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By Madu Obi
A former national auditor of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Paul Chukwuma has said that there is urgent need for the state to connect with the center to enjoy what other APC -controlled states are enjoying.
Speaking with journalists at his home town, Umueri in Anambra East local government area of the state, Chukwuma, who has declared his intention to contest for the governor next year, said Anambra cannot continue to be working in isolation and the people being denied the largesse that come from the government at the center.
He said: "There were regional parties that restructured themselves to engage with the party at the centre and some of them have succeeded. Why can’t we do the same thing in Anambra?"
"Those parties that connected with the center are benefiting from it, while our state is lacking in everything. What we are crying about today in Anambra is what the people of the South West were crying in the past and today, they have been liberated."
"The unfortunate thing is that we used to be part of the tripod in the country, but today we don’t even belong anywhere."
"I will continue to raise these issues concerning our state and from what our people are saying, things are really bad. My thinking therefore is that I will present these issues and tell our people that I have the solution to them. It is left to our people to believe that I have the solution".
According to Chukwuma, federal positions are given based on support they give to the government at the centre, adding that Anambra people should not be complaining of marginalization when they chose to remain in a one state -controlled political party.
He added: "We should avoid parochial sentiments, if we want to achieve results in this state. The state of Anambra today is worrisome and it needs to be rescued.
"I made effort to convince those in power now to join the ruling party at the centre, but they refused. Because they refused, I decided to present myself to the service of the people.
"I have children whose future is bleak. There are local governments in our state that have been taken over by gunmen. Should we allow it to continue? We cannot continue to bemoan the current situation we are in and sacrifice our salvation at the after of parochial sentiments".
On the argument that his local government area produced the immediate past governor of the state and that it would not be proper for him to ignore the zoning arrangement in the state, Chukwuma said: "I am running for governor under APC which has not produced a governor in this state.
Are we suggesting that APC should close shop as a political party in Anambra State because one of the political parties decided to adopt zoning arrangement for itself?
"Equity and fairness are hallmarks of humanity. We are talking of efforts to salvage Anambra State and what obtains now in the state has limitations."
"How many of our people are holding federal government positions? Besides, the zoning by APGA was done by a few people in the party and that decision is not what can win election. Again candidates for Anambra governorship have always come from all the zones."
"What should concern us is whether the people coming out to contest are qualified for the position? Are there challenges in Anambra? Do we have need to connect to the centre?"
These are fundamental questions because our continued existence as a people is predicated on these questions. If I become governor, I should not be governor for one zone, but governor for all Anambra people.
"The moment we begin to bring the issue of where we come from into the basis for calculation, it means that what we will get in return will be where we come from and not what Anambra people want".
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