Gilbert Ekezie
A governorship aspirant, Ngozi Obi, speaks on why he is running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s Imo governorship.
After much consultation, you have finally decided to run on the platform of PDP, what actually informed your decision?
Well, like you said, I have been out there consulting and some political parties have been calling me to join them, but I tried to take time to study the terrain. I am in the race to make the state better than what it is, with the focus on people oriented programmes and policies. And, I hope to make the state an enviable place and city where people all over the world will come. Therefore, I need a political platform that can assist me to function appropriately to establish all these focus. For that reason, I found out that PDP is a better option for now.
It is believed that some aspirants had already showed interest to run on the PDP platform, how do you hope to make a breakthrough?
It is a contest and I know that it is not easy to come by. However, the people know what and who they want when it comes to good governance. And, I have all it takes to deliver. Like I said, I did a lot of consultations and found out that Imo people need me to carry out my economic agenda in the state. The best thing that will happen to Imo people is making the best choice and I am convinced that they will not fail to do that this time around. Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that some senatorial zones in Imo State that need a better leadership in 2019 have thrown their support for me because of my qualities and experience. No doubt, wealth creation is the total answer to confronting the Imo challenge.
How do you hope to create wealth in Imo?
Actually, we need you to know the secret of wealth creation before we can talk about it. There is a great difference between wealth creation and cash creation, whereby the investors bring goods, sells and carries our money. If I step into wealth creation, investors will know that I have arrived. A lot foreign countries that are in western world, that think they have enough, will come here and get ideas from us. They will buy our products and thereafter send their technocrats to come here to copy from us.
In what areas will the wealth creation enhance developmental strides in Imo?
Certainly, wealth creation will ensure good governance, good atmosphere and good industrial outlet which are the highest. I have the vision to make exploits in Imo State and after my administration, Imo people and indeed Nigerians will know that I am talking as a well informed and highly spiritual personality who also has useful ideas of what to do.
What would you say is the greatest challenge of Imo people?
Like I said before, the people of Imo State are very technical, but the challenge is that they are not being assisted to create all the concepts of industrialisation needed in the state. You will hardly see people producing things on their own, even when the technical knowhow is there.
What is then the solution to that?
If given the opportunity to govern the state, I will create an avenue where one will stay in his or her house and produce something for the betterment of the state and the people. In fact, I will do it in a way that our people will no longer work for a long period of time, before going into their own production. With the plan I have, the government will give financial assistance to both the young and old to go into production, massive expansion of goods and services on their own through skill acquisition that they need to handle those ideas.
Having done that, my leadership will bring experts who would work with them and ensure that they do not divert the grants given to them. These are ideas that are very strange, foreign and remote to all our people.
In the empowerment of the youths, there is no system for solvency. They’re supposed to be a system of solvency that revolves, where those that are in are moving into another sector and those who are coming in will be moving in to acquire knowledge and have a stand. There is no retrenchment abroad because their leaders have the vision and perfect understanding of the task of doing things. But here, we have retrenchment, collapse of industries and raw materials drought. However, with the revelations and all the concepts in wealth creation I have, Imo State will surely move forward. And, within a short period of time, others will come to copy from the ideas we have.
You promised to pay attention to education, what plans do you have on that?
As I have already stated, I am still saying that I will upgrade free and qualitative educaZtion in Imo State. In fact, that will be among the things I will focus more attention on. If given the opportunity to serve as governor, I will ensure that Imo remains the highest and best in terms of education in Nigeria.
In most of your outings, you spoke about creation of new city in Imo State, could you expatiate that?
Well, creation of a new city as I used to say is an integral part of wealth creation and it will be among my top agenda. You see, there is need for government to invest in creation of new cities. By so doing, there is going to be total industrialisation, productivity and total enhancement of the well being of the people. How to actualise that is one secret that, I alone can explain.