Aba North and South constituents back lawmaker’s second term bid

The premises of Aba Recreation Club located at Park road by Mosque in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State on Friday witnessed large turnout of Aba North and South Federal Constituency voters as they came to show solidarity to the incumbent lawmaker representing the zone at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly, Rtn. Hon. Ossy Prestige as he declared his intention to re-contest for the seat under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2019.

The event which attracted the presence of Dr. Eme Uche, the 2015 Deputy Governor of Dr. Alex Otti, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, former ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria) President, Chidi Ajaegbu among other party stalwarts in the state was equally used to inaugurate the first phase of 1,518 unemployed youths in Aba North and South that would be trained in various skills including tailoring, shoe making and other leather works, hair dressing and beauticians, driving, mechanics, electricians and among other skills.

Speaking at the event, the 2015 deputy governor of the party, Eme Uche who represented Dr. Alex Otti lauded the achievements of Prestige, stressing that he (Prestige) has been able to shame those that had gone to the National Assembly before him.

While thanking Abians for the massive support they gave to the party in 2015 before the powers that be in the state manipulated the poll results, also appealed to Abians to vote massively for Dr. Alex Otti and other APGA candidates including Prestige in order to effect the change that would bring the desired progress the state needed. This is even as she lamented the absence of governance and lack of infrastructural development in the state in the last three years of the incumbent PDP led government in the state.

In his speech, the state chairman of the party, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere said “I want to thank you for the 2015 sacrifice. Without your sacrifice, today wouldn’t have come.

“I want to thank all of you for standing by the party irrespective of all challenges. I want to say that no more shall they rob us of our electoral victory. I also want to thank the man that we have come to celebrate again.

“He has given a good account of himself as a member of this party in the house of reps because APGA stands for change. APGA stands for truth. APGA stands for honesty.

Ossy Prestige under APGA has brought that desired change because he is the voice of the voiceless and I am sure that you know that the party in power in this state when they represented Aba North and South didn’t deliver to the people what Prestige has just done. All constituency funds were pocketed by them.

“What Ossy prestige has done is an eloquent testimony to the entire southeast and Abia State. It is a testimony for many more things to come to Abia in 2019 if APGA is voted into power in the state. I am sure that if Ossy Prestige is in the position to pay the salary of Abia workers, what is happening in Anambra would have been happening here.

“In Anambra State where APGA is in-charge, no worker is being owed. No pensioner is being owed. There is no road begging for attention in Anambra and that is why in Aba North and South federal constituency, Ossy prestige has provided alternative roads. It is an eloquent testimony that Abians should vote APGA in power come 2019.”

In his speech, Prestige in his words said “I am very proud of the people of Aba. There is nothing under this sun that will make me not to be proud of Aba people.

“In 2015, Aba people came out in their numbers and massively voted for change and stood by that vote even when the armed robbers and enemy of the people came calling and wanted to rig the election, Aba left their churches to Aba Town Hall to refuse attempt to rig their votes.

“Aba people sacrificed all they have on March 29, 2015 to stand against rigging of votes by the armed robbers and because of that, I decided that I will have no other way to pay them back than delivering dividend of democracy to them.

“It is on record that it was my July 25, 2016 that caused the government of the state to seal CS Park where we organized that empowerment programme. The speaker of the House of Representatives in 2016, during my second year in office couldn’t commission all the projects that I executed because they were so many.

“I want to say that I have been able to touch the lives of Aba North and South people. That is the spirit of the All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The party is a party that will only do those things that will change your life. The projects are there to speak for itself.

“Between 2016 and 2018, we have done 54 projects. Between June 1, 2017 and today we did 21 projects. So many people that have not had light for donkey years are sleeping with light today.

“So many pupils in different primary schools in this city are now learning in a conducive environment courtesy of my intervention because they no longer stay in their classrooms to see airplane fly across their roof while learning.

“I would also recall that before I came into office in 2015, you dare not live in Ngwa road, but today the narrative has changed because I have been able to rehabilitated 525 roads within Ngwa road. I also attracted other federal road projects in my constituency.

“We have offered the highest number of scholarship to indigent students. We have also provided buses that take students from one point to another free of charge on daily basis. Aba people have not had it so good and that is why I am so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to serve you.

“I want to remind you that the enemy can never rest because God didn’t remove the power from the devil. The devil has the power to torment the people. They have started again.

“Those who spent four years in office in the National Assembly, that went to Abuja with nothing and within four years, they became stupendously rich; they built houses and own properties everywhere.

“They have started again. I want to tell my people of Aba that they are going from house to house campaigning and to give money, please remember that those people were the architect of this policy of non-indigenes being sacked from the Abia State Civil Service.

“They were at the helm of affairs at the state and national level when Aba roads were in bad state; a time when everyone in Aba must swim before getting to his or her house whenever it rains.

“What I want to tell Aba people is that if they bring the money; collect it because they have hired agents going from one house to another looking for people to buy over.

“Cast your mind back before they went to the national assembly and recall what they had. They were all poor, but from the meant for the development of Aba, they enriched themselves and became billionaires overnight. Ask yourself where they got the money, it is your money.

“Collect the money and vote according to your conscience. If we are not in the business, this city would be subjected to something that our children will not be proud of. I want to charge you to keep your PVC. If some people are not thief, why must he come to buy your PVC.

“Check the background of people that are giving you loan. Ask them of their addresses before they came to power. That is why we want you to vote for those that have second address. Any time that I am out of the national assembly, I shall be aspiring for higher positions. I can never bend down low to drag the food I left for my boys with them.

“That is why I have come today to declare my intention to go back to the national assembly. Second tenure is where you will see major dividend of democracy. I want to promise Aba people that I am going to intensify our vocational training.

“I am not just going to train them; I am going to empower them with the necessary equipment. I will continue to cry to the presidency and I want to assure you that there will be more access to critical roads in Aba.

“I will also continue sinking boreholes which I am going to extend in all the 24 wards in Aba North and South federal constituency. I am also going to increase the number of scholarship and increase the number of free bus fleets to accommodate even the market men and women.

“Don’t sell it for a penny. Don’t sell it to people who have caused you bad road. Don’t sell it, no matter how much they offered you. Aba North and South has the highest number of registered voters in the state and I want you people to prove it in 2019 by voting all the APGA candidates into power.”

Highpoint of the event was the inauguration of 506 unemployed youths and women who would be trained in various skills who the lawmaker said that would be empowered with working tools at the end of their training.