EXCERPT
"Politics is about the people. No matter how rich and brave you are, you cannot assess yourself. You are nothing unless your people say you are something.
In most cases, we have followed closely the history of Ikeduru Local Government and have seen that Ikeduru is usually blessed with many leaders, and history has also shown that such leaders do not always agree.
When you get home, use your tongue and count your teeth. When I was looking for this position, we went round all the nooks and crannies of Imo State asking people to come and support us. It means that from day one, we were looking for the support of the people. Then, we were also praying to God to give us the opportunity to serve our people. And God eventually granted the prayer and the opportunity was given to me. I cannot abuse the opportunity that I asked, that rather than serve the people, I will begin to serve myself. I want to serve my people.
We don’t have to quarrel over issues as we all know that power belongs to God. You can call yourself a leader but if from morning till night you don’t see anyone in your house, tell me who are you leading?
We must learn how to live together and allow love for your brother or your sister, because until we begin to love ourselves and believing in ourselves and also begin to defend our brothers and sisters, it will be difficult for the community to move forward. Maybe we need to commission a prayer session and beg the Almighty God to remove those things that makes it hard for decision making and also for brothers not to supports their brothers. All those things we cancel in Jesus name.
We have to work together my Ikeduru people. Having come here today and you want the roads to be done is nice. You also want the economy to be stimulated, but we cannot achieve all these if we are not together. If you stay together, it will show that you really need all these. In this address, you talked about some things that you need to be constructed, but the contractor that will come for the contracts will need your cooperation. The teacher who would teach in the schools will also need your cooperation likewise everything. Until the spirit is willing the body may not be able to move.
I have seen the politics we did before, the way it worked then is quite different from how it works now in the 21st century. Everything is entirely different. So we need to embrace the politics of love. Remember, there are no secrets. We know ourselves for we have been doing politics in the last 40 years, So, let us identify the interest of our people, what will please them and ensure that democracy is practiced in our state because there is no way we can practice democracy without the people, this is because it is simply a government of the people by the people and for the people. So democracy starts and ends with the people.
So whenever the majority overshadows all, we need to pay attention to the minority and hear them out, because the voice of the minority must be heard, then we can see how best to address issues, because sometimes it is not always the best for the winner to take all.
Among all your request, the important information that I got here today is that there is oil and gas in Ikeduru Local Government.
Though the oil was found there but the oil and gas is not produced yet, so we will join hands together to work hard to make sure that you become an oil producing local government.
I recall that the issue of President General and women leaders was brought to me. I know that we directed for communities to elect President Generals for the representation of Interest. If there were anomalies with such election, we will do our best to correct them. As a leader, once you are not satisfied with a situation, what you are to do, is to let the authorities know what has happened so that we can address it in a pattern that it will go down well with everybody. To fight about it may not be encouraged.
Politics and power business cannot be 100% at all times. The meaning of leadership and politics and power business is that sometimes we disagree to agree. So it doesn’t matter, but once our interest is for the welfare and well-being of our people we may disagree but there is something that is our interest which will benefit the people and once it is raised , that will be the denominator that will make us to agree.
There are some division which I have seen the signs in your local government; we should do our best to close the ranks and move forward. We just have to work together; this is because it will help us to understand how governance functions. No matter what we do as a people if it is my physical strength and energy I will not sit here as a governor.
Do what you do, until God says it is OK - until its his time nothing happens.
So when people sit down and are planning for second term for me, I say to them, you have to wait until I come to you because it is not by mere planning that brought me here. In all these, it is God who put me here that will decide if I will go for second term or not. My interest and what will make me happy is for your local governments to live in peace and for us to develop it.
To some of you who has worked with me already; that are close to me, if after four years you did not show something in Ikeduru and why you followed me how can you go back to them for another vote?
So this is the time for you to plan so that your people can benefit from the efforts because in all political efforts if there are no results it doesn’t yield anything.
Nigeria is moving forward and will move with the South East or not, they are already moving. We cannot jump out of a moving vehicle - we must be there to defend our people and bring back our share from the National Government.
When someone helps us to get contract from the Federal Government, we should encourage such people to do more because the government of Imo state cannot develop the whole of the state at once and alone without supports and interventions from the federal government. So anytime we are sending people to represent us, we must try and send from the best that we have; people who will do their best, those who will know what to do, when they get there. We don’t have to quarrel. Most times we don’t know when God has answered our prayers and we keep on praying without knowing that God has answered. This is a time of thanksgiving. Please I want to thank you for coming.
Furthermore, I identified Professor Placcid Njoku my deputy Governor. I invited him during the campaign he came and we campaign and won. It is God that gave us the victory. He may not have been in politics for the past 30 years but he has knowledge.
So please, I invite you to close ranks with him and work with him. It is very important because tomorrow you will try to blame him for not doing some things as the Deputy Governor and that time he may ask you, did you bring it to my notice? So this is the time for you to tell him.
So I urge you to understand the need for teamwork. Mbaike is a very strong block and if the politics that Mbaike plays is managed well, it can be used to get to what you want.
Ahaejiagamba, you have said it all that you don’t know if it is because of this role you played that God has kept you alive. We want you to believe that it is because of this role that you have been alive so please don’t leave us, do not abandon us, continue to play the leadership role that you have been playing for this local government.
What we need is the strength to get there, so that we can use it and face Nigeria.
Finally, the security situation is a thing that made us to meet with the traditional rulers as some of them were assigned rolls. So they should play a role as well as the Town Union President General.
People saw the places that the unknown gunmen used as camps and yet refused to report to us. It is an offence. When you go home now, find out who is living in your apartment. Someone, can’t just walk into your house, rent the house and never live in your house from morning till night and you don’t care to inquire about the whereabouts of your tenant. Imo State must be safe for us to do our businesses. So please when you get home try to find out more about your neighbor. We must protect our people.
The interim management committee was set up by my government, because we couldn’t conduct election at a time due to the consequential effects of COVID-19, EndSARS and the unknown gun men. Even some politicians are hiding under all of these to cause more problems. It is a terrible situation that we must checkmate.
The deadliest unknown gunmen gang has their camp in Ikeduru. The Dragon and his gang who took the police woman had some people who were there to serve them food and drinks and each time they come out to shoot sporadically our people keep clapping for them. Why do you clap for a killer? A man who moves around killing and beheading people shouldn’t be clapped for, because he has soiled his hands with blood. So we must rise to the occasion. We on our own, we are doing our best to make things work and identify those who are behind them all, but I must assure you that the law will catch up with all of them.
My brothers Obiyo and Chavon, you know I love you people too much as I can’t throw you away, please help me and make friends if you are truly my friends. Ahaejiagamba, I know that there is nothing that concerns human management which is above you, please intervene.
On that note, I ask that the Almighty God will lead you to your various homes safely.
Publisher: Don Martyn L.O Nwosu
Ikeduru APC Media Hub
08032950897
Ikeduruapcmediahub@gmail.com
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