Former NPA boss declares for Senate in Anambra

ONE time Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and former Nigerian Ports Authority Director, Dr Okey Chidolue has declared his interest to contest the 2019 senatorial election to represent Anambra South at the Red Chamber under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) platform.

Anambra South zonal chairman of the party, Chief Titus Anigbogu and delegates from seven local government areas that make up the zone, yesterday, received the aspirant at Orthon Palace Hotel, Ekwulobia with a promise to allow a level playing ground for all the aspirants for the National Assembly election.

They assured him of their support.

Dr Chidolue, an APGA chieftain in Nnewi North Council Area said he came out to bring his experience in public service to bear on his service to the constituents in Anambra South, entire Anambra State and the Igbo generally.

Oduma Nnewi, as he is well known noted that he had in the recent past represented the entire South East as Executive Director (operations and regulatory services) with Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) where he managed the four ports in Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri and Calabar with unblemished distinction.

“Equally important, our party is looking for the best. I have a proud pedigree of public service and, you can be assured that when I get to the Red Chamber, Anambra South will see the difference between 1st eleven and 3rd eleven.

We are light of the nation and you deserve nothing but the best,” he said.

Dr Chidolue noted that when good people stayed away from politics, the resultant effect would be inevitable bad governance of political opportunists to the detriment of the electorate.

He said that the future of the Igbo nation in general and Anambra South by extension was at risk “at this very verge of our national life.

” He is of the view that the collective interest of Igbo nation should remain sacrosanct and non-negotiable. He regretted that the Anambra South senatorial zone since 1999 had not been lucky to have good representation.

He noted that while other zones had been sending their 1st eleven to represent them, Anambra South had been consistently sending their 3rd eleven “because of money politics”, a jinx he said he had come to break.

He told the delegates that his representation would be anchored on the good legislative framework with a focus on ‘best’ which he translated to mean business, education, security and technology.

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He declared that there would be a need for a functional jetty in Onitsha which would be a game-changer for the entire South East, quality education that would stand the test of time and adequate security.

He explained that it would require a federal legislative framework and an experienced maritime lawyer to drive the process.

He promised to establish a self-sustaining incubation centre in each of the seven Council Areas of the zone within the first two years in the Senate.

According to him, that would reduce youth unemployment that had always fuelled criminal activities.

He explained that if Ojukwu were to be alive today, it would have been his wish for him to represent his people at the Senate because of the confidence he reposed in him. He promised that he would never fail.