28/03/2021
YOUNG LEGISLATOR DECLARES FOR GOVERNORSHIP IN ANAMBRA
"SMART ANAMBRA: A NEW DIRECTION
MY DECLARATION SPEECH TO CONTEST FOR THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE THIS 27TH DAY OF MARCH 2021
INTRODUCTION
Gentlemen and Ladies, let me sincerely welcome you to this historical event. I thank you for making out time out of your busy schedules to come from far and near. I believe that we made this journey for a reason; to define and zealously work for that future we hope for. We are here because we believe we are the generation that can reach for what is possible, building a perfect future whose time has come.
It is worthy to tell you how I came to be here today. I am that Nnewi child that was born in the early eighties into the family of Mr and Mrs Peter Okafor of Odida Nnewichi Nnewi, Anambra State. I am that child that was born in the humblest background but was determined to brave against all odds to get to the top of what I am destined to be. My story is similar to the childhood experience of my contemporaries; a poor Nigerian child who struggled to get basic needs in life.
About two years ago, I presented myself for election into Anambra State House of Assembly and because of the warm and enormous support you gave me, we were able to pull through and since then, I have devoted myself completely to the service of my constituency and our state. Since my election into the House of Assembly, I have been at my possible best in all our debates at the floor of the House, during oversight functions of various committees to which I belong and to my constituents. So far, as I stand here hoping that when judged fairly, we all will agree that I have made modest contributions and efforts towards the betterment of our state and her teaming populace. My Bill for the establishment of Anambra Youth Development and Empowerment Commission, which is the first private member bill to be passed by the 7th Assembly, was successfully passed, now awaiting the governor’s assent. My bills, motions and activities in the House thus far speak volumes of my absolute commitment to nation-building and service to mankind. I represent a bridge between the old and new, the new idea of positive change and renaissance.
WHY I WANT TO GOVERN ANAMBRA STATE.
My being here to present myself for service, to our dear state is not about me or some personal ambition; instead, it is a journey whose intent and purpose is to do more for our people and for them to have more stakes in their government. For all of us, this matters because, for the first time, we shall be making a collective bold statement that our solutions are within.
As a House of Assembly member in Anambra State with membership of nine sensitive committees, I have gone round the 21 local government areas of our state and to so many communities during oversight functions, and I see the faces of people who need better life, poor kids who need quality and affordable education, youths who need meaningful jobs, parents who need living wage to pay bills, locals and farmers who need good roads and modern input to thrive, neighbourhoods that need to be lifted out of poverty, ravaged people who need modern health facilities for their wellbeing and many more.
Throughout my membership of the House of Assembly so far, I have given my best and also enjoys an excellent relationship with Anambra’s first family and our party’s leadership. The Governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano and his wife, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, are people that are passionate about the progress and development of our state. This is hardly disputable. The governor and members of the state cabinet have made certain tough decisions for the sole benefit of Anambra people. With support from my colleagues at the House of Assembly, we have made governance in Anambra state less combative, less confrontational and thereby have attained an appreciable level of stability which is a recipe for progressive governance. The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor and all members of the 7th Assembly have been exceptionally supportive in ensuring that Anambra comes first in our dealings. At the party level, our National Chairman, Ozonkpu Dr. Victor Oye and his National Working Committee have demonstrated leadership in the manner they organize and manage the affairs of the party. At the State level, Sir Nobert Obi and other party leaders have been nothing short of their best in moving the party forward. For all these respected leaders, the greatest challenge is not if they have performed well, or even what legacy project they will leave behind to their names. The greatest challenge is if they will look with pride on the next governor, with a sense of fulfilment in the knowledge that they have contributed tremendously to put the state on the path of sustained stability and seamless transition that will position our state for the next phase of transformative leadership and progress. One in which the pride of place of men and women, our leaders, who have gone ahead of us is revered and in which their experiences and admonitions are sought and carefully considered at every time. This is the only when the great wishes of our founding leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, (Eze Igbo Gburugburu) will be fulfilled.
I am fully aware of the challenge our journey poses for many of us. For some people, this journey represents a brash demand by young people to unseat and retire our older leaders, and then assume power, with little or nothing substantial to add. But for us, being young is only an added advantage to our ability and willingness to solve the problems of our time. And why we have the advantages of youthfulness, ours shall be, like in any progressive government, a government of all the people, not of a few or of select few, on the basis of age, education or other social standing.
It is as a result of these that I offer myself today seeking your support to become the next Governor Anambra State on the November 6th, 2021election under the platform of our great party, All Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA).
I am moved to vie for this exalted position, not for popularity or political mercantilism but to play a never-seen-before role in advancing Anambra into a state we all shall be very proud of. Many argue that I am too young to do this, however, the truth is that I am not. In fact, this is the best time to take up leadership when energy and vision are hugely on my side. It is worthy to note that our nationalists and former leaders rose up to leadership in their 20s and 30s. In fact, most successful politicians we hear of today in Nigeria made most of their marks at a young age.
