By Theresa Donatus, Uyo
One of the Frontline aspirants for the office of governor in Akwa Ibom State under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, Mr. James Iniama has listed security, education, agriculture, infrastructure development, power generation and distribution as well as human capacity building among others, as critical areas he has mapped out to tackle, given the mandate in 2023.
The top notch Estate Surveyor and Valuer identified these while consulting the State Executive members of his Party, PDP over the weekend, said he has obtained the nomination and expression of interest forms in preparation for the election in 2023.
The governorship hopeful, a graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka who hails from Ikot Ayan Itam in Itu local government area said as a businessman and a politician who has contested for the exulted seat in 2007, he was well knowledgeable of the challenges in various sectors of the state’s economy adding that time has come for him to fulfill his dream of offering sacrificial service to the state.
“̋I understand the needs of Akwa Ibom State people, we need to come together to manage the state. Akwa Ibom is richly endowed with a lot of resources. I know the state because I grew up here. We will designate agricultural area and advised farmers on where best to cultivate. The time has come where we must come together to get the education system come up. We will discourage rural urban drift by sustaining power distribution and generationˮ. Iniama stated.
According to him, having consulted the people in twenty nine local government areas in the state so far, he deemed it necessary to visit the hierarchy of the party in the state for their blessing in the build up to the general elections.
Setting the tone for the consultation earlier, the Deputy Director General of the Campaign Organization, Architect Okon Nseabasi said Surveyor James Iniama was not a new entrant having contested the position in 2007, hence the depth of knowledge, level of mature and decorum expressed by his teaming supporters.
Receiving the aspirant in the party Secretariat, Atan Ofot, near Uyo the state capital, the State Chairman of the people’s Democratic Party, (PDP) Elder Aniekan Akpan flanked by executive members and chapter chairmen of the party, saluted the maturity and peaceful conduct exhibited by the teeming supporters of the governorship hopeful during their visit.
He described Iniama as a man of high intellectual capacity, noting that with the content in the blue print presented, given the opportunity, he will do well for the state.
Elder Akpan pledged that his led executive would ensure a transparent process where all delegates would be allowed to vote even as every aspirant is free to meet and consult with delegates for the election.
“I must commend you and your team, what we have witnessed today is an indication of who you are. With the crowd that we have here; we have seen decorum, we have seen discipline, it shows that you are a great leader. We know you, we know your antecedents in the private sector and your desire not only now, even in the pass to render service to the people of Akwa Ibom.
“You asked for blessing: I can say that you are already blessed. If you have been able to go through 29 LGAs freely, meeting with delegates which I am sure some of them are here with you, then you are a blessed man.” The party chairman expressed.
He intimated the people that a new party card has been given out as directed by the National body of the party and advised party men and women to ensure that their cards are ready with them, to avoid being disenfranchised during the elections.
