The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, Professor Sandy Onor has pledged to provide quality leadership if elected to office.
Professor Onor made the promise at a rally to round up his tour of local government areas in the northern district of Cross River State, where thousands of supporters converged.
Onor, who is the senator representing Cross River central senatorial district at the national assembly, alongside his deputy, Mrs. Emana Amawhe, have assured the people of better representation and restoration as well as uplifting the state to enviable heights.
He says, “we have come here with renewed hope that things would get better. We came with a commitment that we would do well for the generality of our people. So, we shall tell you the truth always. We would show respect for our people. We are experienced enough to give you quality leadership because I understand the way government functions.”
Experienced Administrators
According to the governorship candidate, his antecedent and those of other contestants on the PDP platform was evidence of the experiences garnered in terms of providing effective, quality administration in the state having served the State and Etung local government areas in different capacities.
He opined that the PDP was the only political party with people of proven capacity, character and integrity to reclaim Cross River State from its current state of backwardness.
“When God gives you power, show character and integrity. We ran into a big mistake instead of going forward, we are returning back. There has been stagnation and decay in our state. There is no real development, real development ended with the PDP. We have tasted APC and now nobody would tell you that APC is an expired drug,” Senator Onor said.
Continuing, he said, “at this time of our history, we said let the best take it. a government that would sit down with the people and think of how to move the state forward is what we need because currently we have a government that is populated by people, who do not have your interest at heart. We need to take back our state.”
While presenting other candidates of the party from the northern senatorial district to the crowd, he solicited the votes of the people urging them to ensure they collected their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, from designated collection point indicated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Rural development
Earlier, some of those who spoke at different fora bemoaned the extent of government’s neglect and deprivations on the peoples means of survival across the district and urged the governorship candidate to evolve a robust rural development programme that would give those in villages a sense of belonging.
Some prominent stakeholders enumerated lack of electric power supply due to vandalized distribution facilities in the neighbouring Benue State as well as a lack of safe drinking water within some villages especially difficult to reach areas.
The people noted that the deplorable road network within the district was worrisome for farmers and the villagers, who experience untold hardship traversing the communities to Calabar, the state capital due to lack of expanded and paved roads.
A youth leader named Joehbe Onah said, “the lack of asphalted road network has left 90 percent of our roads dusty and bumpy exposing us to health hazards, road mishaps and economic stagnation. The Okpoma road linking us with Ebony State was in good condition until this administration excavated and abandoned it. Dozens have lost their lives due to poor visibility.”
They lamented the problem of land grabbing, which had deprived them of farm lands resulting to loss of their means of their livelihoods and urged the governorship and other candidates to establish policies that would guarantee people oriented and beneficial projects across villages.
Confidence Okwuchi
