An Address Delivered By Sebastine Okoh, APC House of Representative Candidate, Ika Federal Constituency at the occasion of the inauguration of his campaign organization.
Esteemed Members of Ika Federal Constituency
Our Great Leaders Here Present,
Fellow Comrades,
Distinguished Guests and Friends,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
RESTORATION:
I stand here humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed on me and mindful of the sacrifices borne by the good people of Ika Federal Constituency in the face of massive intimidation, threats and harassment. I have most respectfully invited you this day to witness the inaugural ceremony of my campaign organization.
I am today by your special honour and privilege, here to reiterate my desire to serve our people as the candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the House of Representatives, Abuja, Ika Federal Constituency in the forth coming general elections.
However, before I go into the main theme of my speech and the ceremony proper, I want to first of all thank you for the confidence you have in me which no doubt encouraged you to elect me as your APC candidate and indeed the candidate to beat in the forth coming House of Representatives election, Ika Federal Constituency.
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The word “restoration” as the theme of my address arose from the journey thus far in our political developments and matters arising therefore. Ika Federal Constituency, I must emphasize, is one united, indivisible political and cultural family. We have remained united in spite calculated efforts to divide us and/or compromise our collective interests and quest for vibrant representations at the various levels of political offices.
As a people, we have had the privilege of getting represented in the House of Representatives since the restoration of democratic governance which replaced military dictatorship in the country.
One of the beauty of democracy is that it brings governance nearer to the people at the grassroots in terms of participation and accessibility to the dividends of democracy. Dividends of democracy in all its ramifications, be it appointments, infrastructural and human capital developments and the welfare of the citizenry.
Given our participation in this democratic dispensation for about two decades now and the level of the dividends of democracy thus far available to our people, one question that constantly agitate the minds of our people is: what have we to show for our representations at the various levels of government.
In addressing you today, I must confess to you that my mind is as agitated as that of any other indigene of Ika Nation. But what I want to assure you now is that it is time for transformation, restoration of our lost glory and the improvement on our old ways of doing things; improve on the methodology, the pattern and reordering of our priorities, perceptions of our people and the instilling of equity and social justice in our body polity.
I, therefore, stand before the good people of Ika Federal constituency today to seek their mandate to represent them in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, come 2019.
Against these backdrops, I wish to state that my quest to represent Ika Nation in the House of Representatives is borne out of my vision and mission of our beloved constituency and how in my considered opinion our matters can be addressed. Our people have had enough of ineffective representation and misrepresentation. I believe this is the right time for us to correct all these anomalies by changing the way we elect our representatives which hitherto has always been given to the highest bidder not considering their level of competence.
I have summarized my vision and mission in my manifesto presented here below with a very sincere heart and a promise to be held accountable should I deviate from its implementation.
It is my article of faith with my beloved people of Ika Federal Constituency and I can think no less than this as a token of my appreciation for your mandate for me to represent you.
- SECURITY:
Security is a major challenge in our Ika land today. The major cause of this is the high level of unemployment among our teeming youths and able bodied indigenes. I will within the first two years of my election establish an entrepreneurship training center in Ika land where secondary school leavers who may not be able to continue their education can go and learn a trade. I will use my position to lobby the appropriate arm of government to empower graduates from the training center to enable them established their trade.
- AGRICULTURE:
Our community is an agrarian community, but our farmers unfortunately are not getting adequate reward for their efforts. Thus, I promise to establish agro based cottage industries to be located in strategic areas within the constituency. These industries will buy off, process and package farm produce for sale to other neighboring communities.
I believe that I will through these measures be able to get a sizable number of our youths off the streets and depopulate the crime and labour markets. To achieve these goals, I promise to channel 30% of my constituency allowance towards their implementation.
- EDUCATION: I promise to organize scholarship schemes for Ika students in various tertiary institutions, especially the indigent students. The best female Ika student will also get some handsome rewards from my representation.
- TOWN HALL MEETINGS:
As a mark of my sincerity to these promises, I hereby pledge to be holding town hall meetings with the good people of my constituency every 6 months through which I can feel the pulse of the electorates and know the utmost needs of our rural communities through feedbacks. Every community in the constituency will be required two representatives to the Town Hall Meetings.
Finally, we this day crave your indulgence to give us your mandate to enable us serve and give you effective and qualitative representation at the Federal House of representatives.
For us to collectively achieve the above set objectives, we call on all eligible voters in Ika Federal constituency to as a matter of importance vote for credibility and competence.
Thank You and God Bless.
Sebastine Okoh
THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE CAMPAIGN TEAM
- Dr. Anyaiwe U.C Ayahazimiwe – Director General
- Barr. Chukwuemeke Ogbuobodo – General Secretary
- Mr. Samuel Ekene Kerry – Deputy D.G Ika North East
- Comrade Frank Izekor – Deputy D.G Ika South
- Hon Williams S. Eluma – Secretary Ika South
- Barr. Ewere Egun – Secretary Ika North East
- Pastor Faith Ebie (Mrs) Woman leader Ika South
- Okoloukwu Bisi Blessing (Mrs) Woman leader Ika North East