The Action Peoples Party (APP) governorship in Abia State, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, has urged residents of the State to give him their mandate at the 2023 general election, promising to deliver good governance.
Speaking through his deputy Professor Osondu Akoma during an online interview with a select group of Abia journalists, Kalu did an in-depth analysis of the State’s malaise in various sectors including agriculture, education, health, workers’ welfare, infrastructure and youth unemployment, attributing the situation to lack of leadership initiative.
The governorship hopeful acknowledged that Abians have been shortchanged by past administrations through mis-governance, promising to reverse the narrative if voted into office.
“For the people of Abia,” he lamented, “it has been a colossal failure in service delivery of democracy dividends.”
He noted that in spite of its enormous human and material resources, the State has been plagued by infrastructural decay, poverty stemming from huge outstanding wage bills, joblessness and restiveness, especially amongst the youth population.
“We want to change things for the better and we’re coming with the passion to work. Therefore, we will roll up our sleeves from day one to rebuild the State,” Chief Kalu declared, adding that the mantra of his team is ‘Let’s Make Abia Great Again.’
Chief of Staff to former Governor Theodore Orji, the APP governorship candidate said the position exposed him to the nuances of democratic governance, hence he is not coming to office to learn on the job.
Rather, Kalu said, he and his team would get down to real business of governance from day one, by bringing his wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors to bear on the governance of the State.
“I will deploy all my energy, intellect, sagacity and emotional capacity to rebuild the State and rekindle hope in our people.
“We will pay premium to education by giving equal opportunities to the children of both the rich and the poor. We will provide free and compulsory education to primary and secondary school levels. We also intend to create 10,000 jobs each year and by so doing, address the restiveness amongst the youths.
“We will dedicate funding to build roads in both urban and rural areas, revamp moribund industries such Adapalm, Umuahia Modern Ceramics, Abia Breweries and others.
“We intend to enter into Public Private Partnership (PPP) with multilateral agencies to create jobs particularly for our discontent youths who have been abandoned to their fate. We believe that when there are jobs are, it would have multiplier effect of income generation which would further boast tax, enhance revenue for government and ultimately accelerate growth and development.
“We will, however, be meticulous to address the issue of multiple taxation, which has the set back for small and medium businesses in the State. For all intents and purposes, we will be conscious and deliberate to protect the poor hawkers and vendors who have been at the receiving end of government’s insensitivity in unleashing multiple taxes on such vulnerable classes of Abians.
“As much as possible, we will emphasize on corporate tax payment through innovative ways and global practices to boost state revenue. Through a strategic deployment of e-commerce and SMART governance, we will avoid leakages and multiple taxation and strive to grant tax relief to small businesses.
“Abia is our project; a better Abia is what we stand for. We will shift the paradigm, change the narrative and be the path of sustainable growth and development.”
For the avoidance of doubt, Mascot Kalu said he is not coming into office as anybody’s lackey.