By adadareporters, July 16, 2022.
All the town unions in Nsukka senatorial zone of Enugu State, Saturday, declared their support for the joint candidacy of Barr Peter Mba and Barr Ifeanyi Ossai in the 2023 elections.
Barr Mba is the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party while Barr Ossai is his running mate.
The declaration was made in a parley between presidents general and secretaries of various town unions held at Adada House, Nsukka. The meeting appraised the developmental strides of Gov Ugwuanyi in the zone in the past eight years.
Members of Nsukka Town Union
Chief Paulinus Eze, coordinator, Presidents General of the zone, commended the governor for attracting legacy projects to the zone.
Eze said, “Gov Ugwuanyi made us part and parcel of the government under his Open Government Programme. He approved our stipends. He introduced Visit Every Community initiatives to tackle our respective needs. He gave every community N5m grant.
“On this note, we move a motion to adopt the Peter Mba/Ifeanyi Ossai ticket for the consolidation of good governance in Enugu State.”
The motion, which was via voice votes, was seconded by the secretary of town unions in the zone.
Barr Ossai told the town union executives that those behind campaigns that Gov Ugwuanyi did not perform well ‘are propagandists’.
According to him, “Our interaction is to state the facts as they are. We had believed that after party primaries, we should close ranks. But some have decided to be propagating propaganda against our people.
“Those saying that an Nsukka man should succeed Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is driven by emotions. Gov Ugwuanyi has empowered our people maximally.
“Under Gov Ugwuanyi, the gross domestic product has increased tremendously in Nsukka. Empowerment is the collective investment that curtails poverty.
“We support Peter Mba because he has a project to continue from where Gov Ugwuanyi will stop. Our greatest gift is our unity. Let us not allow anybody to destroy our collective strength.”
He urged the executives to take the message to the grass-roots that Gov Ugwuanyi did ‘not sell Nsukka as being alleged in some quarters’.
According to him, “If you support me, you have given me a leadership assignment. I will always tell you the truth.”
The PDP candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, Engr Vita Abba, stated that, “We as Odimma Nsukka are gathered to reflect on the developmental strides of Gov Ugwuanyi in the past eight years. He has done beyond expectations.”
On Gov Ugwuanyi’s senatorial bid, Abba said, “We begged Gov Ugwuanyi to run for the Senate. We need him to open the great doors in Abuja for us.
“Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi can do it. Odimma Nsukka led the delegations that forced him to seek election to Senate.”
The vice chairman, Enugu State PDP, Chief Innocent Ezeoha, said, “We thank our town unions for maintaining peace across various communities. It reflects why Gov Ugwuanyi is the most peaceful governor in Nigeria.
“At a time, we toured projects executed by Gov Ugwuanyi in Nsukka and became overwhelmed. The recent one is the University of Medical and Allied Sciences at Igboano.
“Opi Nsukka road is a legacy project. Nsukka has about 17 permanent secretaries. We have more judges under Gov Ugwuanyi than ever before. We have ultra-modern hospitals. Many of our people have been employed. But he doesn’t want publicity.”
On the choice of his successor in 2023, Chief Ezeoha said, “We agreed that whoever he chooses is one stand. He chose Barr Peter Mba, who is sound. Gov Ugwuanyi gave us Barr Ifeanyi Ossai, another sound guy, to be his deputy.
“We urge town unions to support PDP in the forthcoming general elections.”
Hon Ezenta Ezeani, representing Igboetiti East in the state House of Assembly, said, “Nsukka is a special breed. We have numbers; we are gifted. We should understand where we are coming from, and where we are going. Gov Ugwuanyi is an icon and idol for us. He has done for us more than any person in the history of Nsukka.
“At a time, it was only UNN that brings people to Nsukka. Today, we have a Federal Poly, Ohodo, attracted by Gov Ugwuanyi; Mobile Police Squadron, Ekwegbe; Enugu State Poly, Ezimo; the University of Medical and Allied Sciences at Igboano. He has done all these while still doing same across other parts of the state. He has shown solidarity indeed.”
On the choice of Peter Mba, he said, “Peter Mba has the business acumen to industrialise our state. That is why we should support the Peter Mba/Ifeanyi Ossai ticket.”
Barr Walter Ozioko, council chairman, Nsukka LGA, said, “Gov Ugwuanyi has emancipated Nsukka zone. Nsukka has become a beauty to behold. Think about Ofulonu, Achara roads; Udenu ring road, Justina Eze Street, Nsukka Township Stadium, rural roads in all LGAs. He gave us steady power supply. We have to celebrate him. Who has achieved such in our history?
“What is being done and what has been done are too many. He has built a state secretariat at Ugwu Queens. Let us unite as always. We need the experience of Gov Ugwuanyi in the Senate. He will use his humility to get our due in the National Assembly.”
Engr Simon Atigwe, representing Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency, said, “Enugu North is well represented in Enugu State, courtesy of Gov Ugwuanyi. Before Gov Ugwuanyi, power supply to Nsukka is from Nkalagu and Oji lines. It was Gov Ugwuanyi that stepped down the national grid en route to Benue in Nsukka. That is the secret of steady power supply we have today.
“We trust the incoming deputy governor, Barr Ossai. He will continue from where Gov Ugwuanyi stopped, alongside his boss, Peter Mba.
“Your duty as town union leaders is to tell our people to maintain peace so that development will continue.”
Dan Shere, former Nsukka council chairman, said, “Town union presidents and their secretaries should take the message home. Tell them Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe is the pioneer bringer of development to Nsukka, and that Gov Ugwuanyi is the second Zik.”
