I can sacrifice for Nnewi North to produce Anambra Assembly Speaker, others- lawmaker

By Okechukwu Onuegbu

The member representing Nnewi North Constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Augustine Ike, on Monday, said he was ready to sacrifice his ambition to return for a second term if the people agree to amend their constitution with regards to tenures of lawmaker and Council Chairman.

The industrial hub of Africa is practising four years or tenured rotational government which makes it impossible for anyone from the constituency to be elected as a lawmaker or Local Government Chairman for two consecutive terms.

Speaking in a press conference at his constituency office in Nnewi, Hon. Ike, who acknowledged that several attempts have been made to amend the relevant sections of their constitution on power rotation, observed that failures to implement the decisions were largely due to disagreement on when the provision should take effect.

This according to him, is why he has decided to accept whatever decision reach out by the majority at end of their amendment even if it entails him back out of the race for next person to be elected to go for second term.

According to him, Nnewi North has consistently lost out opportunities to produce the office of Speaker, Chairman of Appropriation, Chairman of the Public accounts committee and other sensitive positions that could enable them to lobby more for projects executions.

"For you to get most of the sensitive and key positions in the House of Assembly, you must be a ranking member. How can we get a ranking member when our representative is allowed to go for only one tenure due to power rotation among the quarters? It is when you secure some of these offices that you can have more bargaining power to lobby for more projects in your constituency.

"We have started the processes again. I can assure you that I will support the decision reach out by the greater number of people even it doesn't favour me. Nnewi North is really loosing by ranking. If I'm permitted to return, I will most likely become the next Speaker or head some sensitive Committees. The position of Speaker has been zoned to Anambra South. But if they don't allow me, I will still support the decision if they insist that the next person should go for two terms," he stated.

On what he has achieved since inauguration of the tenth Assembly, the lawmaker enumerated some of them to include sponsorship of motions, projects lobbying and oversights, provision of vehicles to people, payment of school and hospital bills, convention and furnishing of primary to secondary schools, among others.

"Let my project speak for me. I'm doing a religious representation silently. I have lost counts of bills I paid for people for various reasons, projects I lobbied for their executions at committee levels and those followed up through the respective ministries. I have also converted one primary to public secondary school in Nnewi North. It has been fully furnished, active and attracting a surge in admission. There are two other secondary schools to be upgraded soon in my constituency," he added.

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