In this interview with CYRIACUS NNAJI in Lagos, Chief Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa Achina) speaks on the strategies being mapped out by All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the Anambra State Governorship Election coming up on November 6, 2021, and urged Anambrarians to connect to the national grid.
Let’s meet youI am Chief Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa Achina), I am a businessman, politician and also a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC).
Looking at the array of governorship aspirants in the November election, it appears the election is going to be very fierce, let’s look at the caliber of these illustrious sons of Anambra State, there s no small person.
There is no small person, then if I tell you that there is a small person contesting in that election, then I will be making a very big mistake. It has been like that in Anambra State, go back to history. It is a recurrent phenomenon in the political game of Anambra State.
So this is not the first time, it is going to be fierce, and we like it that way, because through that way we throw up a leader that is capable of leading Anambra State, so we don’t have problem with that.
Can you tell us what APC as a party has done for Anambra people because of which Anambrarians can beat their chests and said yes; we will vote for APC?
Why are you asking me this type of question, it is your responsibility as a press man, you supposed to have started marketing APC in Anambra State, taking into consideration what we have benefitted. In the history of this country it is only in this APC led administration that we have benefitted most, are we talking about all our roads being touched, being lifted?
Are you talking of all the major roads? needless mentioning names. Are we talking about the all important Second Niger Bridge?
That thing alone, people like us, like me; that second Niger Bridge is an everlasting monument, a legacy this administration has given us. I still want to thank Mr President for that job. I also want to thank the workaholic Minster of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, and a lot of other things they have done.
In the past when you pass Zik’s house, in short hunters, if you go inside there you would see hunters, but go there today, this administration has done that, and that is what attracted me…In 2004 when Muhammed Buhari visited Chuma Azikiwe, he was my friend though elderly, we were that close, I was one of the young men that served them there, in the course of their discussion, he said Chuma if I become the president of this country I will renovate and rejuvenate this compound, and if I don’t do anything for Ndigbo I am going to do the Second Niger Bridge, and today he has done that.
That alone and other things, the thing is that I am not prepared, you just bumped into me, I am in a meeting, but I decided to give you some minutes, you may have to come back again for us to go into this gigantic infrastructures we have in Anambra State and Southeast from this administration. So I still want to call on Anambrarians to make sure they hook on to the national grid.
As for the road infrastructure in Anamra State, it is in a shambles, I said it times without number, I cannot get to my house in the village unless I use caterpillar as a private vehicle, go there and see what is going on there. We have scary erosion sites, our major roads; our place is agrarian communities, all the agric products are not in our markets because there are no roads, the churches around us are collapsing, go to Achina my community, where they call St Joseph’s Catholic Church, the Reverend Father’s House is already sinking.
Our Town Hall is being threatened, and so many other erosion sites, and it is the same thing in other communities, other people are also complaining, road infrastructure has collapsed in Anambra State. And I think the new government that is coming, the government of APC will fix those things, because we have the knowledge, we have the capacity; we have the connection to do so.
There is fear that the federal government is going to use federal might to take over Anambra, your view.
I want to ask you a question, in 2015 was APC at the centre? And they won the election; then what are you telling me? And that is exactly what is going to happen, so APC is firing, strategizing very well on how to win other political parties in this election as they did in 2015 and 2019, people repose confidence in them that they did well and that was why they voted them in 2019. So taking 2015 as an example what happened in 2015 is going to happen in 2021, November 6, we are not talking of incumbency but we are talking about who will deliver.
There are certain factors working for the ruling party to win election, using certain names, what are you telling your members, what are you telling your members?We are embarking on what we call voter education; that is the only answer I am giving you.
I want you to predict the winner in the Anambra State Governorship election coming up in November, 2021
Yes the winner of Anambra 2021 Governorship election is APC, All Progressives Congress, where everybody will queue behind her candidate, QED.
Majority of Igbos in Lagos always play opposition to the ruling party in the state, what is your advice to them in order that they support the party in power in Lagos?
Am I not an Igbo? What do you mean by majority, what is the number of Igbos in Lagos? What is their number?
Igbos are known to be very very cooperative, they identify with government of the land, they are not against Lagos, they are doing everything possible to make sure Lagos is developed and I have written that Lagos is example of peace, development, so Igbos are supporting Lagos, don’t say majority, there is no Igbo man that is not supporting Lagos, whole and entire and their past governors and present governors, we are supporting them.
At least you can see from my people here, I have over five thousand people in this complex, they are all supporting Lagos and the government because in Lagos we feel free to do our business, erect buildings, do all manners of genuine business undisturbed, right from the military era, till we went into democracy where Asiwaju gave us all we wanted, from there the man that gave Lagos entirely a new face, Fashola came in, and gave us all we wanted, look at this place without much trouble, he gave us what we wanted.
Then Ambode and now Sanwo-Olu so we have never had any problem with them, they treat us as their own people. So when you say Igbos are not…I don’t agree with you, Igbos are very very humble, very very cooperative and you can judge that from my own area. God bless Lagos State.
