As the presidential campaign train of the Labour Party (LP) berths in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the party’s Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, has assured residents of Akwa Ibom state that resources from each state will be used for the development of that state so that each state can earn revenue from it’s areas of comparative advantage.
The LP Presidential flag bearer made the pledge on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital when the party’s Presidential campaign train held its rally in the state.
The former governor of Anambra State told party supporters in the state that the 40 years of unfulfilled promises on the development of Akwa Ibom deep sea by past administrations, will come to an end if labour party is elected in the Presidency.
He said that the election will be another opportunity to cement his relationship with his inlaws through massive infrastructural development of federal government projects.
“When I came here, I was told that the most important thing for the people of Akwa-Ibom is the Deep Sea Port and I promised that when I leave this place, I will go and see the Port. That sea port was developed in 1983.
“Senators came here and said it is going to be a deep sea port, next year will be 40 years. 40 years is what the children of Israel stayed in the wilderness. It is about to work after 40 years.
“Federal Government has not done anything in Akwa-Ibom. All they come here to do is to make promises, that era of promises has stopped.
“You cannot drive from here to calabar or to Umuahia or drive here to Aba. Everywhere is insecured, it has been promise and fail. You know I won’t give fake promise.
“We want to make Nigeria to work again. A new Nigeria is possible with you” he said.
Throwing more light on what stands him out with his running in the midst of the other presidential aspirants, he continued
“If you check the major parties and their presidential candidates, I am the youngest. Also Datti and I, put together, have the youngest average age compared with other candidates. So we are ready to work. If you add our educational qualification, we are far ahead of others. We have been successful in our businesses, we are entrepreneurs, we have created wealth and we are prepared to create more.
“So our first priority is to secure Nigeria. We will provide the security. We will unite Nigeria. It is only politicians that divide us, we do not have reason to be fighting each other. We are tired of the division. Everybody will come together, we will provide law and order.
“There will be peace. Police will not be harassing our youths again. We will make police to be friendly and not turning people to be suspects simply because you are not dressed well. Nigerian citizens cannot be suspects in their own country. We will retrain the police, the army and all other paramilitary to show love to the citizens.
“We will make education work again. You can no longer go for a four year course and you end up spending 7 years. It can happen again. We will sit down with lecturers and discuss.
“Above all we will make Nigerians to move from consumption to production. That is why I am visiting the Deep Sea Port, it will improve our export. We will make naira strong again, those who Japa (left) will return again. We will create a Nigeria where people won’t be afraid to live in.
“The oil money from the Niger Delta will be used to fix Niger Delta, we will clean the region.
“Nigeria will feed itself because we have large arable land. For instance, Borno State has large land and it would be used for agriculture. Borno has landmass of over 70,000 square kilometres and Akwa-Ibom has only 7000, so Borno is ten times Akwa Ibom. Why would they be fighting over resources in the Akwa-Ibom while they have untapped resources in Borno. We ensure that states become productive and develop their resources, use it and develop their states. We will make this country work again and you will be proud of this country”.
Also in his address, National chairman of the party, Barr. Julius Abure said that the upcoming election is a defining moment in the country.
He called on Akwa Ibom voters to vote for the party to end insecurity, develop the production sector and end economic mismanagement.
“There is no gain saying the fact that Nigeria is in disarray. There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is being mismanaged. There is no gainsaying the fact that the challenges we have in the country, ranging from insecurity, to hunger, to poverty, to mismanagement of the economy, is as a result of failed leadership over the years. Over the past few years, the people of Nigeria have been very unlucky, to produce leaders that are selfish, leaders that are self centred, leaders that know of themselves and themselves alone.
“But my greatest joy today is that democracy has his best features, of giving the citizens the opportunity to vote and sack those who have not done well. And I know that Akwa-Ibom people, knowing that you are from the South South, you will do the needful.
“I therefore want to call upon you, that come February, you must cast your votes for Peter Obi and Labour Party.
“They have been deceiving us over the years, they bring different excuses, they will bring money, if they bring money collected and put it in your pocket. So whatever tricks they come with, let us defeat them this time and teach them a lasting lesson. We can no longer be fooled. And the only way we can prove it is for us to vote Peter Obi, vote competence, vote capacity, vote pedigree, and vote dignity”.
The LP Presidential candidate earlier paid a visit to the primate of Methodist in Nigeria, His Eminenece Sunday Mbang in his country home and received his blessings.
