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Tag: Nwaogu

  • Abia Central: Orji, Nwaogu, Ajaegbu battle for Senate

    Former Abia State Governor Theodore Orji is seeking re-election as senator in Abia Central District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His challengers are Senator Nkechi Nwaogu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chief Chidi Onyeukwu Ajaegbu of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

    Orji, fondly called Ochendo by admirers, hails from Ibeku, in Umuahia North Local Government Area. His opponents are from Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area. During the 2015 elections, Orji won in five local governments. He lost  in Umuahia South Local Council where voters revolted over empowerment programmes that were allegedly hijacked by few political stakeholders.

    Orji was Chief of staff to the former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu between 1999-2007. He succeeded his boss in 2007. He was re-elected as governor in 2011. He was the first governor to go to the Senate in the state. The question is: can he retain his seat in the Upper Chamber?

    Nwaogu is an experienced politician. The Amazon has spent 16 years in the National Assembly. She was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years between 1999 and 2007. She represented Osisioma/Ugwunagbo/Obingwa Constituency. She was also in the Senate for eight years.  before ascending to the senate for another eight years where she represented the people of Abia central senatorial zone of the state.

    The third contender, Ajaegbu, is a former president of the Institute of Charted Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He has helped many politicians in the state. But, this is the first time he is contesting.

    Many stakeholders believe that Orji has a better chance. But, he cannot afford to sleep on guard. The Abia Central slot is being rotated between Umuahia and Ngwa, which make up the zone. Each bloc has three councils each.

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is from Ngwa land. Thus, many feel that there is just no political or moral justification for an Ngwa man to seek re-election as governor and another person from the area to vie for the Senate at the same time. The calculation is that Umuahia should fill the slot to foster equity and sense of belonging.

    According to Umuahia leaders, if an Ngwa person becomes a senator now, it smacks of greed. Also, they believe that they should retain the senatorial seat, considering their contributions to the victory of the governor on 2015, and their avowed commitment to his second term bid. The people of Umuahia people are politically conscious. In their view, since Ngwa cannot surrender the governorship, it is logical that they should produce the senator.

    In 1999, Senator Bob Nwanunnu from Ngwa represented the zone at the Senate. He spent a term. He was succeeded by  Senator Chris Adigje from Umuahia, who also spent a term.  In 2007, Nwaogu from Osisioma, Ngwa became a senator. He broke the second term jinx. That followed defection of Governor Orji Kalu to the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA). It was the consensus of opinion that Nwaogu should be re-elected. In 2015, Umuahia filled the slot. Orji, who is from Ibeku, became the beneficiary.

    Orji handed over to Governor Ikpeazu, thus allowing Ngwa to produce the governor for the first time, in accordance with the Charter of Equity subscribed to by the founding fathers of the state over 20 years ago. The founding fathers believe that there will be peace, unity and cohesion, if the number one seat is rotated among the three senatorial districts. But, what are the achievements of Ochendo in the Senate? To his opponents, he is not fit for second term. But, his supporters disagree, saying that he has an intimidating scorecard. A lawyer, Chief Mike Mbah, alluded to Bill Gate’s remarks, saying: “ As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”

    Orji has set up a scholarship scheme under which he gives 10 students from each of the six local governments yearly. No fewer than 180 university students have benefitted. He also established an eye clinic in Umuahia where over 670 successful eye surgeries have been performed for glaucoma and cataract patients. It is free of charge. In Osisioma Ngwa, where his opponents come from, Orji has provided six functional bore holes and transformer. He has sponsored a skill acquisition programme, where beneficiaries got N87 million for trading.

    The senator has also renovated many primary and secondary schools in his district. He constructed roads in Ikwuano Local Council and Ameke in Umuahia North Council. He has facilitated electricity projects in Umuahia North, Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Ngwa South councils.

    The senator has sponsored a bill to make Abia State Polytechnic a federal polytechnic . That bill has been passed at the Senate and is just waiting for the assent of the president.

    Many constituents are rooting for Nwaogu. They believe that she has experience and she understands the procedures at the National Assembly. But, Comrade John Nwachukwu, a political activist from  Isiala Ngwa said: “ Senator Nkechi Nwaogu has no business seeking to be in the Senate again after spending 16 years in the National Assembly. I am an Ngwa man from this zone. Nkechi Nwaogu of the APC and Chief Chidi Ajaegbu of the APGA know the political arrangement of the zone and cannot truncate it.”

