Ideato North’s finest moment is here. The election of Innocent Arthur Egwim represents this. Egwim was elected in the last House of Assembly election to represent Ideato North state constituency in the Imo state House of Assembly.
With a population of about 162,879 and an area of 88 square kilometre, 28 autonomous communities, and with 14 INEC wards, Ideato North occupies a place of pride in Imo’s political setting. The constituency is also the most industrialized and one of the food baskets of Imo state.Regretably, however, Ideato North is also the most neglected and besieged with litany of woes.
Most of the industries in Ideato North have gone moribund owing to years of neglect by successive administrations in the state. Erosion, poor infrastructure; inept representations among others have over the years been the lot of the constituency.
Ideato North’s array of woes are not insurmountable. Egwim is optimistic that with him as the constituency’s mouth piece in the state House of Assembly, all things will become new for Ideato North. He has given notice that the challenges facing the constituency will soon be tackled headlong with him on the driver’s seat.
According to him, he will work in synergy with the governor to attract meaningful development to Ideato North. Egwim: ‘I assure you of a synergetic and relationship with the governor and this will make it possible for me to attract road projects and other meaningful infrastructural developments to my constituency’
One of the elegant packages Egwim has for Ideato North is to partner with relevant power firms and agencies to ensure stable power supply in the constituency as part of the deliberate efforts to revive collapsed industries in the area with the view of creating job.
Apart from reviving industries in the constituency, Egwim plans to use his position in the House, courtesy of his oversight duty as a legislator, to ensure that new industries are established in Ideato, working in tandem with the Imo state government.
A scholar par excellence, Egwim is of the conviction that the primary essence and foundational basis of government is the provision of social welfare services, good laws that reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the people, in line with the maxim “salus popilu ex suprima lax” which is that the welfare of the people is the supreme law.
It’s on this premise that Ideato North people are poised to enjoy effective and qualitative representation through Egwim. According to him, ‘I will give Ideato effective and qualitative representation which will ensure that unlike the previous era of stagnation, Ideato North will no longer be short-changed.
Describing his election into the Imo state House of Assembly to represent Ideato North as ‘the Dawn of a New Era’, Egwim is sad that the completion of the Rescue Mission Hospital sited at Akokwa has been dogged by needless litigations hence he has assured that he will see to the end of the legal dispute so as to ensure that the hospital is completed and becomes functional. His pledge: ‘we are going to end the litigation hence when the hospital becomes functional, job opportunities for our youths and sound health for our people is guaranteed’
Egwim’s humble background and the sound education he attained at a later age have collaborated to condition his view about education. He believes that education is a priceless treasure. Based on this, Egwim says he will vigorously lobby to see that free education, even for indigent students of Imo origin studying in tertiary institutions in other parts of the country, becomes law in Imo state through legislation.
Having taken time to identify with his people and felt their pulse, Egwim says he knows their challenges. And in keeping with Gandhi’s assertion that ‘politicians should now identify with the people. They should know how it feels to live in slums and toils under hot sun.Then, they will be able to lead them not as their Servants’, Egwim says he has entered into a covenant with the people of Ideato North to:
*Provide social security for the unemployed Ideato North graduates.
*Be a bridge builder between the government and the people so as to maximize the dividends of democracy.
*Sponsor bill that will wipe away tears and put smile on the faces of the poor, needy and hopeless.
*Actively participate in combating the scourge of erosion through international organizations such as UN, UNICEF, WHO, WORLD BANK among others.
*Maintain local and federal roads to assist trade, commerce, industry and agriculture.
*Pay monthly allowance to the aged and widowed.
*Ensure accountability in the utilization of constituency allowance in order to make sure that the people of Ideato North are major beneficiaries.
*Partnership with financial institutions operating in Imo in the areas of financing agriculture, education and trade.
*In real practice of representative government, conduct a weekly consultation, interaction with the people of Ideato North, including political stakeholders and elders.
– By Rex Obidiegwu