Imo electorate group demands implementation of citizens’ manifesto

A GROUP of the electorate drafted from the three senatorial districts of Imo East, Imo West and Imo North senatorial districts rose its maiden electoral gathering on Monday at the Legend Hotel, Owerri, presenting what they called Citizens’ Manifesto, to  candidates seeking their votes for political office .

They are insisting   that if  such candidates  fail to comply by entering into social contract with them, they  would adopt what they called Option 4  which  would see them invalidating their ballot papers during polls.

  In the gathering organized by the UKaid Actionaid and Development Dynamics, led by the Programms Officer, Dr. Jude Ohanele, the group who after brain storming on the topic “Strengthening Citizens’ Engagement in the Electoral Process (SCEEP), Imo State”, demanded that the candidates seeking to be elected must prioritize free quality education, provision of water, electricity and alternative power supply (solar energy); building of school for the blind; payment of gratuity of retired physically challenged and appointment of physically challenged persons into the areas that concern them; construction of roads and control of erosions in the areas of need in the state; provision of door- to- door security, provision of soft loans to farmers and traders; taking Agriculture serious in order to create more jobs for the unemployed; making legislation and budget open for the citizens; provision of jobs for at least 10 per cent of the physically challenged in the state; provision of rice, oil and cassava mills, in the areas of need in Amuro, Ihitte Uboma among others.

  Three representatives of the groups from the three senatorial zones, Joseph Udechukwu, Mrs. Loveth Anyanwu and Chijioke Amadi, had made their submissions known before they were adopted as a condition for the people of the areas to participate in casting their votes for their choice candidates, regretting that the politicians had allegedly failed to provide the needs listed.

  Representative of visually impaired persons, Ekiroha Ndubuisi, a lawyer and that of  retired physically challenged persons, Iwe C. O. Abintus, had regretted that no school of the blind was constructed anywhere in the state as a result of which challenged indigenes of Imo travel to Abia State to obtain primary education.   The physically challenged who retired about seven years ago were yet to be paid gratuity while some retired Permanent Secretaries  collected theirs in the neighbourhood of N12 million soon after retirement.

  Speaking,  Ohanele said the forum was organized to allow the citizens articulate and produce what they called “Citizens’ Manifesto” to demand their needs from the candidates who would form the  government of the day.