    A medical practitioner, Dr. Adamma Igwe, who hails from Umuahia South Local Government Area, said “our people have always shared a common, fair and healthy political relationship with our brothers and sisters. We have allowed them to have the governor and equity demands that an Umuahia goes to the Senate.  Senator Nkechi Nwaogu has to tell the people what she did with the 16 years she spent in the Senate. Until then, she has no business there. How many Nigerians have had such opportunity?”

  • Nwaogu: Why I defected to APC

    Nwaogu: Why I defected to APC

    Senator Nkechi Nwaogu has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She spoke with reporters at her Okpulo Umuobo country home, Abia State, shortly after she was admitted into the party at the ward level. SUNNY NWANKWO was there.

    Why did you leave the PDP for the APC?

    I decided to leave my former party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the leadership of PDP did not play by the rules; they never moved the party as a political party. A party should not be dictatorial or a mono-party. A political party should be democratic in its decisions for the wellbeing of the party.

    The PDP lost focus and because it lost focus, and up to the time I switched to the APC, it has still not realised that it has lost focus. I felt that that association was no longer necessary; that it was no longer going to fulfill my political aspiration. Part of my political aspiration is to add value to my people, to the work I do through politics; to improve the lives of our people. That was why I left the party, because it have not only lost focus; it has also lost the ideology for which I joined them, which is that power belongs to the people.

    Your supporters had long expected this move. Why is it coming at this time?   

    I thought that my former party would realize its mistakes. I had waited and expected the party leadership to accept that they made mistakes, ask for forgiveness and find ways to rebuild the party. But, rather, they felt they would always get their way.

    Yes, my supporters had expected this move before now, but it is not just the moment something happens that you react to it. I had waited this long expecting they could retrace their footsteps; the footsteps that brought humiliation on the party and since I saw no remorse, I decided to move on.

    But, some Nigerians believe there is no much difference between the PDP and the APC. What’s your reaction?

    I don’t believe so. A typical example is when I attended the inauguration of Mr. President on May 29, I saw something different. If it were in my former party, it could have been a funfair of wastages; financial wastages, by making stupid uniforms for people, whose cost would be inflated at the expense of the nation. I saw nothing like that in Buhari’s inauguration. I saw prudent celebration, I saw sane celebration, I saw sensible celebration and to my mind as someone who is financially-oriented in my background, I said to myself, this party is really conscious of the drain pipes, financial leakages in the nation’s purse and they are very conscious of that; that is why they have done this celebration in the most economic way, in the most prudent manner and yet the celebration went well.

    Abians believe if you had left PDP earlier and contested the Senate seat against former governor T.A Orji, you could have won. Do you regret this?

    No, I don’t regret it because anything that happens in one’s life, for those of us who believe in Christ, I believe it is the way it has been destined to you. For me, this period is a time for sober reflection. If I had jumped over to another party, obviously I know I would have beaten the former governor. If somebody who didn’t do much (campaign) could beat him in the election, how much more somebody like me?

    What should people expect from you now that you have defected to the APC?

    I alone cannot bring about the needed change. Change starts from your attitude; change as a person and from your attitude, it will influence others; change will start from my political ward. You saw what happened in my political ward the day I formally went to declare at that level that I have moved on. You also saw what happened at the local government where we held our meeting and at the state party office the day I was presented at the state. We will be change agents to Abia State and indeed the whole Nigeria. I will contribute in many ways. I’m going to be fisher of men and women and resources into the APC in my state and in Nigeria. I know that by God’s grace I have a reservoir of experience. I am sure at some point in our party life, I will be found useful in one way or the other.

    There is massive corruption in the civil service and the society. I’m not saying we are coming to cleanse everything, but I know where these leakages were coming from and as a person with experience in finance and I can make contribution by identifying and plugging these leakages, so that Nigerians cannot be people living in a country of opulence and at the same time dying in penury and hunger.

    We can do that by being prudent in the way we do our things; we can do that by ensuring that material things are put secondary. My former party was truly capitalistic in nature, I’m progressive and by that I mean how many people are in this high societal echelon, less than 10 per cent population of the country, the rest are living in abject poverty. And this 10 per cent are controlling the resources of the nation; we should begin to make sacrifices.

    I decided to start my journey with the APC from my ward; I could have stayed at Abuja and do whatever I want to do. But, I’m a grassroots woman and I have the fear of the Lord in my life.

    I wanted to be governor to demystify why this art of governance is only remaining in the pockets of the person governing. I believe that if good person stays in there, you will be able to bring about a lot more changes, affect a lot more lives and reduce the art of crime in our state and invariably in our nation.

