After a long legal tussle, the Senator-elect representing Imo North senatorial, Chukwuma Frank Ibezim has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), assuring the people of Okigwe of impactful representation that will bridge the void in development of the area.
Speaking to journalists at a pre-inauguration dinner held in his honour weekend in Abuja, Ibezim said the senatorial district has lost almost three years during which it has no voice in the upper legislative chamber, and must now do ‘catch- up” if the yawning gap in development in the area has to be reduced.
The senator-elect said his constituencies which has 75% literacy rate like most parts of Imo state unfortunately has an equally nauseating unemployment rate, adding that his constituency officeay have to double as a employment and skills acquisition centre.
He said: “Truly speaking Okigwe people have not had representation in the Senate for up to three years between the 8th and the 9th Senate. That is a terrible thing to happen to a people. So today God has made it possible for us to inch in to the Red chamber, so Okigwe people are inching in because I am inching in. We thank God for a day like this.
“And we’re praying that the days of the cankerworm shall be replenished because we’ve lost time. We need development and one way, one good way is to have a voice in the red chambers.”
He urged the private sector operators from the senatorial zone to partner government to develop the zone as he said, government cannot do it alone.
“Honestly speaking, we just have barely one solid year to make impact , because after one year from today, we will begin another round of electioneering run around. As usual, what we expect is to ask for God’s strength and take it a Sitting at a time, a week, a month. We have to be focused.
“We have to go to the Senate and make the Distinguished Senators appreciate the problem of Okigwe people, that we have not had representation and we ought to have development in our area.
“The greatest challenge we have in my place, if you go to Imo State, we pretty have about 75% literacy rate and almost 75% unemployment. What does that tell you? It’s chaotic. So what do we do? I promised them that me constituency office is going to double as employment agency and skills acquisition centre and I know that one we must do is to go out there and ask our people , we have good in the private sector, and tell them , yes we are in the Senate, yes we have this leadership but we can’t do much without their partnership.
“So the first thing we’ll do is to go out there, make sure my constituency office captures our people really. Those that have gone school, those that are semi skilled, by the time you able to capture the people in Okigwe, you will be able to know what the problem is as far as unemployment is concerned. You can not get everybody in government employment, that is why I said we make sure people would be trained to have the right skills.
“For instance, there’s no reason why you cannot have a proper bakery in Okigwe town, some people will go to Owerri to buy bread! How can people leave Okigwe and go to Owerri to look for Hair Dresser. If you come from anywhere in the world, we should be able to have those services .You don’t have to risk your life going elsewhere. By doing that you reinvigorate the system. And how do you even begin to get employment?
“Another thing is foundational education. The truth is that, growing up back then we have libraries by the corner. Today, most urban cities don’t have functional libraries..if we lack these things how can a child firm up reading and writing. The first thing we do about education is to go back and fund classroom libraries. It will not cost a lot, just help the kids to learn how to read and write.
“In the area of industries, you see that a lot of even federal government industres scattered all over the place are moribund. I will try to see how we get government to allow private sector operators take over those industries on lease. Let it be functional but we tell after about two or three years you must 30% capacity, you must employ people. Anytime you can’t employ people, you lose the lease.
“There are many people who are interested in building this nation but they may not have the infrastructure and we have these infrastructures scattered everywhere , some of them decayed. But the cost of putting them back is cheaper than building new ones. We have to use our heads.
“The truth of the matter is that Nigeria is in such a hurry to develop. Woe betide us if we allow foreigners to come here and develop our country. Nigerians, when they step out of this place, you see them becoming the best in other places. How come when we come here we can’t replicate those things because many do not believe Nigeria is theirs.”
Chief Ibezim who stepped into the shoes of the late Benjamin Uwajumogu enjoined young politicians to step out and make a difference and shun the threat that has been associated with politicking in Nigeria.