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Grace Egbo, Abakaliki
Ahead of the March 11 Governorship and State House of Assembly general election, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief IfeanyiChukwuma Odii, has promised to create employment opportunities for the youths to end the insecurity currently pervading the State occasioned by unemployment and the unnecessary interferences of government in the affairs of local communities.
Dr Odii, who spoke through his Deputy Governorship candidate, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, during a debate organized for governorship candidates of different political parties in the State by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Abakaliki, said that until the state government hands-off local administration to the local people, conflicts and communal crises would never Stop.
The PDP governorship candidate said that uniting the people of Ebonyi State would be a paramount policy of his government as there cannot be any development if there is no peace.
He then promised that his government would ensure that the local government and local communities in the state would be granted their deserved autonomy to elect their own leaders and develop at their own pace, thereby engendering healthy competition and peaceful development.
He said, “Unemployment, government interferences in the affairs of local communities is one of the major causes of insecurity.
“If you look at what is happening today, we have several communal crises, Ikwo and Izzi people, Abaomege and Ishinkwo, Ezza and Effium people, Ngbo and Igala, Edda and Amasiri etc.”
“Our government will not have any interference with local politics.
“The government should not have an interest in electing leaders of local communities. In communities, you allow the people to elect their Town Union Presidents, Allow people to elect their traditional rulers; allow people to elect whosoever will be their councilor.
“Councilor is one of the most important representatives of the people, my grandmother at home does not know who is the Chairman of the local government.
“Allow the government to go back to the people by giving autonomy to the local government, it is very key.
“If you give autonomy to the local government and monitor them, they will do wonderfully well,” he reiterated.
However, Dr. Odii, in all his campaign rallies, has alleged that the various communal clashes and criminalities pervading most communities in Ebonyi State were caused because the government usurped the powers and values of local communities.
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