    So, this change is a process and wherever I have found myself now, I will begin to practice the art of change. Change in the way I do things. Change in not being greedy and change in seeing your neighbour as yourself, helping people where you can that is what people should expect from me.

    You appear to have much confidence in President Buhari, why is it so?

    My confidence is that he’s been somebody who has been tried and tested at some point and found diligent and also found acceptable, although those days were when he was military head of state. We believe that he is the same person that has come here.

    Even since after he had left the military, look at his lifestyle, he is very close to not being blemished; If you look at his lifestyle, you will see that he is a person who is very progressive in nature and one who would want to give even his life for the country. That he contested for four times to be the president of Nigeria shows the level of love he has for the country.

    So, I have confidence that he is not going to derail, despite the fact that this is a democratic set up, where people of different background, different interest are coming together all in the name of politics.

    I’m sure that Nigerians are praying for him to be focused and to put in his mind those things he has promised Nigerians that he will do and that is, leaving an open life, running an open administration, doing things that will be for the benefit of the people.

    If he was able to use good advice to plug a lot of wastages in the system, I can assure you there will be enough money to go around, to touch lives. There will be revival in the private sector which is a great engine of economic development of any nation. Employing people in the public sector; in the ministries, is bloating the overhead cost of the Federal Government and you are not developing the nation.

    You will only develop the nation when we see these privatized entities of the Federal Government doing well. When they will begin to do well, they will employ more people, the economy will begin to bounce back, that’s my confidence in him and I know he will do it.

    If you had your way, will you like to go back to the Senate?  

    As I said, I am not thinking of anything at the moment. All I’m thinking for now is to work for the APC and bring that desired change in the country.

  • Nwaogu: Why I defected to APC

    Nwaogu: Why I defected to APC

    Senator Nkechi Nwaogu has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She spoke with reporters selected journalists at her Okpulo Umuobo country home, after she was admitted into the party at the ward level. SUNNY NWANKWO was there.

    Why did you leave the PDP for the APC?

    I decided to leave my former party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the leadership of PDP did not play by the rules; they never moved the party as a political party. A party should not be dictatorial or a mono-party. A political party should be democratic in its decisions for the wellbeing of the party.

    The PDP lost focus and because it lost focus, and up to the time I switched to the APC, it has still not realised that it has lost focus. I felt that that association was no longer necessary; that it was no longer going to fulfill my political aspiration. Part of my political aspiration is to add value to my people, to the work I do through politics; to improve the lives of our people. That was why I left the party, because it have not only lost focus; it has also lost the ideology for which I joined them, which is that power belongs to the people.

    Your supporters had long expected this move. Why is it coming at this time?   

    I thought that my former party would realize its mistakes. I had waited and expected the party leadership to accept that they made mistakes, ask for forgiveness and find ways to rebuild the party. But, rather, they felt they would always get their way.

    Yes, my supporters had expected this move before now, but it is not just the moment something happens that you react to it. I had waited this long expecting they could retrace their footsteps; the footsteps that brought humiliation on the party and since I saw no remorse, I decided to move on.

    But, some Nigerians believe there is no much difference between the PDP and the APC. What’s your reaction?

    I don’t believe so. A typical example is when I attended the inauguration of Mr. President on May 29, I saw something different. If it were in my former party, it could have been a funfair of wastages; financial wastages, by making stupid uniforms for people, whose cost would be inflated at the expense of the nation. I saw nothing like that in Buhari’s inauguration. I saw prudent celebration, I saw sane celebration, I saw sensible celebration and to my mind as someone who is financially-oriented in my background, I said to myself, this party is really conscious of the drain pipes, financial leakages in the nation’s purse and they are very conscious of that; that is why they have done this celebration in the most economic way, in the most prudent manner and yet the celebration went well.

    Abians believe if you had left PDP earlier and contested the Senate seat against former governor T.A Orji, you could have won. Do you regret this?

    No, I don’t regret it because anything that happens in one’s life, for those of us who believe in Christ, I believe it is the way it has been destined to you. For me, this period is a time for sober reflection. If I had jumped over to another party, obviously I know I would have beaten the former governor. If somebody who didn’t do much (campaign) could beat him in the election, how much more somebody like me?

    What should people expect from you now that you have defected to the APC?

    I alone cannot bring about the needed change. Change starts from your attitude; change as a person and from your attitude, it will influence others; change will start from my political ward. You saw what happened in my political ward the day I formally went to declare at that level that I have moved on. You also saw what happened at the local government where we held our meeting and at the state party office the day I was presented at the state. We will be change agents to Abia State and indeed the whole Nigeria. I will contribute in many ways. I’m going to be fisher of men and women and resources into the APC in my state and in Nigeria. I know that by God’s grace I have a reservoir of experience. I am sure at some point in our party life, I will be found useful in one way or the other.

