……Reiterates Industrialization, LG Autonomy, Security, Education as His Top Priorities
The candidate of the Labour Party in Imo State participated alongside fellow guber candidates in the town hall meeting organised by The Justice, Development, Peace and Caritas Commission, Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri in collaboration with the National Voter’s Drive Coalition and the Imo Advocacy Group.
During his masterful and brilliant presentation he shared with them the key priorities in his manifesto that his government will use to take back Imo to the path of growth.
He specifically spoke about plans to restore peace, unity and sustainable progress through engagement of primary stakeholders at the 3rd tier of government, organising the freest and fairest LGA elections in the history of the state where only the choice of people is accepted.
According to him, “i will set up an electoral umpire to conduct the freest and fairest election. No matter the party you come from, once you win, we will swear you in and this will engender confidence in the polity. With the people’s trust in the ownership and rulership of the system at the local government level, we will introduce a law that allows the setting up of Vigilante to be managed and funded by the LGAs. I will not touch a dime of the LGAs so they will have enough fund the payment of vigilantes and to perform their primary responsibility at the rural level including maintenance of rural roads and other infrastructure.
“We shall also Industrialise the state by providing two industrial clusters per senatorial zone including a Oil/Gas, and pharmaceutical industries park in Orlu zone; Ceramics industries park in Okigwe zone where there is abundant granite and kaolin; as well as an agricultural park in Okigwe and Ngor Okpala. Imo youths are in dire need of employment, hence the need to create opportunities that will attract investors and investments to the state.”
In the area of education, he said “we used to be number three in education, but now we are 24th due to lack of focus on the sector. Most of our qualified teachers have now “jappad”. So, we will re-train existing teachers so that we have quality education.”
Speaking further as part of the plans to develop the economy of the state, the Labour party candidate said “we will plant 10, 000 palm trees in every LGA as well as set up a processing plant. We used to be exporters of palm oil, so we have to restart that again.
Achonu, alongside other candidates signed the Peace Accord as a show of my commitment to peaceful processes before, during and after elections. Those who participated in the debate and the peace accord include Chief Okere JohnJude, of the Accord Party, Maj. Gen Lincoln Ogunewe (Rtd) of Action Alliance; Sen. Sam Daddy Anyanwu of PDP and Sir Anthony Ejiogu of APGA. The APC candidate Governor Hope Uzodimma was absent.
Recall that the organisers conducted a public poll in which six (including the governor) out of 17 candidates were selected and invited to the debate. Only 5 were present. His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma was conspicuously absent.
