The Candidates with members of UMF
The chairmanship candidates of the registered political parties in Ukwuani LGA, Delta State, have reeled out their plans for the people of the LGA if voted into office in the forthcoming council election in the state.
The candidates who spoke at the first Media Debate organised by the Ukwuani Media Forum (UFM) in Obiaruku, the headquarters of the Ukwuani Local Government Area on the 26/09/14 focussed on the key economic and political problems of the LGA, most especially on road maintenance, health care, agriculture, security, unemployment.
The Candidates at the event
Speaking during the opening, Mr Ben Olokume, the chairman of the organising body and publisher of the Investigators Newspaper said that the debate was organised to allow the candidates to tell the people of Ukwuani to directly tell the people of Ukwuani their programs and how they intend solving the problems.
Our special guests,
Hon Ochor Ochor and Chief Fidelis Tillije and Rep of NNU
The debate which featured the candidates of All Progressive Grands Alliance (APGA), Chief Chris Ijibike, All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Vickson Aghanenu, Labour Party (LP), Chief Fidelis Ishie and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barr Lymbrey Ugbo, the other two parties the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Benedicta Ndudi Osakunih-Izegbue and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Mr Eze Oloye were absent.
Publisher of Ndokwa Reporters, Mr Emmanuel Enebeli at the event, also Mrs Cordilia Olise member of UMF
The four chairmanship candidates who engaged themselves in an intellectual debate on the way forward for the development of the LGA and her people, decried the lack of proper development of the area, and believed that the LGA would have been super developed but for the corrupt attitude of the ruling party in the states.
Members of the Media Forum, with other Media men, in front is Mr Ben Olokume and Mr Marcus Enud. Miss Nkechi of the Council Information office, and Twilight Newspaer Correspondent, Mr Oye Chijioke
Speaking individually they hinged on the massive infrastructural development if voted into office, most especially in the area of youth empowerment and security.
Speaking at the occasion, the Transition Chairman, Ukwuani LGA, Hon Ochor Chris Ochor, hailed the organisers and rated the debate high, but called for improvement in the future, according to him “in debates like this, the various electoral bodies in the area is supposed to be invited to observe the debate”.
Hon Ochor however appraised the fact that the event was a success being the first media debate to be organised in the state, and Ndokwa Nation, he therefore called for its sustenance.
Also speaking, Chief Fidelis Okenmor Tilije, who also was present at the occasion, thanked the organisers for such an initiative and thanked all the candidates for honouring the debate.
The debate which was well attended by stakeholders of the various political parties, created room for the audience to directly ask the candidates questions on vital areas of the social economic development of the area, and what they will do if voted into office.
….PDP, PDM candidates Absent
Meanwhile, the candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr Benedicta Ndudi Osakunih-Izegbue and that of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Mr Eze Oloye were conspicuously absent at the media debate, so also members of both party.
According to information received from the two candidates some personal and official assignments made it impossible for them to attend the media debate.
For Barr Osakunih-Izegbue, who her Special Assistant, Mr Azuka Enujeke made several attempt to the organisers the night before the event to ascertain the form the event will take, was according to information had an urgent party assignment that made it impossible to attend the event.
According to information from her office, “she had made all preparation to attend, but the party assignment needed to be attended to”.
However, the case of Mr Eze Oloye was that of marriage, as the intending chairman was knotting the ties with his new bride, this made it impossible for him to take part in the debate.
(Full details of the media debate will soon be published as par individual candidates and other part of the forum events)