    There is massive corruption in the civil service and the society. I’m not saying we are coming to cleanse everything, but I know where these leakages were coming from and as a person with experience in finance and I can make contribution by identifying and plugging these leakages, so that Nigerians cannot be people living in a country of opulence and at the same time dying in penury and hunger.

    We can do that by being prudent in the way we do our things; we can do that by ensuring that material things are put secondary. My former party was truly capitalistic in nature, I’m progressive and by that I mean how many people are in this high societal echelon, less than 10 per cent population of the country, the rest are living in abject poverty. And this 10 per cent are controlling the resources of the nation; we should begin to make sacrifices.

    I decided to start my journey with the APC from my ward; I could have stayed at Abuja and do whatever I want to do. But, I’m a grassroots woman and I have the fear of the Lord in my life.

    I wanted to be governor to demystify why this art of governance is only remaining in the pockets of the person governing. I believe that if good person stays in there, you will be able to bring about a lot more changes, affect a lot more lives and reduce the art of crime in our state and invariably in our nation.

    So, this change is a process and wherever I have found myself now, I will begin to practice the art of change. Change in the way I do things. Change in not being greedy and change in seeing your neighbour as yourself, helping people where you can that is what people should expect from me.

    You appear to have much confidence in President Buhari, why is it so?

    My confidence is that he’s been somebody who has been tried and tested at some point and found diligent and also found acceptable, although those days were when he was military head of state. We believe that he is the same person that has come here.

    Even since after he had left the military, look at his lifestyle, he is very close to not being blemished; If you look at his lifestyle, you will see that he is a person who is very progressive in nature and one who would want to give even his life for the country. That he contested for four times to be the president of Nigeria shows the level of love he has for the country.

    So, I have confidence that he is not going to derail, despite the fact that this is a democratic set up, where people of different background, different interest are coming together all in the name of politics.

    I’m sure that Nigerians are praying for him to be focused and to put in his mind those things he has promised Nigerians that he will do and that is, leaving an open life, running an open administration, doing things that will be for the benefit of the people.

    If he was able to use good advice to plug a lot of wastages in the system, I can assure you there will be enough money to go around, to touch lives. There will be revival in the private sector which is a great engine of economic development of any nation. Employing people in the public sector; in the ministries, is bloating the overhead cost of the Federal Government and you are not developing the nation.

    You will only develop the nation when we see these privatized entities of the Federal Government doing well. When they will begin to do well, they will employ more people, the economy will begin to bounce back, that’s my confidence in him and I know he will do it.

    If you had your way, will you like to go back to the Senate?  

    As I said, I am not thinking of anything at the moment. All I’m thinking for now is to work for the APC and bring that desired change in the country.

  • My plan for Abia people, by Senator Nwaogu

    My plan for Abia people, by Senator Nwaogu

    Senator Nkechi Nwaogu represents Abia Central Senatorial District at the Senate. She is the chairman, Senate Committee on Gas. In this interview with JUDE ISIGUZO, she speaks on her governorship ambition in Abia State come 2015 and sundry issues. Excerpts:

    As a governorship aspirant, what are your plans for the people of Abia?

    Before now, I established an annual publication known as Oyibo Nwanyi Magazine. I was the first to initiate documented legislative activities of any legislator. That magazine reveals that I am the first Senator that established a skill acquisition programme for sons and daughters of Abia in various vocations.

    From 2009 to 2010, I trained 200 men and women in various vocations and resourcefully empowered them by providing them with the equipment required for the training. Right now, 150 men and women have been trained in various vocations such as tile making, interlocking, POP making, hair making, fishery, piggery and bead making.

    Very soon, I will provide them the necessary equipment to start life. I am the first Senator to provide assistance for the first 75 tertiary institutions in my Senatorial District.

    In 2012, I provided two-year scholarship assistance for 150 students in tertiary institutions. I am the first Senator that provided a corporative grant of N1 million for the six local government areas. I provided automobiles for the chairmen. I have also distributed more than 80 transformers to the people. There is no local government area that has no one or two projects which I executed.

    This is my 12th year, my third time of soliciting for my people. I am saying let me go to the executive so that I can add value to the society and in the lives of the people too to add to what is being done by the present government.

    What is your background?

    I was trained in financial management. I have been a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament since its inception in 2005. I know what bilateral trades that exist that can help a state like ours.

