Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has assured the people of the state of a possible 24-hour power supply.
Soludo stated this in his acceptance speech as the national leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), made available to our correspondent by his press secretary, Christian Aburime.
Soludo in his address said,” We are working on power to provide 24-hour power. We’re getting started. People will have access to high-speed wifi and internet, thanks to the installation of 2000 kilometers of fiber optic cable.
He maintained that his government would not discriminate against any Nigerian in any form or manner, stressing that patronages in administration would base purely on merit.
Paying tributes to the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and a former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, who had led APGA before him, Soludo said APGA had the potential to make Nigeria the world’s largest black nation.
His address read in part, “It is with a sense of humility and gratitude to God, that I humbly accept the honour of being the national leader of APGA.This has humbled me! I’m feeling the weight of history right now. The All Progressives Grand Alliance is a coalition of all progressives. I feel the weight of our forebearers and those who have sacrificed their lives to ensure the survival of this great party
“There was a grand progressive alliance in the first and second republics that included the UPN, RPP, NPP, and others.APGA is a 21-year-old political party that was the first to be registered with the word “progressives” in its name. Fortuitously, it is registered with ‘grand alliance’ of progressives. APGA,therefore is the home for all progressives. It is a history with two leaders, and I’m honoured to be the third.
“I must pay tribute to my predecessors, Late Sir Chukwuemeka Ojukwu of blessed memory, the first National Leader of APGA, Chief Willie Obiano, my immediate predecessor as APGA’s second leader, and here I am.
“I pledge to work every day, every second, every minute, every hour with all of you, our thronging members, so that all progressives in Nigeria will know that APGA is their home.
“APGA is the third largest political party in Nigeria and will continue to grow from strength to strength. When the country is ready, APGA will be there to provide the true progressivism that Nigeria needs
APGA has the potential to make Nigeria the world’s largest black nation. APGA has the potential to expand its domain in Nigeria. We have representation in the Governorship, House of Representatives, and National House of Assembly.
We have a responsibility to work very hard to maintain and expand our pace.
This great party has my personal commitment. I came to this platform after many thoughtful years, and I read the party’s constitution and manifesto. It is the first political party to pledge support for true federalism.
“APGA is still the road map to a better Nigeria. I will uphold this party’s principles and ethics.Because our motto is “leave no one behind,” our policies and programmes are centered on the people. APGA promotes competitiveness, competence, and a unified Nigeria.
“We didn’t care which state you were from when we were recruiting. We will hire you once you have proven to be the best! We began paying the teachers we hired during their documentation.
We increased employees’ pay by 10%. This is a pro-people government because that is who we are. We leave no one behind, which is why we are progressives who care about people.
“We are living the true essence of our party, which is progressivism and unity.
APGA will win in the coming months, and then the real work will begin. We will run for every office in the country and, by God’s grace, we will win.
“I must commend APGA’s outstanding leadership, particularly in difficult circumstances. This leadership you have demonstrated will benefit future generations of APGA supporters. We must work hard to preserve our party’s name and greatness.”
