AS MACDONALD EBERE LED IMO STATE APC EXCO VISITS FOR TOWN HALL MEETING WITH PARTY OFFICIALS, LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS
By Greg Obioha
The ranking Member representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives Abuja and APC Candidate for the Federal Constituency in the upcoming 2023 elections, Rt Hon Deacon Chike Okafor was accorded a deafening ovation on Tuesday, 8th November, 2022 by highly excited Youths and crowd of party supporters who thronged Ehime Mbano local Government Area Headquarters, Umuezela, venue of APC town hall meeting between the visiting Dr Macdonald Ebere led State Working Committee of the party and local officials, leaders and Stakeholders in the Council Area .
The atmosphere at the already filled event arena charged to a feverish height with excitement and ecstasy the moment, the ebullient and performing federal parliamentarian,Rt Hon Deacon Chike Okafor who left his Abuja base to fly into the state for the historic APC outing was sighted stepping into the venue. The ovation resonated and was resoundingly high as surging crowd of supporters weilding his banners and poster boards took over the space , drumming, trumpeting, dancing and singing in show of support and solidarity to the admiration of all and sundry.
In his remark, the State Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ) and leader of the team, Hon Macdonald Ebere PhD thanked leaders and Stakeholders of Ehime Mbano Chapter of the party for the warm reception accorded to them on arrival for the town hall meeting.According to the Chairman, they were in the Council Area to know the condition of the party and how it is faring.And to know through first hand information about the challenges, prospects and needs of the party ahead of the upcoming elections and to know it’s preparedness to go into the election and come out victorious.
Dr Ebere said that they would want the people to tell them what they desire so much from the State Governor which they would urgently want to be done for them to impress the people and make things easier for them to wins elections in their Area.He said that the party is supposed to be solid and stronger in the Council Area, considering their high profiled indigenes cum personalities that are involved in the 3R Shared Prosperity government of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma and several others at the national level which include but not limited to the likes of;Hon Chief Cosmas Iwuh, the Secretary to Imo State Government, Hon Commissioner Jerry Egemba, Chief Protocol to the Governor, Chief Bright Nwaelue, Multi billionaire business mogul and kingmaker, Chief Tony Chukwu (Onweghi Ihe karichukwu), Senator Ibezim and host of others who according to him are strongly rooted with the capacity to deliver all the Candidates of the ruling APC in the Area.
Dr Ebere observed that the leaders and Stakeholders of the party in the Area from every indication were on one page and working together to strengthen the party and urged them to stain the tempo. The Chairman called for accreditation of the party officials, former Council appointees, President Generals and other relevant political organs and expressed satisfaction with high turn out of supporters and Stakeholders in the town hall meeting.
The Chairman also called out the Candidates of the ruling party for various elective offices as follows; Deacon Chike Okafor for federal House of Representatives position, Hon Patrick Ndubueze for Senate and Engr Ben Ozoemena for House of Assembly and there and then raised their hands up for formal introduction . The Chairman while presenting the Candidates requested the people of Ehime Mbano to open their door widely to receive more people into the party and intensify efforts to make sure that all the Candidates were delivered in the upcoming elections. According to him, politics is not a one man business, so they should brace up to accommodate new people through deliberate out reach and goodwill. He finally called out the ward Chairmen and charged them to send in names of seven strong leaders that enjoy grassroots support that could be harnessed to deliver their wards in the upcoming elections for necessary action and follow up.
Speaking during the Town Hall meeting, the ranking Member representing Okigwe South Federal Constituency and APC Candidate for the Federal Constituency in 2023 election, Rt Hon Deacon Chike John Okafor thanked the state working Committee of the party for coming to Ehime Mbano which he described as a strategic Area in the politics of Okigwe South because of their numerical strength and caliber of personalities that navigate and influence the swing of the pendulum of Okigwe South electoral victory. He observed that Ehime Mbano is totally APC and that the presence of top leaders like High Chief Tony Chukwu, Sir Cosmas Iwuh, Jrry Egemba and others has already shown that the victory of APC in the Area is a done deal.
