*Promises massive creation of jobs, payment of minimum new wage
By Theo Rays, Onitsha
The hope of All Progressive Congress (APC) dethroning the administration of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State come 2019 election heightened last weekend when the candidate of APC for the governorship election in the State Senator Ayogu Eze unveiled his manifesto for a four years fruitful governance in the Coal City State if elected.
The hope was conspicuously generated by the quality service prepared to render to the good people of the State by Senator Eze as elaborated in the manifesto tagged The New Dawn. “A Manifesto for a Better Deal in Enugu State”
Presenting the manifesto amid pomp and pageantry at his campaign office in Enugu, Senator Eze unleashed a comprehensive 12 Point Agenda that cut across Tourism, Security, Agriculture, Education, Infrastructure, Health care, Economic Blueprint, Housing/Development, Transportation, Independent Power Project, Industrialisation and Locality Administration noting that his administration is going to be driven by a vision to lift the people to high pedestal.
Moving with the 12 point Agenda, the APC candidate assured that if elected he will create as much as 100, 000 jobs or even more in his first year in office through tourism, Security, Education and Agriculture saying that his regime shall exploit the State’s topography history and assets in turning her into one of Africa’s tourism capitals with aggressive city renewal programs that will change the face of urban centres.
On security, he said that his regime will ensure a robust security network that will combine the complete digital mapping of Enugu State with high speed internet facilities, installation of security cameras with a functional vigilante/community policing model that will guarantee security of lives and property on a permanent and sustainable basis.
“Our target, is to make Enugu State in one or two years an innovative modern city where citizens can have parcels and goods delivered to their doorsteps in their absence and not harbour a flicker of doubts that the deliveries will be intact when they get back” he added, he continued.
He said that his programs in Agriculture will focus on developing a model that will guarantee the farmers a ready market as well as adequate and fair pricing for his or her primary produce noting that he will respond to the challenges of rural roads which is the major obstacle that most farmers who operate in the rural areas face.
“We shall focus on building rural road networks across our communities and providing them access to the markets where they can sell farm produce at a very competitive price.
“Enugu State produces the best quality rice from Uzouwani (Ada rice). We will revive Ada rice by supporting rice farmers to go into mechanised farming and modernise the irrigation infrastructure and make Enugu State a supplier of quality rice” he explained.
On Education he said that his major prank is to stop the inflow of artisan and craftsmen into Enugu State and the Southeast zone in the first instance and eventually Nigeria at large by bringing back technical colleges, establishing community colleges to promote vocational education with a bias for skilled man power in carpentry, tailoring, masonry, automotive repair, electronic repair, plumbing, tilling and all craftsmanship currently outsourced to people from the neighbouring countries.
He went further to assure that he will pay the new minimum wage to workers in the State, as according to him the State can generate enough revenue to foot the new wage as being demanded by the Labour union.
In the same vein he said his administration will ensure prompt payment of pensions and other entitlements to senior citizens in the State noting that People’s pension will be ready and kept in escrow so that they can be paid pension as soon as they are leaving service.
The APC governorship hopeful also hinted that his administration will improve on the issue of water supply in the State and make water available through the taps like never to the residents of the capital territory of Enugu, Ojiriver, Udi and Nsukka within the first year in office.
Commenting on the manifesto, ex Speaker Enugu State House of Assembly Rt Hon Eugene Odo noted that it was the first time since the era of former Governor of old Anambra State Chief Jim Nwobodo a governorship candidate is presenting a campaign manifesto to the electorates adding that with the manifesto Senator Eze has shown that he will lead Enugu State to high pedestal.
The former Speaker who is also the APC candidate for the race to Senate in Enugu North Senatorial District urged the members and supporters of APC and the candidates of the party to take the Manifesto to the people in the cities and villages across to sell the good news brought by Senator Eze to get the people vote for APC at the polls next year.
Also speaking, a renowned businessman and chieftain of APC in the State Chief Everest Nnaji alias Odengene assured the members and supporters of the party that the candidate of the party has enough resources to execute the electioneering project urging them not to be dismayed by the apparent lavish and fooling spending by the incumbent PDP administration.
In his own words another chieftain of the party Chief Anike Nwoga who is also the Coordinator Enugu State chapter of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) assured that APC has all it takes to win the presidential election and also win some States in the Southeast including Enugu State calling on all members and supporters of the party to take the message to the wards to ensure that Enugu is not left out in the APC bandwagon in 2019.
