APP candidate promises transparency if elected Abia governor

The Action Peoples Party governorship candidate in Abia State, Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma (retd) has said he was not going to be a “propaganda governor”, adding the state has so far received about N1.5 trillion federal allocation under the current administration without real impact.

Ijioma, who emerged as a consensus candidate at the party primary held in Umuahia, declared that he represents “a better alternative for Abia State. My vision is to transform Abia into a modern state driven by justice, equity and responsible leadership.

He promised to build a secure, prosperous and people-oriented state anchored on the rule of law, transparency and economic empowerment.

While commending the President for increasing revenue flows to states, he criticised some economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy without adequate plans.

On the state, he said, “The deployments by the current administration are not commensurate with increased funding coming from the Federal Government.

Abia has received about N1.5 trillion federal allocation under the current administration.”

He identified insecurity as one of the greatest threats confronting Abia, citing reports of kidnappings and attacks on farmers in parts of the state.

He added, “As your Governor, there will not be a single checkpoint anywhere.  I promised a technology-driven security architecture. My administration will deploy an invisible security fence capable of monitoring criminal activities across the state in real time.

“No crime will last 48 hours without the perpetrators being brought to justice. No incident in Abia will escape my attention. Security, justice and accountability will constitute the foundation of my administration.

 The APP candidate promised to embark on massive infrastructure development across the state, fight insecurity, fight hunger, imbibe physical and financial discipline, encourage food production, and questioned what he described as the cost-effectiveness of some projects executed by the current administration, arguing that government spending should always be subjected to public scrutiny and accountability.

 Alleging that a kilometre of road was built at N4.4 billion in Aba, and the Omenuko bridge at N28 billion, Ijioma called for more openness in government contracts.

 According to him, despite huge federal allocations accruing to the state, many residents continue to struggle with economic hardship, and argued that governance should be measured by its impact on the lives of the people rather than public relations campaigns.