Maduako ignokwe I Monday, August 23, 2021
Obiano’s N60b exra budget is for election runs – ZLP
ONITSHA, Nigeria – Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has accused Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state of planning to use N60 billion supplementary budget to manipulate electoral process in the November 6, governorship election.
The party in a statement issued by Afam Dozie Ofomata Publicity Secretary of ZLP Campaign Council cautioned the governor against seeking supplementary budget two months before the election. He said the governor is seeking the funds under the guise of a supplementary budget to bribe people during the election . According to him, Obiano is planning to waste the money in a desperate bid to play the godfather and impose his unpopular choice candidate on the state to sustain his so-called “continuity” of failure and cover the atrocities of his failed administration.
“The ZLP has already been made aware of how the Obiano camp, having realized that there is no way the APGA can win in a free and fair election is now seeking to sweep the state’s reserves and use the supplementary budget to provide slush funds for electoral bribery and enrichment of corrupt APGA leaders.
A detailed review of the so-called supplementary budget, reveals very opaque content that cannot translate into development investment reality for the benefit of the people, thus exposing an evil design to defraud the state and suppress the wishes of the Ndi Anambra at the election” he said.
According to him,ZLP is calling on Anambra people to be at alert and say no to this provocative budget robbery being plotted by the Obiano-led APGA.
” Anambra community unions, professional groups, traditional institutions, faith-based organizations, youth bodies, market unions and other stakeholders across Anambra must not allow Obiano to waste the state funds to foist his candidate on the people ” he said .
He said that Obiano must know that coffers of Anambra state are not an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for installation of his puppet, noting that the plot would be resisted by Anambra prople .
According to him, the governor should rescind every idea of a supplementary budget until after the election in November.
“Moreover, Governor Obiano by now, ought to know that Ndi Anambra have made up their minds to liberate their state by electing the people’s candidate, Dr Obiora Okonkwo (Dikeora) on the platform of the coalition ZLP and no amount of vote-buying, bribery of electoral officials and propaganda can stop this quest, which has already become an unstoppable movement.
The ZLP, therefore, advises Governor Obiano to allow the will of the people to prevail in this election. He ought to know that Ndi Anambra abhors godfatherism and that such will never have a place in the government of the state.
Governor Obiano should be cautious and use the remaining period of his tenure for the judicious deployment of the state’s resources so that he can have a legacy, rather than engaging in a futile venture of seeking to install a stooge to whom he will play godfather.
He must know that the best thing is for him to complete his tenure on a good note and avoid being pushed to engage in any activity that will bring him to disrepute so that he will not end up being a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after office”.