South-East should embrace APC to enhance critical development of the zone, says Senator Utazi

From Maurice Okafor. Enugu.

The Senator who represented Enugu North senatorial district in the 8th and 9th National Assembly on the platform of PDP, has urged the Governors and people of the Southeast zone to embrace the ruling party, APC, as a measure of facilitating socio-infrastructural development of the zone.

Senator Utazi who resigned his membership of PDP a few weeks ago is currently canvassing for APC to be rooted in the five states of the zone so that the Igbo nation will be part of the central government, from which they can also negotiate for power.

He made the clarion call while being a guest on a popular Radio programme known as ‘Freedom Square’ anchored by Dr Uchenna Cyril Anioke on Solid FM, a private Radio s
station based in Enugu but with national outreach.

His words, ‘My decision to join the ruling party APC which is a national party is not about Senator Utazi. It is about our people. The resources available are enough to accommodate the socio-infrastructural development of the South East zone. We shall learn to practise politics of inclusivity, not exclusivity. Let us in the South East think out of the box. I have participated in the National Assembly politics which enabled me to move around the country and see what is happening.

“In the South East zone, We dissipate so much energy in the so-called opposition parties while some other zones are reaping hugely from the government at the centre from resources that belongs to all of us”

Senator Utazi urged Ndigbo to embrace the party at the centre after the elections instead of remaining in the opposition, describing the parties as mere platforms to win elections.

He stressed that the APC is already addressing the infrastructural decay in the road sector with the appointment of Chief
Dave Umahi as minister of works. He said there was no way an Igbo man would be appointed to such a plum position if Dave Umahi had not joined APC and worked very hard with the party. He expressed optimism that more Igbo politicians will gain political appointments if the zone embraces APC.

According to him, South East governors lament the paucity of funds to execute some of their projects but their colleagues in the ruling party enjoy the privilege of attracting some federal government parastatals to execute their projects.

Senator Utazi lamented, “As a Senator, I travelled to various parts of the country and saw the rate of socio-infrastructural development assisted by the federal parastatals. Therefore. I am pleading with our people to join the central government. Their colleagues are enjoying the advantage of belonging to the national party.

He appraised the South East governors as doing well but said they would perform more if they joined APC. Senator Utazi the governors of the South East zone will also be in a position to negotiate for power rotation to the zone when it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the next president of the country.

Senator Utazi said he will embark on the project to let political stakeholders across the Southeast Zone v
to see a reason to embrace APC as the National party to negotiate the interests of the zone.