Youths in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State are set for a massive political revolution. The revolution will be officially flagged off on Sunday, July 7, 2022 in an event tagged: Anambra West Socio-political Awareness, at Ajandu Hall, Umueze Anam by 10am.
Sources involved in it, who spoke to multichannels247, said: “The interactions to determine the political future of the area are long overdue. It is not a fight. It is about taking our fate in our hands. It is about looking at the past, analyzing the present and determining the future. It is to rejuvenate and reawaken the political consciousness of our people and fashion ways of tackling the underdevelopment challenges facing us.
“We will look into the representation of the area at the state and federal levels, especially the House of Representatives. Every Tom, Dick and Harry knows that it is the person who wears the shoe that knows where it pinches. It is only an indigene of Anambra West who is suffering the abject neglect of the area that will make it a priority to tackle the challenges.
“Any other person who is not from the area can only give lip-service attention to it without serious commitment; and that is what we have witnessed all these years. The Senator, representing Anambra North, Princess Stella Odua is from Ogbaru and Chief Chinedu Obidigwe, representing the zone at the Green Chambers is from Aguleri. None of them cares about our challenges and that is why none of them has done any tangible thing since they have been occupying the position.”
Another source claimed that nothing will stop Anambra West from producing the next House of Representatives member. He said, “It is the turn of Anambra West to represent the area at the House of Representatives. It is almost 12 years since an indigene of the area occupied the position. Equity and fairness demand that our brothers and sisters in Anambra East should support a credible candidate from Anambra West. And credibility is what we have in Chief Peter Aniekwe, the candidate of Labour and Hon. Victor Okoye, the candidate of All Progressives Congress. Stakeholders are talking, letting the candidates know that what we are talking about is more than an individual’s personal ambition. I am sure that they are ready to sacrifice their personal ambitions for greater good. No doubt, at the appointed time there will be a consensus. We will present one candidate and queue behind him. We have friends and supporters from Anambra East who strongly believe in fairness and will support our course.
“It is not about political parties. After all, we were first, indigenes of Anambra West before we joined political parties. The bad road does not discriminate. It affects everyone, your political party, notwithstanding. Lack of electricity and other infrastructure does not discriminate. All of us suffer from it. So, as a people, we are going to collectively take our fate in our hands.”
A staunch APGA member told multichannels247 that the matter is beyond friendship and partisan politics. He said, “Some of us have friends who are occupying these positions. But what have they done for our area because they are our friends? Absolutely nothing; so we will remain friends and party members. But we must call spade a spade. They cannot be taking advantage of our people and still claim to be our friends. At the political summit, we will present the issues, analyze them and make decisions.
“Above all, it is the highest point of insult for someone who has not done anything for Anambra West since he was elected to represent the area at the National Assembly to claim that the votes of Anambra West are already in his pocket. It is arrogance personified and we can longer accept such insult.
“It is unimaginable that despite having representatives at state and federal levels, Anambra West still suffers the absence of motorable roads, electricity, hospitals, good schools and other social amenities which give the people nightmares. It is worrisome that an area with over 87,687 registered voters as at 2011 and numerous teeming youths is only remembered during the campaign but abandoned immediately thereafter.”
Their disappointment is not only against the Federal Government and the State Government. It is also extended to their elected representatives at all levels, who year-in, year-out, make frivolous promises, only to become incommunicado once they get into the positions. “We only hear about constituency projects’ allocations and many others but hardly see projects done with the funds” a respondent said.
MultiChannels247 investigations revealed that the only tarred road that leads to several communities in this food basket of the state including the local government headquarters at Nzam is not more than six kilometres. Another one is a 13km road started by former governor Peter Obi which has remained a campaign tool for the politicians. Every politician in the area has different versions of excuses regarding non-performance; even the Otuocha-Ibaji-Lokoja- Abuja Federal road, started many years ago, had since been abandoned and the gully and potholes on the road have become death traps.
The event is sponsored by Chief Osita Michael Oforzor, Chairman, Mobile Foundation. Special guests expected at the event are Hon. Tony collins Nwabunwanne, the Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs; Chief Mike Okafor-Nwofia (MoreDays); Chief Charles Okafor, President General, Ezi Anam; Chief Simeon Nnakwe (Democracy), Chairman, Address Properties Limited; Chief Gabriel Okafor (Mgbakaidu). Speakers at the event are Chief Charles Nwabunwanne, and Dr. Chinedu Ekwealor. The organisers, chief host and hosts are Prince Anikweze Chuks Nwokedi, President, Oraka Youth Organisation Worldwide; Comrade Friday Okeke, coordinator, National Youth Council of Nigeria; Anambra West chapter; Comrade Orstager Patrick Chnweuba, Mayor, ASATU Youth, Anambra West; Comrade John David Okoye, President, Anambra West Youth Vanguard; and Comrade Simon Okoye, President Anambra West Youth.
