Imo 2019: Uzodinma, Ihedioha, Araraume boycott BBC debate

THE governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Araraume, yesterday boycotted the governorship debate organized by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Igbo version.

The much-publicized debate was held at the Ridge Event Centre along the Owerri/ Onitsha Road, with only one out of the four invited candidates, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) in attendance. Fielding questions from BBC anchorman and the participants, Nwosu said he was in the race to improve and consolidate on the achievements recorded by the current administration. He said he has come to take the state to the next level in terms of infrastructure and social development.

Nwosu also promised improved welfare for civil servants in the state and a better approach to the issue of payment of pensions in the state. He further promised to pay the N30,000 minimum wage if elected into office: “The issue of workers’ welfare will be given priority and my administration will pay any wage approved by the Federal Government”. According to Nwosu, his administration will pay attention to the creation of employment through investing in power and security, which he said will attract investors to the state.

On his blueprint for the education sector, Nwosu said he will sustain and improve on the free education programme of the state government, “I will not only sustain the free education policy but will ensure that our students gets the best of mentorship”. He also promised to return the schools to the churches to instill morals in the students. On why he left his former party, APC for AA, Nwosu said, “I left APC because of the injustice meted to me by the National Chairman, who robbed me of the ticket which I won but I have to continue with my ambition, so I joined the AA to actualize my ambition”.

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