A governorship hopeful and retired Air Force Chief, Air Commodore Peter Gbujie has reassured Imo people of his determination to reposition the state and entrench excellence in governance if elected governor in 2019.
Gbujie who gave the assurance while declaring his intention to contest the governorship election before the state Executive Officers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the Chairman, Dr. Hillary Eke, also promised to make the state the economic hub of the Southeast zone by leveraging on its “unique geographical location”.
“Aside this, I will carry out improved urban renewal. It is true that the current government has embarked on widening the roads, that is good but urban renewal is not only about widening of roads.
I am going to make Owerri the commercial hub of the Southeast by building monorails that will run from Owerri to Onne in Rivers state, Aba in Abia state and Onitsha in Anambra State for stronger commercial activities. There will also be inland container port in Owerri to attract more investments”.
Gbujie also promised to revive and reform the Local Government system in the state by conducting a free and fair Local Government election within the first six months of his administration.
According to Gbujie who served the Nigeria Air Force in different capacities including Commanding Officer Nigeria Air Force Tactical Air Command Makurdi, his wealth of experience and vast contacts and connections will be aptly deployed to make the state one of the most prosperous in the zone and the entire country.
He also disclosed his plans to reintroduce and modernize the abandoned agricultural farm settlement programme and legalize the age grade system as the smallest unit of the Local Government system.
He noted that that this will once more instill discipline and culture of hard work in the youths.
According to him, “my vision and dream is that of sustainable prosperity for Imo State. My vision is to make Imo State the most prosperous state in the Southeast zone and a showcase of excellence in governance by the year 2023.
“This vision will be driven by six cardinal drivers. One is to Rebuild; rebuilding Imo State on the basis and principles of social justice, equity and fair play. Another is to Reposition; repositioning Imo State to attract both local and foreign investors, that is the only way we can move Imo state forward and not by depending on Federal Allocation and the third driver, is Reorientation; this is to reorient the mindset of Imo citizens from what it is now; greed, exploitation, looting and selfishness to patriotism, love for the state and love for collective interest. I will reorient the people from negativity to positivity.
“The fourth is Training; to retrain the people and give them quality education, the education as it is now has no quality. Remember in the past, Imo state used to be the leading state whenever there is a general examination, be it WAEC or JAMB in the country but is in no more so today. I will give quality education. I will sustain the free education of the present government but I will add value to it, those areas people have criticized the present free education, I will rectify it. Because the free education is one of the things this present government has done very well but I will make it more enduring.
“The next one is Transformation; I will transform the people, transform them from Yahoo fraudsters into a Cyber Army and they will be earning foreign exchange for this country and the state. I will transform the street robbers and kidnappers into a productive Army. I will convert the Imo Security Watch into the first state Police. I will transform the Local Government system into government-community partnership. I will turn Local Governments to what it used to be in the past. Within the first six months of my administration, I will conduct Local Government election that will be free and fair and not the kind they are doing around the country. Everybody will be a stakeholder and wealth will spread among the people”.
He continued further that, “I will transform the civil service; there will be public sector reform. The civil service is the engine of growth. I will bring industrial revolution. I will reintroduce Agricultural settlements just like what was obtainable during Mike Opara’s era. But it will be modernized. There will be roads, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure. I will return the young people to the farm. With the industrial and Agricultural revolutions, I will remove armed robbery from the street. Even if we cannot completely remove it, I will reduce armed robbery to 2%”.
On the proposed mock primaries by the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha and flurry of endorsements for some governorship aspirants in the state, Gbujie, said, “mock primaries does not have any provision in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria neither is it provided for in the constitution and guideline of the party, APC. I believe in legality, propriety and fairness. If anything you are doing is not guided by these three principles, then count me out”.
He also added that, “I am not also worried or intimidated by the endorsements of aspirants by various groups who were probably induced because I cannot be intimidated. There is no way you can intimidate a General. I remain the candidate to beat in this governorship election. I am the only aspirant that has taken my ambition to the people in the field, others are lobbying for endorsements but I am not worried about that”.
Meanwhile in his response, the APC State Chairman, Hillary Eke, said that party has not endorsed anybody as the governorship candidate.
He said it can only support candidates who emerge after a credible primaries that will afford all aspirants level playing ground.
Eke maintained that Okorocha’s endorsement of his Chief of State and son in-law, Chief Uche Nwosu as his likely successor is a private decision which does not reflect the position of the APC.
He however noted that the governor has the right to support anyone for any position “but should not be mistaken as the position of the party”.
According to him, “our party APC, we have not conducted our primaries, and want to let you know that in politics somebody has right to say I adopt this person, he is my candidate, that is what it means, it is not that the party has adopted any candidate”.
Also commenting on the reported mock primary proposed by the state governor, the APC Chairman, explained that, “my governor is very democratic, he can never propose anything like mock primary but it is still nothing unusual, it is you the pressmen that is making it sound unusual”.
