From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
To avoid rancour, bickering, wranglings and acrimony, that may unnecessarily heat up the polity, a group under the auspices of Imo Youths For A New Nigeria has advised the 17 Governorship candidates for the forthcoming Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC scheduled segmented November 11 governorship election in Imo State, to jettison campaign of calumny and focused on issue based programmes.
Comrade Chidiebube Okeoma who’s the founder and spokesperson of the social crusading group disclosed this on Thursday in Owerri, Imo State capital while speaking with news men on the activities of the non governmental organization.
Okeoma who’s also a Frontline Journalist in the State patriotically enjoined the governorship candidates to avoid speeches that may escalate the security condition of the state and put on the front burner critical issues like insecurity, housing deficit, infrastructural decay, education, tourism, health, agricultural revolution, sports development and transformation and issues concerning vision for growing of the economy should be the paramount issues that should preoccupy their campaign activities and messages.
The social crusader pointed out that tension was already high in the state, therefore, the political players should intentionally avoid doing things that would aggravate the problem of insecurity bedeviling the state.
He passionately observed that the people of the state are interested in hearing from the governorship candidates on how the persisting insecurity, infrastructural decay, housing deficits, and the educational decline of the state would be addressed.
Okeoma reiterated that the state electorates are not interested in petty discussions and propaganda, adding that the condition of the state required an administrative technocrat who would hit the ground running right from the first day in office.
According to him, “as a group, Imo Youths For A New Nigeria urges the 17 Governorship candidates to try to de -escalate the tension in the state. Their campaign topics should bother on pertinent things affecting the state.
” Imo people want to hear from those who want to be their governor how they can solve the insecurity in the state. How the issue of infrastructure and housing deficits would be solved. How their health and educational decline would be solved.
“The governorship candidates should avoid going personal on each other. They should avoid petty issues and concentrate on quality discussions that would address the Imo issues. The state is going through alot and doesn’t need conversations and campaign activities that are not issue based.” Okeoma advised.
