Fides Media Living the Faith
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Anambra State, Chief Basil Ejidike, has called on the party faithful to work for the collective interest and growth of the party, saying that their commitment and sacrifice to the party remained the thing that qualified them as stakeholders.
Chief Ejidike who stated this in Awka during a stakeholders meeting bemoaned the attitude of some members of the party, urging them to be sincere in their dealings, even as he asked them to join the party leadership in their onerous task of moving the party forward.
‘You cannot be called a stakeholders when you rarely support the party. You don’t work for us. You hardly identify with party activities, you do not win election in your polling unit or let alone at the ward level, you do not mobilize support for the party and you do not contribute financially. What then makes you a stakeholder?,’ he queried.
He said the party needed peace and unity to move forward
Ejidike, emphasized that the APC had grown big to winning the governorship election in Anambra, adding that the current unity would give them that in 2025.
The Anambra APC Boss while interfacing with the stakeholders/leaders of the party inaugurated what he described as a very vital three committees geared towards addressing every pending issues in the party with a view to finding lasting peace.
The three committees set up by the APC state Ejidike, were disciplinary committee headed by Chibuzo Obiakor with C. J. Chinwuba as secretary, Finance committee which has Azuka Okwuosa as chairman and Ambassador Elijah Onyeagba as secretary, as well as Eminent committee which has Ralph Okeke as chairman and Ifeanyi Ibezi as secretary.
Others who spoke in the same direction were Modestus Umenzekwe, former secretary to the state government, Chief Ossy Ezenwa and Hon Chidi Duru, the National Organising Secretary of the APC.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the interface,the state chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike noted the importance relevance of the committees.
He said: ‘before now, just two or three people took decisions and implemented them in the name of anambra state. In some cases, you find up to five members of a family occupying positions meant for others.
‘This time around, everything will be laid down before the people. We have also agreed that slots will be shared among the 21 local government areas and each local government will hold a general meeting and decide who is to represent them.
‘Other positions will be determined by the critical stakeholders, like the elders forum and those who contested elections, as well as other relevant interests.
‘Our intention is to carry everybody along and I am sure that the most important thing is for them to know that when they are eventually appointed, they should know that the party was part of it.
‘The problem we were having was that people moved to abuja and would no longer have anything to do with the party in the state. I am optimistic that at the end of the day, whoever emerges will have the interest of the party at heart.
‘The essence of a political party is to win elections and where we fail to win elections, we become a mere social club. It is from our members who are elected into offices that the party is funded. The finance committee will come together and fashion out ways to source funds to run the party. There is also need for unity in our party,” he stated.
Chief Ejidike, narrated that the state executive of APC, had visited all the governorship aspirants of the party in the last governorship election and discussed on ways to reconcile everyone.
‘Anambra APC is now better positioned because President Tinubu is a politician and a core party man. we are hopeful that the labours of our hands in the party will be rewarded under President Tinubu.
‘ I am sure that before the end of this year, everybody will be heading in one direction, that is APC, which is the only way democracy can thrive in Nigeria,” he concluded.
However, some other leaders of the party like Senator Andy Uba, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Margery Okadigbo, Senator Emma Anosike were absent.
Ngige did not state any reason for his absence but Uba and Okadigbo gave reasons for not coming to Anambra for the stakeholders meeting.
Some of those in attendance included Chief Sam Oraegbunam (Ozocha), the State Assistant Secretary and the State Publicity Secretary Dr ValMax Iyke Oliobi (Ikemba Nimo), among others.