•Decries state of trust deficit in governance

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) gubernatorial candidate in Enugu state, Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr), at the weekend decried the current state of trust deficit in government and expressed disappointment with the way and manner the leadership of Enugu state failed to inspire the citizenry in different aspects of governance.

The former Information and Communication Minister who spoke on Sunday during a consultative meeting with members of Nsukka Professionals Association (NPA),at the Best Western Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos lamented that non industrialization of has kept Enugu state as a civil service state.

He told the non-political elite group made up of Nsukka indigenes in Enugu state that the meeting which was scheduled at his instance was an opportunity for him to discuss his development agenda for Enugu State as a potential Governor of the state with a view to getting their support towards winning the election.

In his speech which lasted for over one hour, the Governorship candidate began by decrying the current state of trust deficit inherent in government. He expressed disappointment with the way and manner the leadership of Enugu State has failed to inspire the citizenry in different aspects of governance, particularly non industrialization which has kept Enugu as a civil service state.

Nweke Jnr noted that rather than develop, the state has steadily slipped into retrogression in many fronts, notably in infrastructure, education, service delivery, security and others while the level of corruption has escalated rather than abate.

Making references to the developmental feats of a one-time Southeast regional leader, late Dr. Michael Okpara, the former Minister expressed dismay that none of the recent and present leaders of the state has been able to selflessly replicate the same level of developmental efforts like Okpara.

The APGA candidate explained that his venture into the Governorship race was prompted by the urge to bring back the lost glory of the state in many ways ranging from qualitative education for the youths, road infrastructure, attraction of investors, provision of safe and secure environment, agriculture, industrialization and many others.

He hoped to leverage on his national and international exposure as a former Minister and other global standard competencies on his side to create the much needed investment opportunities and employment for citizens of the state as a way of reducing incidence of crime.

Nweke was worried that the current state of moral decay and criminality in the state was becoming alarming and attributed same largely to lack of education and unemployment even as the state's indebtedness was upscaling with little or nothing to show for it.

With respect to the escalating spate of insecurity in Enugu and other parts of Nigeria, Nweke said the geometric increase in population with a declining state of infrastructural development and poor education was largely responsible for it and promised that if elected Governor apart from creating opportunities for investment and employment, he would ensure that security agents are given adequate recognition and assistance more than what currently obtains.

He also promised to create a conducive environment where the citizens see it as their responsibility to always assist the law enforcement agencies in intelligence gathering as fighting crime cannot be the job of the security agents alone.

According to him, I will fully deploy modern technology in the fight against crimes so as to be some steps ahead of the criminals.

Earlier in his welcome address, President of the Nsukka Professionals Association, Mr. Charles Nwodo (Jnr) said the Association was not a mass movement but a limited group of people legitimately engaging in professions and businesses in Lagos, Abuja and in the diaspora.

He explained that the aim of the association largely centres on engendering development of Nsukka cultural zone and support to non-state actors involved in developmental endeavors.

According to Nwodo, “We are non-partisan but have political preferences with a uniting factor which is the development of Nsukka and the entire Enugu State.”

The NPA Chieftain told the former Minister that the decision of the Association to meet with him as requested on a day, they ought to be involved in some personal engagement was a demonstration of the importance the Association places on the choice of who governs the state.

No fewer than twenty five members of the Nsukka Professionals Association were present at the event and they included academics, business executives, legal practitioners, Journalists, gospel preachers etc.

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