Having obtained Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) nomination form, I, Chidi Onyechuku Uwabuofu on the 27th day of October 2017, declared my intention to contest for the office of the Ukwuani Local Government Area Council Chairman which has been slated to hold on the 6th of January, 2018.
I have come to this resolve after careful rumination on the challenges confronting Ukwuani LGA (our LGA) and on the strength of clear understanding and conviction of my innate ability to provide the needed leadership in our collective search for solutions.
If voted in, my administration’s agenda would be focused on the following areas:
*Accountable Leadership
*All-inclusive Governance
*Improved Security
*A Peaceful And Unified Ukwuani
*Meaningful Empowerment which will include giving assistance to our farmers to increase agricultural outputs
*Youth Development
*Infrastructural Development
*Resuscitation of Abandoned Projects Across the LGA
*Promotion of the welfare of the market women, less privileged, school children, as well as providing an enabling environment for our artisans to thrive.
It has always been my foremost dream to serve my people by any means, and over the years i have sought within my limited capacity, to find or to create avenues for myself to do so because it is something that gives me a pride and a joy like no other. Thus, the chairmanship election presents to me a unique opportunity to once more take my social service to another level. It is an opportunity for us all, one we cannot afford to miss, one which we must grab conscientiously with both hands, and with your support I believe that together we can effect the change which we desire for the good of all.
Some people have predicted that the forthcoming election is going to be the fiercest election that the Ukwuani people have ever seen given the calibre of the other candidates, and many have sincerely advised me out of goodwill to step down, “Politics is dangerous” they said. But i declined because I believe otherwise, politics is not dangerous, it is people who are dangerous. There is a popular quote by the Irish philosopher Edmond Burke, he said “Evil prevails when good men fail to act”. For so long we have left our fate in the hands of people who do not have our interests at heart, and i have watched as we have continually allowed ourselves to be deceived by the same tricks over and over again. Our future is a bright one and we all know that, for years we have been told this by the same old people, yet today we are left to grope in the dark where it has become infinitely difficult to tell the difference between what we are offered, and what we deserve, but no more. Today I insist that our people deserve quality and effective representation. Today I insist that our duty as young men and women is to save our generation. Today I insist that we must say no to individuals who have no plans to better our lives but their own. We must strive to know, to find, and to get what we deserve, to emerge from the shadows and be recognized for what we really are, a great people.
We must not allow petty sentiments to continue rob us of our common sensibilities. We must be ready as a people to take our common destiny in our hands, to embrace a leadership that recognizes the strength of the youth, the service of the market women, the patronage of the elderly, and the future of children and ordinary men like us in the street in making our society work again, a leadership that cuts across all divides, be it political, social, religious, or gender. THE OLD WAY MUST END NOW, we have seen with our own eyes that it doesn’t work, why we don’t take this chance to try a new way, and join me on this exciting journey of liberation.
Given my comparatively humble background, some people have likened the forthcoming elections to a replay of the biblical fight between David and Goliath. It is an interesting analogy only i do not see this as a fight for i am not desperate for power, neither do I dream of gold. I am merely a young man with a vision to see my people grow like their counterparts in other Local Governments, because it pains me to see the stagnation in the Ukwuani people, and we have stagnated because we have failed to see the bigger picture, we have stagnated because we have continued to sell our destinies for bags of rice, wrappers, small change and other cheap incentives which our politicians have used to lure us into committing our fate into their selfish hands. Which is why when people call to ask me where I’m going to find money to throw around, or who my sponsors are, I tell them that I do not intend to buy my way in, but to convince the people to buy into my vision and agenda with shear sincerity, enthusiasm and purpose driven selflessness. As a matter of fact, it is only logical that the unfortunate state of our LGA can directly be traced to elected individuals doing the most to recover the huge sums which they spend during campaigns buying their way into office, while neglecting the needs and yearnings of the people.
For those of you who are in doubt, who question the possibility of this vision actually surviving the gruesome tides of politics as we have come to know it in our society, Let me assure you one thing; I was fully aware that it was going to be a daunting task before I embarked on this journey, and that it would be hard enough just to win this election even with a lot of money and tons of sponsors at my disposal, my opponents are popular and seasoned politicians in our community, perhaps too seasoned. They have seen it all and done it all and I am merely the underdog, but I appreciate the challenge, and I thrive on the belief that we as a people will come together to see the promise which it holds and align our stars with the fervent hopes of a rising sun, rather than cling to the disappearing dreams of a setting one. It is high time we ushered in a new day, it is high time we woke up and smelled the coffee. So on this note, I would say that wealth does not necessarily amount to money, and the support of the people is only priceless. My supporters are my sponsors, you are my sponsor, the next person you can convince about our vision is my sponsor too, and therein lies your sponsorship. Preach it in your various political wards and communities, places of worship, at work, or even in the farm. Tell it to yourself and to your family members as well as friends and let us usher in a new dawn together. And if you feel generous and you are moved to help out financially, kindly reach out to us, we would be very grateful, because we will not achieve this without everyone getting involved in their own little way. This is the kind of politics we want to see, not a kind that has each person thinking for his own personal gains, but one that unifies us in solidarity for a good cause, and maybe gradually we can begin to reprogram the thinking of our people who demand money for votes and then have to wait four years to have a voice again, because when you take money (bribe) from politicians in exchange for votes then you have no moral justification to hold them accountable when they fail. This is the example we want to set, and i make this plea to every native of ukwuani near, far and wide, and irrespective of political party, and if we win I promise that it will be a victory for the entirety of the Ukwuani people, because we shall bring about a development which does not discriminate. Let us support what is right and good, let us do things differently to see results, let us believe.
If you quite agree with the above submission or share our vision, preach the gospel of demonitizing politics, share on social media, Support, Campaign for and Vote Chidi Onyechuku Uwabuofu, Vote Social Democratic Party (SDP). So help me God. Thank you.