Most importantly the huge work that needs to be done in our dear state cannot wait for my old age to be done. Therefore I ask you my beloved Ndi Anambra "IF NOT NOW, WHEN?"
It is an unwavering faith for me; A task that must be done. My motivation is that in the face of impossible odds, it is only those who love their land rise up to challenges.
I have organised the works I want to do in Anambra State sector by sector in my manifesto tagged VISA Economy, an acronym which stands for Viable, Independent, Secured and Advanced Economy. It is an extensively researched innovative solutions, anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is a deliberate policy that will build a virile and independent economy where opportunities abundant and life is worth living. A transformative and creative governance that can reshape our economy to compete in a digital age. Our strength to achieve this lies in the ingenuity, creativity, industry, enterprise and productive population of Ndi Anambra. If small countries can achieve good economies that can compete globally, Anambra State should not be different. For example, Belgium has a population of 11,492,641 as at 1st January 2020 with a trade volume of 167%. The city of Antwerp is said to be the diamond capital of the world with about 1500 diamond companies and two world largest diamond banks.
Equatorial Guinea has a population of 1.356 million(2019) with trade volume of 178%. She has been able to harness her resources to build strong economy that makes life meaningful to her citizens. There are much more examples.
My government will cash upon the human and material resources available in our state to create a globally competitive state through innovative solutions.
We will sustain our current progress in education by improving on the infrastructures and welfare of teachers and most importantly, enthroning an education of the future through Science and Technology by implementing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). I will ensure that our education system is designed to be accessible, affordable and qualitative which can make our upcoming generation fit for global competition.
Our schools will be equipped and digitalised to focus on technical and practical trainings. Education must be for all no matter anybody's age, as a result of this, we shall introduce specialised institutes that will train and certify middle-level manpower for our industries. No child will be left behind. The education system must be all inclusive to accommodate all shades of learners. I will recruit an army of qualified teachers and enhance their remuneration for them to have the right motivation to groom our future human infrastructures.
I will take infrastructures central to my government. We must have cities and villages with life lifting amenities. I will embark on massive construction and dualization of economic roads in the state, and provide the master plan that will end flooding and control erosion in the state. I will ensure that local governments invest a huge chunk of their funds in rural roads to open up our communities for economic and social activities.
My government will sustain the efforts the present government in health sector especially in the area of health insurance. Much more, I will introduce more reforms and novelties to this all-important sector. Part of these reforms is to establish specialist hospitals, upgrade infrastructures in general hospitals and primary healthcare centres. I shall ensure that rural dwellers, our elders and pregnant women are massively enrolled into the health insurance scheme. I will recruit more qualified health personnel to curb shortage of manpower in our facilities and enhance their pay package for optimum performance. A policy of Corp Ambulance Service(CAS) will be established to enhance emergencies. In all of these, my health policy must be accessible, all inclusive and affordable to every onye Anambra and residents. Infant and maternal mortality must be wrestled to death by all means. Ours must be a healthy society where expectancy is elongated.
One of many critical areas of my concern will be agriculture. This sector has capacity to create millions of metric tonnes of foods and jobs. I shall have the courage to carry out agricultural policy that can create food sufficiency, wealth and job opportunities. Agric hubs will be built in each senatorial zone of the state where all the chains of agriculture will be coordinated. We shall make huge budgetary provisions and massive financial investments in agriculture as one of my government routes to viable economy. I will put in place friendly regulatory framework that will attract local and external investments into the sector especially in the area of processing and value-addition.
We shall make huge investment in power and collaborate with the federal government and private sector to provide energy that will power our local industries and homes.
One of the thrusts of my government shall be to explore the business ingenuity of Ndi Anambra by investing heavily in small and medium-sized businesses. The energy and creativity of our youths can be best harnessed here. The era of Keke and wheelbarrow empowerment must stop. We must engage our youths in many fruitful enterprises that will enable them succeed. SMEs are the backbones of strong economies because of their ability to create multiple wealth, job opportunities, product and services. We will institutionalize youth development and entrepreneurship and fund it well. As a lawmaker, I have even started this through the sponsorship of a bill on youth development and empowerment which has been passed on the floor of the House now awaiting the Governor's assent. We will skill up, fund and grow thousands of young entrepreneurs to create multiple wealth and job opportunities. The business sense of Ndi Anambra must be supported to make our state a land of opportunities.
I will work with successful businessmen and women to bring businesses to Anambra as an economic destination in Africa.
