By Our Correspondent
As the people of Anambra state file to the polls to elect their next governor this weekend, Senator Andy Uba, has committed to securing the state by negotiating with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) towards an amicable resolution, among other strategies.
“Shops are burgled, markets go on fire, people do not feel safe going to the farms and their businesses suffer. This is not ideal. Between PDP and APGA governments (ruling) for 20 years, they have received trillions in naira from federal allocations, IGR, Special Allocations with very little monuments to show for it, “ he said.
Laying out plans to restore peace, order and safety in Anambra State, Andy Uba argued that security and prosperity are deeply connected hence the need to put in place the right strategies and policies to secure the lives and properties of every citizen of the state.
He hopes to achieve this through a combination of organizational, technological and communal resources through the creation of a Special security trust fund, Crime Database, Anambra State Emergency Call Centre and a total overhaul of the Criminal Justice System in the state to ensure effective policing.
Uba also promised that Peace and Conflict resolution as a subject would be included in the Anambra State School Curricula.
He spoke further, “We will initiate an all-hands-on-deck collaborative program between Anambra state government, local communities and members of the Anambra Vigilante Services. This would create a close-knit information and intelligence gathering between the relevant stakeholders. We would also create an inter-community conflict resolution centres for quick mediation of disputes before it escalates to communal violence.”
The IPOB agitation is one that has come to the fore in everyday national discourse. Uba affirms he would bring the group to the negotiation and dialogue table if elected governor of Anambra State.
“I think everything is negotiable, everything is negotiable for sure. I am sure if they have the right person that they (IPOB) know they can work with, they would not be making trouble. I am definitely the right person for them to work with.”
The flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also pledged to conduct local government elections within the first six months of his tenure, should he win. He said there had been no council elections in the state in the last eight years and funds for local government administration are needlessly frittered.
“I believe strongly in local government autonomy as championed by President Buhari. It is at the centre of success of any responsible government because that (the local government) is the arm of government that can provide the dividends of democracy to the grassroots. There has not been any local government election in Anambra for over eight years and should not be happening in a civilized state. The third tier of government must be allowed to play its crucial role.
“The money that should accrue to the local government in Anambra has been forcefully taken away, with billions siphoned by the state government with nothing to show for it.
“My government will be active at all tiers, especially giving the local government the freedom to design its own policies and grow to meet the needs and aspirations of its residents. Elections would be conducted when due as envisioned by the drafters of our constitution,” he concluded.
Senator Andy Uba had earlier unveiled a 10-point manifesto to set the agenda for his administration should he succeed the outgoing governor, Willie Obiano. Education, infrastructure, healthcare and jobs are also highlights of his campaign promise. Andy emerged as the APC’s candidate at a primary election held on June 26, 2021 and runs against seventeen other candidates at the November 6 polls
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