My agenda for Abi/Yakurr people of C’River —Alex Egbona

THE current occupant of the
Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency
seat is planning to return
to the House of Representatives
for the third term and you are also
planning to contest against him.
Let me start by thanking you for
the privilege of this meeting. My
brother Bassey Ewah has been
there for about eight years now. He
has the right to seek a third term. I
also have the right to that seat. He
has done his best and I think it is
time for a change of guard. Let me
also say that my relationship with
him is very cordial. I can tell you
that I was the person who moved
the motion that made him to go to
the House of Reps.
There was this clamour of who
will replace the incumbent as at
that time, Hon.Obeten Okorn.
There was a tussle on who will
My agenda for Abi/Yakurr
people of C’River —Alex Egbona
•Egbonna
come in and we in Abi decided
that it has to be the person who
indicated interest in Yakurr. We
endorsed Bassey and that has been
the story till now. Bassey has been
winning with Abi votes, all the Abi
men and women have been voting
for Bassey in all the elections.
I will tap from his knowledge and
experience. Incidentally, he has
experience in the legislature too;
he has been in the House of Assembly
as the speaker then, before
he moved to the House of
Reps. He has done his own bidding
and I’m actually going to improve
on what he has done. If there
is anything he has not done, I will
look at them and try to do it and
even do better.
What do you intend to achieve,
different from what has been happening
there?
I want to leave a legacy of
proper service. I want to leave a
legacy that people can feel and
enjoy within the next 48 months,
to put a cottage hospital. I want to
decongest the General Hospital
at Ugep and with the new
polytechnic that is actually called
school of management technology,
students of that school will
have the benefit of a nearby health
facility that is of standard because
my idea is that we will put a resident
doctor there to offer 24 hours
service. In 48 months, I think I
can achieve that and that is my
first target for my people.
There is a saying that a healthy
man is a wealthy man and because
in Nigeria people don’t pay
attention to health, that is why you
see people going to India. What
you just need to do is to provide
some facilities here, bring some
medical experts even from the
same India. With a conducive environment,
an Indian doctor can
work in Ugep, can work in
Mkpani, can work in Ekori, can
work even in Ekureku, can work
in Itigidi or any part of the local
government. An Mkpani person
doesn’t need go to Ugep because
for now that is the only hospital,
very far from Nko, very far from
Ekori. I have already started my
consultations and the response is
very interesting. I have met a lot
of very prominent Yakurr and Abi
people, men and women and I am
still consulting. I am already moving
ahead and as I told you I am
not working alone. My people are
with me and together we will get
there.
One would have thought that
as chief of staff to the governor,
you would not have the need to
seek other political offices
Life, for me, is all about service.
I have served as a councillor before.
I have served as special assistant
to the former governor, Donald
Duke. I have been deputy chief of
staff and then I moved up to
become chief of staff. These were
various platforms for service.
And now, duty calls again. The
only constant thing in life, as we
are told, is change. We must keep
moving. The more you move, the
more opportunities you have to
touch lives and this is my pre-occupation.