    As part of my programmes, I will ensure that there is a bilateral trade expansion among the 15 member states. If we empower these private entrepreneurs, they will create jobs. We can talk owners of Golden Guinea, Ceramics and Aba Textile Mills to see how we can help them so they can get back into business. These are areas we can bring on board for real economic development.

    Politics is often seen as an enterprise for men. How did you venture into politics?

    I would say I started being interested in politics while I was working as a member of Abia Economic Advisory Board between 1991 and 1993 when Ogbonnaya Onu was the governor of Abia state.

    By 1997, I found out that there was need to help women be financially independent. When I noticed the situation women found themselves in as a result of depending solely on the men, I decided to approach politics from the angle of economic empowerment and emancipation. This led to my establishing a non-governmental organisation (NGO) known as Women in Action for Development. I believe that when women are fairly economically empowered, they will begin to look at their environment which includes political environment. Then they will begin to assert themselves by insisting that they can add value to the society by being part of nation-building.

    Between 1994 and 1997, I vied for governorship election under United Nigerian Congress Party (UNCP). Unfortunately after we have picked the form, the Republic was truncated.

    In 1999, I went back to politics, this time I found myself in APP. I also contested for governorship position, even though I lost at the primaries to Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.

    I was the Deputy National Treasurer of the party by December 1999. By February, 2000, I had become the Acting National Treasurer. I held that position until I vied for a seat at the House of Representatives. After that, I contested for the Senatorial position to represent Abia Central District at the Senate and God gave me victory.

    Would zoning not affect your gubernatorial ambition?

    Definitely I will run for the office of the governor of Abia State. I believe that the same God that brought me this far will see me through. The same God has not finished with me. I will run on the platform of PDP. I am the only woman running for this position. I am the one to beat. I know God will use me to break the jinx to become the first elected woman governor in Abia State.

    In our party, the constitution doesn’t say you should zone positions. I am challenging my people and the party executive in the state to give us a level playing ground. I have nothing and can do nothing but in God I can do something and I know people of Abia are still interested in Nkechi Nwaogu becoming the next governor of the state.

    Sometimes change is difficult to accept and change does not come easily. I am not bothered about the zoning. Anybody has the right to make a pronouncement or a proclamation that it has been zoned to Abia South. I am indigenous to Abia. I have the constitutional right to contest any election.

    What would you say are some of your achievements as Chairman Senate Committee on Gas?

    As the Chairman Senate Committee on Gas, I saw the pains of our not realising the potential in gas resources. The first six months the members inaugurated, we instituted a public hearing and we got the approval of the leadership to ensure that the international operating companies in oil and gas sector that Nigerian government should insert units that will measure gas when it is produced, gas used and gas flared.

    Before now, it was only the measurement from the IOC that Nigeria operates on. Nigeria has even more gas than oil. We have been to Russia and other countries where gas is even more supreme, yet we know our power sector is suffering as a result of insufficient gas supply.

    We are worried to increase domestic utilisation of gas. We had a conference in May this year which aimed at creating awareness for foreign investors to come to Nigeria. This is yielding results as investors are coming. We are also amending the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Law so that we can get rid of the obsolete laws, concessions and expired waiver that were given to NLNG from 1989 till date. The pricing of gas at the moment is unattractive.

    We must begin to unbundle the gas sector and hopefully by the time the Petroleum Industry Bill is passed into law, some of these things will be unbundled and more investors will come.

    On fuel subsidy, I support its removal. They are crying about corruption, yet they are supporting its retention.

    They allow importation of refined fuel. It’s only the very few cabals that are enjoying that. The subsidy government removed was with good intention and for the benefit of the less-privileged and downtrodden who use kerosene. It still gets to them at controlled price. It is the middlemen and women out there that have become notoriously rich. We think Nigerian Labour Congress should support subsidy removal unless they share the booty of the ill-gotten wealth from subsidy. They should allow subsidy to go just like subsidy has been gradually removed from AGO (diesel). Today, diesel sells between 160 and 170. We refine it here. Bringing kerosene at N40 and selling at N150 is wickedness.

    How would you assess President Jonathan’s performance?

    President Goodluck Jonathan is doing very well. Despite doing well, people still criticise him. What I notice about what is happening is conspiracy.

    People have decided to destroy our country yet they are blaming it on Mr. President. Does he know who Boko Haram is?

    But there are people in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Why haven’t they come out in mass to give the security operatives the real information about how to stop this problem that is impinging on our economic development? There is nobody that would do better than he has done so far.