Why The People Are Resolved to Re-elect Ndudi Elumelu to the House of Representatives

   By Richard Ihediwa 

Our attention was brought to an article published by one of the national dailies authored by Dr. Ide Tony Nwaka. 

In the article, Dr. Nwaka, the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency election in Delta State dwelt on self-praise and highfalutin conjectures, ostensibly to distract the much more popular Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu OON.

The APC Candidate sounded very melancholic, frustrated by lack of celebratable attainments and record of performance, a situation that awfully dwarfed and renders him politically insignificant before Ndudi Elumelu’s towering achievements and intimidating popularity among the people.

Dr. Nwaka sounded bitter that the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, in their wisdom, elected Hon. Elumelu for three tenures and that they are set to re-elect him into the House of Representatives in the 2023 general elections having made them proud with his unbeaten record of performance in legislative activities and constituency projects.

Like a man denying the cover of the tree under which he enjoys shelter, the APC Candidate sought to underplay the massive and manifest achievements of Hon. Elumelu in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, from which he benefits and for which the people are resolved to re-elect Elumelu into the House of Representatives. But, of course, no one changes an ace player in a crucial game. 

Dr. Nwaka should come to terms with the fact that the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency are not ready to jettison a winning lead in Elumelu who is nationally and internationally acclaimed as one of the best lawmakers in Nigeria; one of the most prolific in sponsoring of people-oriented bills and motions as well as one of the most celebrated in terms of Constituency projects and empowerment of constituents. 

It is on record that there is hardly a week in session in the 9th Assembly without Elumelu sponsoring or co-sponsoring bills or motions that impact on the lives of the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency. In the same vein, there is hardly a month that passed without him executing infrastructural or citizen empowerment programme for the benefit of his constituents.

Hon. Elumelu has the credit of articulating, sponsoring and co-sponsoring over 70 bills and motions including the bill for the creation of Anioma state, as well as the bill for the establishment of Federal University of Technology, Asaba, Delta State among others.

Others include a motion for the Restoration of Aniocha South Constituency as well as motions for immediate intervention on the onicha-uku/idumuje, onicha-uku/idumu-ogo roads; as well as the Benin-Warri and Benin-Asaba-Onitsha highways and other critical infrastructures that serve Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency and Delta State in general.

This is in addition to motion for equipping of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba Annex, motion for urgent restoration of electricity to Enuani in Delta State; as well as the motion for transparency in the withdrawals from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural gas (NLNG) dividends accounts to ensure maximum benefit by the people among over 70 of such motions and bills.

On empowerment and constituency projects, Rt. Hon Elumelu, who holds various national and international awards including the HAPAwards for Constituency Development Effective Representative and Leadership, ranks as one of the most prolific in the 9th Assembly.

In the last three years alone, Rt. Hon Elumelu have to his credit the direct empowerment of over 5000 of his constituents through various employments schemes and numerous constituency entrepreneurial programmes.

These comprise of the direct employment of over 150 constituents as Personal Assistants (PAs) on youth and women matters, job placements for hundreds of beneficiaries in Federal Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments and thousands of beneficiaries empowered through various interventions. 

Such intervention includes the empowering of more than 1,000 entrepreneurial constituents with over 200 tricycles and 240 motorcycles, over 300 deep freezers, 320 electricity generating sets and hundreds of sewing machines to boost their businesses and earning capacity. 

These items were delivered to beneficiaries in ceremonies graced by the Governor of Delta State and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and other eminent personalities in Delta State.

Within this period, Hon. Elumelu facilitated Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Special loan for 346 beneficiaries, facilitated Npower program for 251 beneficiaries, facilitated Conditional Cash transfer scheme for 337 persons, facilitated Federal Ministry of Water Resources empowerment programme for 79 beneficiaries, facilitated Household feeding programme for 335 beneficiaries and facilitated a Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty alleviation scheme for 30 beneficiaries among other interventions.

Hon. Elumelu also sponsored a two-day capacity training programme for 200 youths and women in cassava and rice production, after which starter packs were given to them at the end of the training. This is in addition to other skill acquisition programmes for which over 300 beneficiaries received over N300 million cash empowerment to finance their various vocations.  

To further enhance the quality of governance in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon. Elumelu sponsored a four-day capacity training programme in Abuja, for elected and inaugurated Chairmen and their Vice, alongside the elected 80 councilors in the Federal Constituency. The benefit of the capacity training is being witnessed in the quality of service at that tier of governance in the Federal Constituency.

On constituency project, there is no community in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency that does not have a people-oriented ultra-modern project executed by Hon. Elumelu including utility arterial roads and drainages, water projects, utilitarian townhalls, healthcare facilities, ultra-modern ICT centers jetties and transportation facilities in various communities.

Such include the provision of electricity facilities including over 1,200 solar street lights distributed across communities in the four Local Government Areas in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, constructions of Bishop Dibie Road in Agbor, construction of the Onicha-uku-Idumuje-Unor Road, constriction of FMC Annex Onicha Uku road, construction of Ogboli Road Ibusa Drainage project, rehabilitation of Government Hospital, Onicha Olona as well as construction of Oko and Asaba Jetty for 8 numbers of 20 passengers’ boats respectively. 

Others are the construction of Vocational Centre in Oshimili South Local Government Council premises, construction of Civic Centers in Ibusa, Ogwashi Uku, Ubulu Uku, Obomkpa among others; ICT Centers in Ogwashi Uku, Akukwu Igbo, Obomkpa; utility Town Halls in Ewulu Ejeme, Obior, Ubulu Okiti, Ugbodu, Ezi Idumuje, Ugboko, Nsukwa, Ukwunzu as well as befitting palaces for highly revered traditional rulers in the Federal Constituency among others.

This is in addition to the construction of new staff quarters and clinic for the Department of State Services (DSS) Asaba, renovation of DSS office/quarters in Aniocha, renovation of Police stations and Police quarter including in Asaba, Isselu-uku and Ogwashi-uku.

It is on record that in line with his community development efforts Elumelu ensured the facilitation of the sum of N230 million in the 2022 federal budget for the provision of electricity in nine communities in Aniocha South Local Government Area and the project has already commenced.

Indeed, there is no community in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency that do not a major imprint of Hon. Elumelu’s sterling representation in the House of Representatives for which the people are in consensus to re-elect him so that he can continue in his selfless service to the people in accordance with his already outlined programmes.

Moreover, Hon. Elumelu continues to play key role among other leaders in ensuring the unity, stability and peace of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency which has sustained the conducive atmosphere for development and productivity.

The APC Candidate should therefore respect and concede to the well-founded Will of the people in their resolve to re-elect Hon. Elumelu, a tested and trusted hand, who has brought so much and is poised to bring more to the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.

Richard Ihediwa 

is Assistant Director (Publicity), PDP