An aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party in the November 6, 2021 Anambra State governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo, has held an interactive session with Anambra indigenes residing in Lagos, on Saturday, March 20, 2021. The meeting is part of his tour across the country to intimate indigenes residing outside Anambra of his vision and mission for the State.
The well-attended town hall meeting witnessed lively conversations on the topical issues affecting the people of the South-East Zone.
Mission Statement
Ozigbo said he joined the race to lift Anambra from the state of comatose and bring it back to life as he was no longer comfortable with the status quo.
He said the State is still lacking basic infrastructures and social amenities despite being blessed with abundant human and natural resources.
“I decided to run for governor of my beloved home state because I am uncomfortable with the status quo.
It is unfortunate that given the abundance of human capital, talent, and resources that Anambra has, we are still talking about providing basic infrastructure and social services for our people. These should have been forgotten problems by now.
We are supposed to be an exemplary state in terms of good governance and leadership. I am in the race for governorship to change the story of Anambra for good,” he said.
Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, added; “When I decided to go on this quest to serve, I made a promise to the Almighty God that if He favoured me with victory, I would run an all-inclusive government which thinks of the people all the time, listens to the people all the time, and serves the people all the time.
“This is just another step in the journey of engaging the people to make sure that the issues that matter to ‘Ndi Anambra’ are the front-burner issues for my administration”.
Unveiling of Manifesto
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of Ozigbo’s campaign manifesto which he titled: “Ka Anambra Chawapu Manifesto”. It is also his campaign slogan which means “A Brighter and Better Anambra”. The glossy 36-page document was distributed to the audience.
“We are not here to lament over the past; we are here to actualise the bright future of our dreams.
Anambra can be a paradise if we have the right people leading our state. We have compressed my ‘Ka Anambra Chawapu’ agenda into this comprehensive document.
It covers our plan for youth and women. It covers our plan to fix our healthcare system, schools, revive our economy and make Anambra the continent’s pride. It covers our strategy to provide security to our people, to create an enabling environment for our businesses to thrive. It covers our agenda to revolutionise statecraft in our state.
“We have put together an ambitious plan and we called it Project ‘Chawapu’. It covers every aspect of governance and if given a chance, we will surpass our promises to Ndi Anambra”, Ozigbo said.
Qualification to contest
Ozigbo said: “we have to insist on character, competence and compassion in choosing our governor. I represent the right combination of these qualities.”
Some of the dignitaries in attendance spoke highly of Ozigbo. They expressed confidence that if he won the upcoming election, he would run the best government in the history of Anambra.
Director of Contact and Mobilization for the Valentine Ozigbo Campaign Organisation, Hon Tim Egboka told the press that “the event signified a remarkable shift in strategy. It is ascension to the next level in his consultation and interaction with Anambra people from all walks of life”.
“Recall that Mr Ozigbo who had practically relocated to Anambra in the last one year had consulted and interacted with different segments of the people within the State all that while.
He had particularly in preparation for his party’s primaries, toured the 21 local government councils of the state about five times”, Egboka, a former Anambra State lawmaker added.
Ozigbo who was accompanied on the tour by his wife, Ojiugo, directors of his campaign organization and the planning committee, thanked the audience made up of the crème-de-la-crème of the Anambra Lagos community.
The second leg of the Lagos event held at Amuwo-Odofin council area in Lagos on Sunday March 21, 2021. Similar town hall meetings have been slated for Monday and Wednesday in Abuja on March 22 and in Enugu on March 24, respectively.
Nneka Ukachukwu
