South East breaking News
By Steve Unegbu
The Abia state African Democratic Congress (ADC) Governorship Candidate for the 2023 election in an Interactive session with some cross section of Journalists in conference Hall Vision Africa Radio Umuahia,Abia state capital reveals why he wants to be the Abia state Governor come 2023.
His Lordship Bishop Dr Sunday Onuoha has emerged after the primary election as the Abia ADC gubernatorial flag bearer .
Bishop Dr Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha is from Okai -Item,in Bende LGA of Abia state ; and the founder /president of Vision Africa International,a non governmental organization that implements free medical missions and community programs, prison and orphanage ministry, support of PWDs, and poverty alleviation programs with primary and secondary Schools .
Vision Africa Radio 104.1FM and the Vision Africa Waves Football club are his Nigerian investments,plus a community hospital that is at 60% stage of construction in ABIA state.
An avid advocate of peace and tolerance and social -good and a strong believer that a new Abia is possible. Having successfully implemented various Community-based peace campaigns ,world Bank,USAID,Global fund ,GHR foundation, Presidential Malaria Initiative/MSH, Center for Interfaith Action against global poverty (CIAAGP) ,DFID/ Malaria consortium,Kaiciid , and many more; he has exemplified ability to ensure peaceful elections in ABIA state in 2019, when he facilitated the gathering of governorship candidates to come to an agreement and sign a ‘ Peace Accord ‘ in collaboration with INEC.
Onuoha, a former SA to former President chief Olusegun Obasanjo on privatization matters,has a Doctorate Degree from the prestigious Southern Methodist university ,Dallas ,Texas USA as well as a very rich CV with several university degrees and different experiences, says he wants to be the Governor of Abia state to better the lots of people and change Abia state narratives, adding that Abia state needs a transparent leader and one that will think very fast to get solutions to the various challenges that Abia state is facing and that when he becomes the Governor of Abia state, security of lives and property will be his priority.
See why this man of God wants to become the Governor of Abia state come,2023.
Excerpts:
Sir , what are your mission for a NEW ABIA ?
My mission for a new Abia will has its pillar with these 11 point agenda
Security and Social welfare.
Digital Economy and Information Technology Transformation
Transparency and Accountability
International Relations/ Development Agencies.
Job creation / Youth and women Empowerment
Agriculture and Rural Development
Participatory Governance.
Education for sustainable Development
Accessible Basic Health for All
Trade and commerce
Faith Community for Development.
Unless Men of character, unless the clergy,the church get involved in partisan politics in Nigeria, you will be ruled by charlatans and if all of us continue to say politics is dirty ,any person can get into power and treat us the way we do not like.
What kind of Governance are you going to bring on board when you become the Abia state Governor ?
I want to see Governance as God’s own calling to bring hope to people.The problem we have in Nigeria is that, when it gets to the point of distribution of our common wealth ,it is wrongly distributed .The thing that should go down to 1000 people is given to 10 people and the greater number of people are poor and hungry and a hungry man is an angry man.
So, I see myself being called to an extension of my calling as an ordained minister,a Methodist minister and I am 58 years and for 40 years I have been a clergy man.
When I become Governor, I will carry out my activity with the fear of God and with transparency. Abia has had a business man in Orji Uzor Kalu that governed Abia, Abia has had a technocrat ,a civil servant in T.A Orji ,Abia has an academician in Okezie Ikpeazu governing Abia now, I am a business man,I am a technocrat and I am an academician,added to all these ,I am a man of God.This is what Abia has not had .
Let us hand over God’s own state to God’s servant.This is the time to do it and I am all out to give my heart and soul.
On job creation/ youth and women Empowerment ?
So many youths are complaining of unemployment, I will create employment opportunities when I become Governor.
You have Nsulu game village lying fallow , nothing is happening in Nsulu village,it should be center of attraction. Nsulu game village should employ over 3000 people.Nsulu game village when developed,will create , grow, develop ,raise and nurture all the talents in ABIA ,Abia state has all the talents but we are not nurturing them.
If Nsulu game village is functioning,all the farmers in Ngwa land will benefit. Ngwaland is a fertile land ,if you put Cassava ,it grows within few months,tell me why farmers in Ngwa land will make garri and they are looking for where to sale it.
Nsulu game village will provide employment opportunities to people.
In Aba,why can’t we open up businesses .Aba is locked up ,those days people from Cameron and some other Africa countries look forward to coming to Aba and Aba was the heart of business hub for Africa and now Aba is shattered.
Leaders we need in Abia ?
We need people when they enter office that will think very fast . Let me tell you, business opportunities are waiting to come into Abia ,what they need is transparency. I am open, I am transparent,my life is not shrouded in mystery and secrecy .
I have worked with Donor agencies,there are elements they want to see before they come into Communities,if there is no transparency,they will withdraw,if their partners are going there , they will say do not go there. Part of what I will do is to ensure that the unit for transparency is functioning and I will tell them to start from me.
Let there be open way of doing business ,so that people coming into Abia to do business will feel comfortable. Why will somebody be afraid that you want to come and invest in Abia, before you know it , they will give you this tax ,the other government agent will ask you, have you seen me ? Before you know it 5 to 10 people come and go home ,they are not coming back again. They can not come under that kind of condition. The problem we have why things are not moving is that you can not survive in isolation and the money that comes from Abuja is not enough to run the society,there must be locally grown economy . Why should we grow economy by only going to Abuja, until we grow economy in which every state , every Community will find out what is good for them , what you see in Cocoa plantation in Bende LGA that you can see ,grow and export cocoa,the cashew nuts around Isukwuato area ,why can’t we develop it and also palm produce around Ikwuano area ,the agricultural settlement in Ohuhu why can’t we develop them ?
On Security and Social welfare :
We must raise indigenous people to protect our land .We can do it,the Governor is the chief security of the people.Once you secure the State other things follow. Abia state is in trouble ,our security situation is in disaster. I am going to work in partnership with the people. Insecurity has no brother not sister . Insecurity does not discriminate.We must declare state of emergency in security. Why do we allow foreigners to occupy our forests.Why can’t we use local community people to protect our land? A visitor can not protect your place. Why are you looking for security from Abuja ? Traditional Rulers ,the church leaders ,the community leaders should be used to protect our land. Let us use indigenous people to create the unit in which we can protect ourselves and until we create security that is indigenous that the communities have ownership,we can not protect our land and our state.