The Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abia State, Dr. Godswill Agu Egbe, has said the party has studied the administration of Governor Alex Otti and identified areas where governance must be optimised to deliver more to Abians.
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‎Dr. Egbe stated this while speaking with journalists shortly after his unveiling at the party Secretariat in Umuahia on Monday.
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‎Responding to questions on his political background, Egbe said his foray into politics started early, noting that he became President-General of his community and has supported political movements from ANPP to CPC.
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‎”What attracted me to ANPP is His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, our former President. When he aligned with CPC, I also moved to CPC. Before then, I was a lover of the NADECO members. I saw Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu come to APC and it was like a dream come true. The two persons that I love in politics came together. So APC became a place I’m very passionate about,” he said.
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‎On how prepared he is to ensure the emergence of his principal, Chief Eric Opah, Egbe said he shares a common vision with the governorship candidate.
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‎”I believe I have a shared vision with him. I’ve gone through the manifesto, it aligns with all the things that I wish to do. So I’m going to subordinate to that manifesto, to work with my principal, to support him in all dimensions,” he stated.
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‎Speaking on what difference an APC government would make if elected, Egbe said the party acknowledges that work is ongoing in the state but insists that Abia deserves better and more optimised governance.
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‎”We have studied governance in Abia. From measurement, evaluation and learning, we are able to understand where things must be optimised and where work needs to be improved to deliver greater value to the people,” he said.
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‎While acknowledging that Governor Otti is contributing his quota towards the advancement of the state, Egbe said the APC ticket has what it takes to do things differently and better.
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‎”Work is being done, nobody is taking that away. But when you take a close evaluation, you will see areas where Abians deserve more. And that more is what we are bringing. Anybody in Abia will tell you, Abians deserve more,” Egbe noted.
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‎He added: “The prayer of every Abian is that who comes after should do better. We have studied better ways to do things and we are presenting that superior alternative to Abians. That is why we are confident Abians will support us to win the election.”
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‎On whether Abia could have a cement factory given his last place of work, Egbe said such industrial decisions would be guided by the party’s manifesto and current realities of the state.
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‎”I wouldn’t say yes outright because I am the deputy candidate and our manifesto has to be studied properly. We have our plans and things we want to focus on, those that align with current realities and deliver that more that Abia deserves,” he said.
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‎He, however, stressed that his personal economic philosophy is household-focused development as a pathway to industrialisation.
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‎”You need to build households first. When households improve their livelihood, they will contribute to the aggregate growth of the state. And when that happens, that’s when you can see organic growth of industries. You need to create opportunities for households to improve their livelihood, and that will translate to growing the economy and then to industrialisation,” Egbe explained.
We Have Studied Otti’s Govt, Abians Deserve More ~ Agu Egbe
