By Aderogba George
Dr Ojukwu Nzube, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the FCT, has pledged to prioritise youth empowerment, healthcare improvement and economic development if elected into the green chamber in 2027.
Nzube made the pledge in an interview with newsmen, following his endorsement under a consensus arrangement adopted by aspirants and party stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
He thanked the people of the constituency and fellow aspirants for the confidence reposed in him, saying his aspiration was driven by the desire to provide purposeful, inclusive and people-centred representation.
The candidate identified unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, poor healthcare services and limited educational opportunities as major challenges confronting residents of the constituency.
He pledged to attract development projects, support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and create opportunities for women and young people through entrepreneurship and skill acquisition programmes.
Nzube, who noted that the current environment was not conducive for many young people to thrive, promised to devote at least 50 per cent of constituency resources under his watch to youth empowerment and engagement programmes.
He added that deliberate support for SMEs would stimulate economic growth and help reduce unemployment.
“Many traders operate with very little capital. If they receive support equivalent to or even double their current capital base, they will be able to expand their businesses and create more opportunities.
“This is one practical way of reducing unemployment. If AMAC/Bwari federal constituency succeeds in lifting 50 per cent of its youths out of poverty and similar efforts are replicated across Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies, unemployment will gradually become a thing of the past,” he said.
On healthcare, Nzube described the condition of some primary healthcare facilities in the constituency as disturbing.
He recalled a recent visit to a health facility in Wasa where he observed inadequate infrastructure, insufficient equipment and shortage of medical personnel.
“It is unfortunate that in the 21st century, communities within the Federal Capital Territory still lack adequate government presence in the health sector.
“What I saw were mainly tables and chairs, with little evidence of medical equipment or sufficient personnel.“Many women in these communities, especially expectant mothers, face emergencies without access to proper healthcare services,” he said.
He pledged to advocate the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres and improved staffing of health facilities across the constituency.
According to him, effective representation requires lawmakers to engage ministries, departments and agencies to attract projects and services that will benefit constituents.
Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Mr Stephen Ukpai, said stakeholders and aspirants in the constituency adopted Nzube as their consensus candidate after consultations with party leaders and other stakeholders.
Ukpai said that the decision was intended to foster unity within the party and avoid disputes associated with the primary election process.
“The constitution and relevant provisions allow for direct or indirect primaries, but in order to save the party the stress, we decided to adopt consensus,” he said.
He said that the aspirants had forwarded their decision to the party leadership for formal ratification and submission to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
An aspirant, who also participated in the consensus process but requested anonymity, said concerns over the conduct of the primary election prompted stakeholders to embrace the consensus option.
The aspirant alleged that many contestants were not adequately informed about the venue and modalities of the exercise, leaving them unable to participate effectively.
“Faced with the possibility of being disenfranchised, we decided it was better to come together and agree on a consensus candidate rather than allow the situation to divide us further,” the aspirant said.
Similarly, a party chieftain, Dr Patrick Ezie, said the adoption of a consensus candidate followed the failure of the primaries to hold in the constituency.
Ezie said that the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution recognised both consensus arrangement and primary elections as legitimate methods of selecting candidates.
He said the aspirants subsequently agreed to support Nzube and urged the party leadership to conclude the ratification process ahead of the general elections.
Nzube reaffirmed NDC’s commitment to providing alternative leadership and addressing governance challenges facing the country.
“NDC is here to provide direction where APC has failed. We are committed to getting it right and adding greater value to the lives of our people and the society at large,” he said.(NAN)
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq
