By PETER ANOSIKE

Imo State House of Assembly Member-elect for Isu State Constituency, Hon. Modestus Abiaze Osakwe, has said that he would go to any length to serve his people. Speaking in an interview with newsmen, he said that his mission to the House of Assembly was to go and cry on behalf of his people who have not really benefitted any dividends of democracy since the dawn of civil rule in 1999. In this interview, he also spoke, among other issues, on the torturous steps it took to get his election result declared almost one month after the election was held.

Excerpts:

How do you feel now that INEC has finally declared you the winner of the March 18 House of Assembly election?

Well, I want to say that I feel happy. But the happiness is not really for me but the good people of Isu Constituency who suspended everything that they were to do on March 18, 2023 to queue up and vote massively for me. After the voting, they also waited for the votes to be counted and uploaded. So, they dedicated their whole day for my sake. Then imagine after all the sacrifice, the result was with-held for almost one month before being officially declared by INEC. So, it was like their sacrifices for me being a waste or becoming in vain. That was one thing that I was not happy about, because I saw what they went through before and on the day of the election.

Why did it take that long before the result was declared?

This is Nigeria where, unfortunately, anything can happen. It took more than one month for INEC to declare the result and, for me, the process of getting the result declared was very torturous. Before the election was conducted, we all had very high hopes based on the promises of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).We were assured of free, fair and credible election with the use of BVAS and IREV. The promise made those who have not voted before to come out and vote because they felt that their votes would count, unlike in the previous elections. But as the saying goes, it was easier said than done. When the die was cast, the people were terribly disappointed. It was not what they were promised by the electoral body that they saw. The good people of Isu came out with high hopes. They did all the things that they were supposed to do. They queued up for accreditation and voted. The whole exercise was seamless. At the end of the day, the votes were counted at the various polling units and later collated and I won. But some forces decided that the results would not be declared because it was not their candidate that won. We began to pressurize INEC to declare the mandate that I have been freely given by my people. But it was not easy because the forces that sat on the election result were high up. We had to go all the way to Abuja to make sure that the right was done. What counted strongly for me is because my victory at the polls was very clear. My polling unit agents sent me the results from their various polling units, so it was not easy to manipulate or re-write them.

What vision do you have for your people?

My campaign slogan was “Better Life For Isu 2023” and that is what I stand for. Another word for democracy is development but since the dawn of democracy in 1999, my people have not really witnessed the transformation that comes with democracy. So, my mission to the Imo State House of Assembly is to make sure that the good people of Isu get the dividends of democracy. I am going to give them sincere, quality and purposeful representation. I know the pain points of my people and I am going to the House to make sure that they are addressed. Going to the House of Assembly is an opportunity for me to show the good people of Isu appreciation for the love that they have shown to me over the years. So, my vision is better life for Isu people and I am not going to deviate from that.

How can you give better life when you are not in the executive?

I know that as a law maker, my business is strictly legislation. But I will make sure that whatever is due to my people from the executive gets to them. I will make sure that the House and, by extension the executive, hear the challenges that my people are going through. I will build relationships and contacts that would ensure that in every budget that would be passed in the House, there must be something for Isu constituency. I know that it will not be easy. But it is not impossible. My dream is that at the end of my tenure, Isu people will witness the transformation that comes with democracy and testify that I have made them proud.

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