Political Parties Light-up Communities With Campaigns, Goodies

AHEAD the 2015 general elections, the grassroots has come alive and active across the country, as political parties step up their electioneering campaigns.

  Across the six geo-political zones, the parties and their candidates are seriously jostling with series of strategies to get the attention of the people.

   This seems to be the most interesting period, with series of empowerment programmes coming up daily. The politicians are really bombarding the communities with different strategies to catch the attention of the electorate. It will be an understatement to note that the grassroots people, at present are enjoying a new status. 

  Now, the new lexicon in democratic governance in Nigeria Stomach Infrastructure seems to have taken the centre stage, as branded edibles and fabrics are being doled out on daily basis, including cash.

  Even commercial activities at the grassroots have improved drastically, as campaign venues have become empowered to boost the economy for traders who sell water, brooms and other consumable goods.

  It is worthy of note that while some are doling out cash and other goodies to entice the electorate, others have been innovative in their strategies; some have adopted the strategy of delivering critical infrastructure that would have long-lasting effect on the people.

   The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had to redouble his constituency presence by providing more visible democracy dividends to the various communities in the district. 

   Massive earth roads crisscrossing various communities in Ebonyi and Enugu States were constructed, water projects and rural electrification projects were also embarked upon, just as employment opportunities and bursary grants were made available to young people.  

  In Ogun, the Senatorial Candidate for Ogun East, under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun, facilitated the electrification of different towns and communities under Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state, that had been in darkness for over two years due to poor connection, bad cables and faulty equipment. 

  He paid N25 million to the electricity company, being the first tranche of the N50 million needed to provide power supply to the communities.

  At the commencement of his political campaign, the candidate asked people in the senatorial district to prioritise their challenges. It was then he discovered that communities were suffering power outages for over two years.

  After talks with the power company, the APC chieftain offered to assist the firm with N50m to enable it restore power supply to the affected communities.

  During the presentation of the cheque at the palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland in the presence of seven traditional rulers from the area, the Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, revealed that the gesture was unprecedented, adding that the efforts being made by the politician are indications of what to expect when he gets to office.

  Responding on behalf of the communities, the Onisin of Ilusin, Oba Adesanya Taiwo Oseni, stated that “the power project is the most important thing we desire in the Waterside. Our sons and daughters don’t come home during festive periods and their major complaint is lack of power supply. As this project is done, Prince Abiodun has written his name in gold in Ogun Waterside.”

  In Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, the House of Representatives member, who wants to return to the Lower House on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adekunle Adeyemi has provided 500KVA electricity transformers to the people of Adenibuyan, Akute and Arigbajo.

   He also built a community hall in Matogun; blocks of classrooms in Okenla Primary School, Ifo; he provided solar street lights across the area; youth empowerment programmes and development of grassroots sports to engage the youths actively, was also carried out to win the heart of his people. 

  In Ondo State, the House of Representatives candidate for Akoko South East/South West Federal Constituency, Kolawole Babatunde, organised a yuletide party for the people of the constituency. It was a gathering that had majority of the women folk in attendance at his Akunga residence. He noted that the party appreciated the people; in pursuance of his vision for them, hence the need to celebrate the season together.

  He gave a cow and some cash gifts, stressing that such is one of the ways of giving back to the society and identify with them.

  Babatunde emphasised that the gifts were shared among the people to make them happy and to celebrate the ideals of the party, which underlines their sense of belonging and strong family ties.

  In Delta, during the last quarter of 2014, a member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Kennedy Daubry, representing Burutu Constituency II, empowered more than 100 women drawn from all the communities that make up the constituency with a cash of N50, 000 each, to assist them in setting up small scale businesses.

  He said the gesture was to uplift the living standards of his people, adding that he has the mandate of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at both state and the local levels to embark on the empowerment exercise.

   In Anambra, the lawmaker representing Ihiala 1 State constituency in the State House of Assembly, Prince Chito Modestus Ohazuluike Tokas also empowered over 300 hundred-market women in his constituency.

  Tokas who said his primary responsibility was the welfare and well being of his people in Ihiala local government area, emphasised that rather than hoard constituency funds, he believed that using such funds to better the lives of the people was most paramount.