Nwibe Urges Indigenes to Invest in Aguata

Peace Obi

The governorship aspirant of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Engineer Barth Nwibe has urged indigenes of Aguata Local Government Area to consider taking down some of their investments to the council as part of the measures in tackling the problem of underdevelopment and youth restiveness in the area. Speaking at the maiden edition of the Aguata Summit held in Lagos recently, Nwibe who attributed the menace of youth restiveness in the area to unemployment, disclosed that lack of public and private sectors investments in the area has left many youths in the area unemployed. Delivering a paper titled, ‘The Menace of Youth Restiveness and Unemployment in Aguata’, Nwibe notes that with Nigeria’s unemployment rate at 25 per cent, the menace of youth restiveness in the country is closely related to unemployment.

Enumerating some of the factors propelling underdevelopment in the area to include poor share of state and federal appointments, lack of reliable power supply, failure of apprenticeship system, poor politics and governance culture, the business magnate disclosed that securing power by the LGA would facilitate faster development of the area. Urging the indigenes to unite and shun money bag politics, Nwibe warned that development would continue to elude the LGA as long as her indigenes continue to indulge in mercantile politics.

“Let us agree to present our best and brightest instead of mortgaging our consciousness and vote on election day to the influence of money. Come and support good people of Aguata who are contesting in the gubernatorial election in the state.”

Speaking further, Nwibe told Aguata indigenes not to go on blind endorsement of candidates based on pecuniary measures. “If you continue with mercantile political culture you, will continue to get the kind of representation you have always got. You should interrogate all of us and find out the kind of life we have lived and if you are convinced that there is possibility for us to make changes in our society, then you come and part of it. The most important thing is for an indigene of Aguata to emerge governor of the state from the forthcoming election. Let us resolve to do the right politics,” Nwibe said.

The Chairman, Aguata Summit, Dr. Uche Ifediba who described the summit as a non-political family meeting said that the platform is a common front for the people tackle  various challenges facing different communities in the LGA. “It is fitting that we, the people of Aguata have a vibrant platform to discuss the problems of our homeland and proffer solutions, hence this summit. With the theme, “Aguataland: Agenda for Sustainable Development”, Aguata must be set for greater progress.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the President, Aguata Progressive Union (APU), Chief Odurukwe Godwin, revealed that the summit was provoked by the saddening underdevelopment in the LGA. “You look at the roads passing through the area, both state and federal, they are nothing to write home about. No higher institutions, no major federal or state presence, despite having very high sounding names in education, industry, politics, public and private sectors,” Godwin lamented.

Another gubernatorial aspirant under the umbrella of Progressive People’s Alliances (PPA), Mr. Ezeemo Godwin, told THISDAY that the summit availed the people the opportunity to identify their problems and proffer solutions to them. “These problems include living in denial, not being united in pursuit of a common goal, not showing love for one, unnecessary friction and promotion of people who have got nothing to offer us.”

Ezeemo who said the way forward was for the people of Aguata to remain committed to their resolution to take power, come November 18, 2017 said the practical way to developing the LGA, “when they found themselves in political offices, they still need to think home and work hard towards representing people that elected them into office. They need to bring some development home and get things done.

“They should go as they have already decided that they want Aguata indigene to be the governor of the state this time around. They should go and get the position and when we get it, we will use it to develop our place while other places are being developed at the same time,” he said.