Sir. Toby Okwuoya (Afunwa).
Also present were defectors from APGA including chieftains of the party who welcomed Dr. Nwoye and his running mate, Dozie Ikefife Jnr to the community. Speaking on the endorsement, Nwoye said: “It is a pleasure to add the support of the Nimo people to the groundswell of support for a new direction in the pattern of government in Anambra State. The hardworking Nimo people like many other communities in Anambra have been seriously affected by the dilapidation of infrastructure and the absence of positive governance that have been the highlights of the Willie Obiano administration.
“Not only has the present administration abandoned them in terms of recognising their qualified persons into positions in government, the Obiano administration has also neglected the community in the provision of infrastructure despite holding on the allocation of the local government from the federation account.
“The Nwoye administration will not release the pittance of N20 million to the Nimo people but would ensure that the community in conjunction with all stakeholders in Njikoka take full custody of the allocations due to them from the federation account and the state account.
“The Njikoka people are known for their passion in commerce and industry, and the Nwoye administration when inaugurated would provide the suitable environment that would enable the people to positively direct their energies that would bring out their potentials.”
UPP candidate storms Enugu Sports Club, unveils development blueprint
From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
The governorship candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Mr Osita Chidoka, on Tuesday night stormed the Enugu Sports Club with some of his supporters to seek support from members of the club.
Chidoka is the second candidate in the Anambra election after the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Tony Nwoye, who has taken his campaign to the club.
The former Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) boss told the club members that his state has not experienced real development due to poor leadership. He lamented that the Anambra economy was driven by burial ceremonies, which he pointed out usually starts every Thursday and ends on Sunday, saying that the development has denied the state concrete economic plans that would have enabled the state to compete with others.
He, therefore, presented his economic blueprint to the club members, which he said would impact on the development of the state, adding that if voted into power, he would provide new strategies that would ensure visionary, transparent and community government that would be driven by the Anambra people, as well as make the state compete with other economies of the world.
He said: “Our state capital, Awka is still a village. We still celebrate three flyovers; but come to Awka as capital; you still feel the absence of water, absence of security, plethora of bad roads and several others that will make one wonder if Anambra is a state.
We are coming with a new thinking.
“We will transform Anambra into a trade hub; we will grow the commerce the state is known for. Our ability to handle matters with Anambra State is the beginning of the independence that the Igbo man is looking for. Our strategy is to play in the digital economy such that we will connect our markets to the digital world called ‘Anambra wifi’. Our schools will go digital so that our students will compete favourably with their peers in the world”.
On his part, the Chairman of the Enugu Sports Club, Mr Ben Etiaba, thanked Chidoka and his entourage for coming again, saying that the UPP candidate’s visit to the club came during their inauguration. He said that the club has many powerful opinion leaders across the South-East, including Anambra State, adding that the coming of Chidoka would definitely enhance his electoral fortunes in the forthcoming polls in his state.
We’re not planning to rig election with soldiers, police –APC
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed speculations that the ruling party is planning to rig the November 18 Anambra State governorship election with the deployment of soldiers and other security and paramilitary agents.
National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who refuted the claims, also confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari will be physically present during the campaign grand finale in Awka next week.
The ruling party’s spokesperson told newsmen during a press conference in Abuja yesterday that: “We believe strongly that the speculation that APC was deploring soldiers to rig Anambra election is just a mere rumour. There is no evidence to prove that and if anybody tells you that the party is planning to deploy Civil Defence, police, soldiers or whatever to do anything in Anambra, tell the person to provide the evidence.
“We are planning to win the election fair and square and if you are following the campaign going on, you will know the impact our candidate is making. The incumbent will naturally be jittery and when a candidate is jittery the first thing he does is to turn around and accuse the ruling party of planning to rig or whatever.
“We are not going to rig the election. We have won elections since we came to power as a national party and as a ruling party. We have equally lost elections. We lost the election in Osun and if we have soldiers and police to mobilise why didn’t we do it then? We have lost couple of House of Representatives elections and couple of Senate elections.”
“So, the speculation that we are planning to rig the election does not hold water. Unless they have credible evidence that this is what we are planning to do but to make this kind of allegation is not what we should dwell on so much,” he said.
Anambra West leaders promise victory for Obiano
By Chukwudi Nweje
Frontline chieftains of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and stakeholders in Anambra West council have vowed to ensure a resounding victory for Governor Willie Obiano to enable him concretise his development initiatives in the area.
This is as Obiano promised to fast track the construction of interior link roads connecting the council to the newly completed bridge across the Ezichi River.
The request, among others was presented to the governor during the inauguration of his reelection campaign rally at the Umueze Anam Secondary School field.
The governor who also promised to construct a bridge on the Innoma – Igbedon road leading to Olumbanasaa communities, explained that the road projects would enhance evacuation of farm produce from the agrarian communities. The people of the area, who trooped out to receive him, assured him of a one hundred percent of their votes on November 18. 
The leader of the council including Chief Charles Egwuoba (Ezekwesili) listed the ongoing road projects to include Mmiata-Umelum; Oroma Etiti-Onono-Umudora; Umuokwu-Onono; Mmiata-Nzam and a hanging bridge connecting Innoma to Odekpe and others. He disclosed that the Ezichi bridge by the Obiano administration connects the area directly to the Orient Petroleum facilities. The project, he noted, had in the past been rejected and discouraged by a former administration.
Majority Leader of the state Assembly, Victor Jideofor Okoye, Special Assistant to the Governor on Markets, Sunday Nwassah and Chief Michael Nwakwuzie who is the President General of Iyiora Anam also promised to mobilise electorate to ensure a resounding victory for Obiano.
“We are happy to have Governor Obiano from the North senatorial zone of the state. This made most of us shelve our individual aspirations in his support and we are not disappointed at all,” Okoye said.
Despite the sharp fall in revenue receipts, he has been doing very well with a security summit, followed by an economic summit where experts spoke on alternative means to harness our resources to achieve more with less,” Okoye said.
Nwassah stated that with the sure security, economic and social foundations laid down by the governor, it would be proper for all electorate to give him their votes for a second term to consolidate.
While commending them, the chairman of Obiano reelection Committee, Chief Victor Umeh urged them to know that they would get more dividends of democracy when they re-elect Obiano.