Emenike Releases Manifesto, Pledges to Develop Abia

Charles Ajunwa

The Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has released his manifesto. During the week, the book-sized manifesto with 23 deliverables, titled, “The Emenike Movement… To Rescue and Develop Abia State”, was presented to the public at his Umukabia Okpuala country home in Umuahia North Local Government Area.

Emenike talked about why he tried to serve the state in 2007, but he didn’t succeed. Now, he wants to save Abia, which he says is in bad shape: “The general consensus is that Abia is in a bad situation. The extent of the state’s decay shocks and even dehumanizes residents. However, it did not occur overnight. Indeed, one anticipated it and formulated a plan for intervention to stop the rot and propel the state to greater heights. Because of this, I made an offer to serve the people of Abia State as governor in 2007,” Emenike said.

Emenike explained why he decided to make a comeback in 2023 by stating that Abia was too big for what he called “a one-man show,” and that the state needed to work together to help her reach new heights.

“It shouldn’t be a solo effort. The deck should have all hands on it. Everybody plays a part. We refer to it as ‘The Emenike Movement’ because it is a people’s movement. It is a movement of people in Abia for the benefit of the state of Abia. We have conducted extensive consultations over the past few months. As a result, the Abians are ready to break free because they are fed up with the current situation,” he said.

Concerning zoning, the economist maintained that each of the state’s three senatorial zones has contributed to the state’s development. Emenike, who is known for his truthfulness, honesty and integrity, said, “The time has come for men and women who care about the well-being of the Abia people and have the right vision, character, competence, and courage.”

Emenike stated that he has offered himself once again as a vessel to rescue and develop Abia as a result of popular demand and divine guidance. He stated that the first step would be to win the governorship election in 2023 and free Abia State from what he referred to as “the fangs of incompetent, cruel, and corrupt men and women who have held the state down for 24 years.”

This would enable him to realise his goal, he added. “We shall propel the state onto a fresh highway of socio-economic development. We will work diligently to make the entire state of Abia human. This candidacy for governor is solely based on a single goal: the complete development of Abia State.”

He was of the opinion that his government would be one that was determined to create a lasting legacy in every aspect of life.

“We can be referred to as the Legacy Government. Priority would be given to paying workers in the public sector their wages. We hope to train and retrain public servants at all levels. Employees will not be owed their monthly pay or pensions by my government. We will vigorously pursue Abia’s economic growth.”

The fact that governments in other parts of the world view themselves as instruments for the economic and social development of their territories is something High Chief Emenike finds regrettable given the opposite situation in Abia.

He frowned, saying that over the course of the past 24 years, nearly every government in Abia became an agent of underdevelopment. However, he believes that his government will position Abia State to become the South-east’s financial capital.

He stated that leading by example, demonstrating discipline, hard work, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the new Abia State will be the foundation of his government, as well as ensuring that everyone in Abia is on the same page.

 Emenike said that Abians will be the means (agents) and the end (beneficiaries) of his government’s economic development initiatives or projects, as he pledged to restore high moral, ethical, competent, and godly standards to governance.

“As a result, the government will vigorously pursue the people’s value reorientation as the foundation of the new Abia,” he said.

Regarding his state’s dream, he added, “This dream has two components: We will work hard to make it possible for every Abia State resident to thrive; and the citizens and the government will collaborate to ensure that each generation in the state has a higher standard of living than its predecessors.

“To ensure that our children and grandchildren live better lives than we do, we will collaborate diligently. We will institutionalize professional, compassionate, and competent governance to achieve this goal. All Abia citizens will be loved, cherished, and respected by our government.”

Without dehumanising any Abian, Emenike disclosed that his government would not hesitate to take tough decisions and demonstrate what he called “zero tolerance” for corruption, criminals, and criminality.

“The current state budget of under N200 billion will not make the necessary difference in the development of the state,” he stated, emphasising the necessity of increasing the quality and size of the Abia budget.

 He made it clear that his administration’s annual budgets will be carefully crafted and implemented to ensure that every community in Abia is represented.                                              Emenike also put youth employment, empowerment, economic advancement, and entrepreneurship first by giving them a top-notch education, equipping them with skills for the 21st Century, giving them the resources they need to succeed as entrepreneurs, and creating opportunities for Abia youths locally, nationally, and globally.

In his manifesto, High Chief Ikechi Emenike discussed every aspect of human and structural development. He also said that his government would not play with health and would modernise and intensify state-wide value-added agricultural practices.

He stated that his government will directly encourage the cultivation and processing of ginger, bitter cola, cashew, and palm trees, among other things.

In addition, Emenike stated that his government would serve as a foundation for sustainable development in the areas of agriculture, finance, industry, technology, and infrastructure.

He hoped that each state local government area would have an industrial zone, and each senatorial zone would have an industrial cluster for small-scale businesses and artisans.