The governorship aspirant of the Accord party in Abia State, Bishop Dr Emeka Nwankpa, has said he was on an assignment from God to rescue the state.
He pointed out that he would work with men of goodwill in the state to actualise the assignment through the 2023 general election.
Nwankpa said this in Umuahia, the state capital, on Friday, during his official declaration to contest the governorship election in 2023.
He lamented that Abia had remained grossly underdeveloped 30 years after its creation from the old Imo State. Nwankpa described the pace of development in the state as a “case of one step forward and two steps backwards”.
In a speech titled ‘My mission and vision for Abia State’, the aspirant expressed worries that the state was lagging in virtually all the basic necessities that qualify an entity as a state including its own government house.
“The water taps are ever dry, workers are owed several months of salary arrears, which includes: core civil servant, parastatals and agencies, primary, secondary, tertiary institutions, health workers and pensioners.
“Despite being enlisted as one of the oil-producing states, our dear state has the worst network in Nigeria. Our commercial nerve centre, Aba, which is regarded as the economic hub of the South-East is now like a slum, while our acclaimed international markets like Ariaria, Ahia Ohuru, and timber market Umuahia, cemetery road market, Ubani Ibeku market, Aba Shopping Mall, Ngwa Road market are all in a sorry and terrible condition.
“Our dear state is in dire need of the change they can trust and believe in. They are tired of old and corrupt politicians, godfatherism and revenue leakages, multiple taxation, infrastructural decay and total negligence of our youths.
“You can see where I’m coming from. I am a God-fearing child of God. I have a high moral clarity to serve God and humanity. Over the past 16 years, I have been touching the lives of the poor and needy in the society and I’m highly optimistic that if the mantle of Abia leadership is handed over to me, it will propel me to deepen my humanitarian services,” Nwankpa declared.
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