Our government shall do wonders in Sports, ICT and Entertainment. These sectors in Nigeria are driven by youths and we have seen what they have been able to do with them through their creativity, innovation and vibes. More so, these sectors are capable of creating millions of jobs; an example is the entertainment industry in Nigeria. We will strategically grow these sectors to empower and unleash the wizkids in our youngsters. Our generation has shown that it has the capacity to transform our nation and our economy. The world has gone digital, our economy is going digital too. We belong to the digital generation. Our generation has created different digital products that have transformed not just the economy but our world. The pace of digital innovations and inventions are increasing at a geometric rate. I have the clear vision and will power to make Anambra another Silicon Valley in ICT and entertainment hub just like Lagos. I am committed to fulfilling the aspirations of my fellow youngsters who need enabling environment to unleash their full potential and grow our creative industry. For me, this is a job worth doing.
Security of lives and properties will be a priority. We shall sustain the super efforts of H.E Governor Willie Obiano on security and also introduce new measures to enhance security. My government will introduce a new measure known as Anambra State Intelligence Corp(ASIC) with relevant stakeholders to improve on what is obtainable now and enhance rural security. While sustaining support to Police and other federal security agencies, we shall make massive investment in our local security architecture.
Again, I have a comprehensive plan to have the best environmental and housing policy that will make our cities and villages safer, cleaner, smarter and more liveable. My government will introduce a policy known as Anambra Go Green Initiative (AGGI) to create the best ecosystem in the federation. We must make our environment most friendly and liveable to attract tourism; and good housing policy that can drive investment. We shall create a robust recycling system that will enable us to convert waste to wealth.
No doubt to achieve all these needs fund. We shall make Anambra a self-sustained economy such that with or without federal allocations and donor funds, we shall be able to meet our obligations as a state. We will introduce a more efficient revenue collection system that will close up any revenue loopholes and leakages that will skyrocket our internally generated revenues (IGR) without increasing taxes and levies.
I need to inform you that I have no godfather. The people of Anambra are my godfathers. They will own the government so that the government will work for them. I am coming to challenge the norms; we must do things differently and faster too. The dysfunctional systems that do not guarantee good welfare and strong economy for our people must be disrupted and fixed to run on high pedestal. We will have the most creative and innovative ways to tackle developmental challenges.
To the youths of this state, this is the time. Let us rise to the challenges of now. Let us rise to the service of our state and make our generation and our fathers proud. My story is your story; it is our story of hustle, the undying grit, needing just more than the educational qualification to be able to be given an opportunity. Needing more than just a skill to pull through. Sleeping late and waking up early, going the extra mile for our voices to be heard. Many constantly in search of small capital to be able to move their business to the next level. We are all conversant with these hurdles and difficulties and we commit to build a working system that makes these burdens less, for all our young people who face the strenuous odds over disappearing opportunities.
For this journey, the challenge before our party’s delegates is to choose between electing a leader we have all groomed or someone we barely knew. Electing a leader who has been a part of us and we have been part of his story. Someone whose story perfectly blends with ours. This is the task before us and we have to make it happen, then, we have only started the process of fundamental transformation of our state.
Somehow, our journey represents the aspirations of our fathers and our comrades. For our fathers, to be able to raise sons who will rise in their lifetime and demonstrate sound leadership. And for our comrades, the youths on the street, the constant faith that one day, they will have the chance to make their own marks in the development of our state.
Anambra, this is our chance. This is an idea whose time has come.
To our supporters all over the world, I say thank you. Since the news filtered in the air that we might run, you hit the ground running. It has been like a mass movement and it's fast building up to that. I will make you proud. I have never failed in any leadership assignment in the past and won't start now.
In this race, we are up against nobody. I have absolute respect for all other aspirants. Let us defeat the temptation of being dragged into negative campaigns. Let us refuse to be distracted by campaign of calumny that may arise as we make progress in this journey. Ours is to be different. We will run an issue-based campaign. Campaign centred on what we will do in government and how we will get them done. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be rolling out our programs sector by sector. Those are going to be our weapons of warfare. Please, attack no one.
Our victory in this race is going to be an answered prayer for all of us. It is going to be a renaissance across the country. It is going to wake up a lot young people in political slumber to rise and create the future we all desire. With the strength of our youth, we are going to work for our state. We are well prepared. We know the problems and we have the will to address them.
I call on you men and women of goodwill; this an invitation to join me in the struggle of building Anambra of our dream. And the best time to do so is now.
This campaign is about FAST TRACKING ANAMBRA, promoting our sense of common purpose and realizing that few obstacles cannot stand in the way of millions of voices shouting for change.
I need your support just as you have given me always. We are an idea whose time has come. We are the government we have been waiting for. We are the change we have been clamouring for. This is our time to build a lasting legacy for us and for our children. And I ask again, if not now, then when. Oge Erugo. Please join hands with me, let’s bring a sustainable development to our state,
In all, we submit to the undisputable fact that POWER BELONGS TO GOD and he gives it to whomever he wishes.
Thank you and God bless Anambra.
I am Nonso Okafor (Smart), contesting to become the next governor of Anambra State on the platform of APGA. I am contesting on the strength of my ideas, and deep conviction that it is time for a shift. "