Deacon Chike said that his victory in 2023 in the Area will be smoother and easier when compared to previous contests, considering the fact that most of the erstwhile opposition leaders that made things tough in the past are fully at the base with the ruling APC and working assiduously for the success of the party. He also recalled that he has made tremendous impact on the people and their environment through infrastructural development projects, citing the distribution of transformers to various Autonomous Communities in the Area, construction of one storey building, encompassing classroom blocks and WAEC hall at Mercy Girls High School, Umuezela Owerre, drilling and commissioning of an industrial bore- hole at Umuezela, ABA Branch, construction of brand new Primary Health Care Centers, renovation of already existing ones and equipping them with modern Health equipment and infrastructure, securing of federal employments for young University graduates from the Area and other interventions to better the lots of the people. Deacon Chike said that those achievements and positive impacts were not really his biggest source of strength, rather his strength emanates from the ruling APC which has a wonderful Governor whose performance is adjudged as one of the best in the country, and considering the fact that the party is in power at both the state and federal level fashioning out transformative and developmental Agenda for the people.He expressed appreciation to the Governor and State Chairman of APC for supporting his reelection bid to enable him return to the Green Chamber and secure principal office in the tenth Assembly and assured that Ehime Mbano and indeed Okigwe South will deliver massively in the forthcoming elections.
In their separate remarks as leaders of Ehime Mbano APC, the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Emeka Nduka, Hon Barrister Collins Chidi Okechukwu,the Sole Administrator of Ehime Mbano LGA and the former Member of Imo State House of Assembly,Hon Ifeanyi Agwu assured that the ruling APC will be victorious in all the elections because the presence of the government is positively felt in the Area,. They also thanked the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma for his magnanimity and support to their Area through strategic appointments and development Projects. They called for the reconstruction of some bad roads in the Council Area, especially the Afor Nzerem/ Obi ne Etiti/ Ikpem and Umukabia/ Agbaja/Nkwo Umuezela roads which are in very deplorable condition.
High point of the event was the formal reception accorded to over 200 persons that decamped to the ruling APC, championed and led by the former PDP Chairman in Ehime Mbano LGA, Mr Macdonald Iwuoha who stated that they deemed it necessary to decamp to APC because of the extraordinary performance of Governor Hope Uzodimma in Imo State.
The Town Hall meeting recorded large turn out of party supporters and dignitaries which include but not limited to; Rt Hon Deacon Chike Okafor, Member Federal House of Representatives Abuja,Rt Hon Emeka Nduka, Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly and Member representing Ehime Mbano in the State House of Assembly, Hon Dr Macdonald Ebere PhD, Chairman of State Working Committee of APC, Hon Patrick Ndubueze, Senatorial Candidate of APC Okigwe zone,Hon Ben Ozoemena,APC Candidate for Ehime Mbano State Constituency, Hon Ifeanyi Agwu, former Member of Imo State House of Assembly, Dr Jeff Azubuine, Hon Bright Nwaelue,Chief Protocol to Imo State Governor, OCDA General Manager,Hon Francis Chukwu,a former House of Representatives Member,. Hon Osuagwu, Hon Louis Ashionye, former Sole Administrator, Ehime Mbano LGA,APC Chairman Ehime Mbano LGA,Hon Austin Iwuoha,APC Women leader Ehime Mbano LGA,Mrs L Mbaeyi, former Member of Imo State House of Assembly that represented Ihitte-Uboma and Director General of Hon Patrick Ndubueze Senatorial Campaign Organization,Hon Greg Owuamalam, Hon Chief Ifeanyichukwu Onwuenyiagba, former Commissioner for Youths Imo State, Hon Chief Eddy Ntamere, Hon Eddy Onyeocha,Hon Chief Hyginus Duru,Hon M Anthony Iwuoha,Prof Emma Ibekwe, Coordinating Director General of Deacon Chike Okafor Campaign Organization, Hon Emeka Nkume, Coordinator, Deacon Chike Okafor Campaign Organization, Ehime Mbano LGA Chapter, Barrister Jerry Egemba, Hon Commissioner in the 3 R Shared Prosperity government,Dr Godrick Anosike, former Executive Chairman of Obowo LGA and former Commissioner for Health in the Imo State Government,APC State Women leader, Hon Mrs .. Ifeoma Ndukwu,APC State Welfare Secretary, Lady Hon Mrs Ijeoma Onyebuagu, Hon Chief Greg Madu,APC State Deputy Chairman and host of others.