Minister of State for Health Engineer Fidelis Nwankwo
Ex-Minister, Nwankwo officially declares for 2023 Ebonyi governorship
[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Former Minister of State for Health under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Engineer Fidelis Nwankwo, officially declared his intention to contest the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State.
Mbam, a week ago purchased his nomination and expression of interest forms.
Yesterday, Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the governorship hopeful made his declaration in Abakaliki the State capital, in a mini rally held at his campaign office.
Nwankwo in his address, pledged to anchor on four cardinal programs, namely; functional education, job creation, youth employment, rural infrastructure, and due process.
“At present, the foundation of Education in the state which is primary school is in a sorry state. The teacher population is no more than 30% of the requirement. We will fill this gap by recruiting the best and brightest sons and daughters of Ebonyi State.
“Those who have qualification in Education like NCE and Bachelors degree, especially in the areas of Science, Mathematics and English language will be retained and posted to our elementary and junior secondary school while those with a university degree will be sent to senior secondary schools.
“My government will pursue with aggression, youth employment in both formal and informal sector with an emphasis on filling quotas of Ebonyi State share of positions at the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies. We will also focus on the provision of enabling environment and grants, low unit loans, and free training to help youths create their business in the areas of micro small, and medium scale enterprises (MSME).
“The neglect of our rural areas in the provision of necessities of life like clean water, good sanitation, roads, electricity and in favor of white elephant projects that hardly hold value to our lives but consume a chunk of state funds, remains the bane of our underdevelopment.
“Provision of the decentralized water system, rural electrification, and rural roads will be a priority issue to my government. This we hope will trigger a massive growth in micro and small industries in rural areas. Development of the Primary Health Care system will come under this section.
“My government will not only provide a government that is characterized by the sincerity of purpose but also act with civility and anchored on established due process of running government business. This will help to restore normalcy in all facets of our life including the security of lives and properties of the citizen,” part of his address reads.
Nwankwo further added, “As a matter of policy, all those who live in the State do their business here and pay taxes will be regarded as a citizen of the State and accorded the full right of the citizens. The term non-indigene will therefore have no place in my Government. For emphasis, my government will revisit the issue of all those whose properties including shops at Abakpa market and buildings in other parts of the State were destroyed to replace them or pay them compensation.”
The Chairman of the declaration ceremony, Onwe Solomon Onwe, in his speech, urged the delegates to vote Nwankwo during the party’s governorship primary, and not to use their votes to disrupt the zoning arrangement in the State.
“Do not use your vote as a delegate to disrupt the zoning arrangement. Ebonyi is not yet qualified for the politics of the highest bidder,” he said.
