▪️By Ferdy Agu, Features Editor
On Saturday the 26th day of November 2022, exactly 107 days to the 2023 governorship election in Nigeria, a consequential body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, Enugu and District Society (EDS) held a political parties forum as part of its end of the year activities for the year 2022/23.
On the occasion five gubernatorial candidates of the various political Parties in Enugu state were invited to come and ventilate on what they think make them suitable candidate that will occupy the exalted office of the governor of Enugu state.
Mrs Ifeoma Otiji
Those invited and their political parties were Peter Mba of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Nnaji of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chijioke Edoga of the Labour party, LP, Frank Nweke II of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and Kene Ogbodo of the Africa Action Congress, AAC.
Each of the candidates was allotted time to address the audience with the view of selling their candidature.
By way of introduction and clarity purposes, these accountants and their mission are, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, established by Act of Parliament No.15 of 1965, with mission statement as to produce world class chartered accountants, regulate and continually enhance their technical competence in the public interest while their vision statement is to be a leading global professional body.
Chief Tom Onyeagwa speaking
While declaring the event open the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Tom Onyeagwa, FCA, made it clear that the body was apolitical but believed that as electorate they demand to know the caliber of people or person that they were going to cast their votes for.
Chief Onyeagwa appealed to the candidates to desist from politics of deceit stressing that the electorate were tied of people who would say one thing during campaigns and reneage when voted into office and tin gods.
In her address of welcome, Mrs Ifeoma Catherine Otiji FCA, the 15th Chairman of the Enugu and District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, noted that the event was the EDS novel Retreat encompassing various action packed activities such as Hang-out session, exercises, sporting competition, political parties forum, dinner party, awards of recognition among others.
ICAN EDS 15th Chairman, Mrs Otiji (3rd right) flanked by members ICAN EDS
According to her the part one of the last event would be the visit to the less privileged homes to express their love and humanitarian services while the part two and most important programmes was the thanksgiving Mass to God for His goodness and mercies upon the EDS’s family in the year 2022.
Having set the stage therefore, the first person to take to the rostrum was the Gov’ship candidate of the PDP, Peter Mba,who actually was the first out of the five candidates to arrive the venue of the occasion at Nike Lake Resort.
Setting the ball rolling, Dr Mba noted that the occasion for him was an opportunity to meet with members of the most revered professions, the accountants.
According to the oil magnet Nigeria economy and those of the other countries of the world is undergoing serious challenge, “we have been witnessing desert encroachment at the social level and it is putting a lot of pressure on us”.
On economic growth, he said that, his administration if voted into office, had bogus economic plans where Enugu state would be preferred destination for investors to come and invest stressing that “we want to achieve much in alleviating poverty, bring in investors to establish industries that will provide job for our numerous jobless youth”.
In his response to questions from the audience on what his administration intends to do in the education sector, especially public schools, Mbah said “we do have some ambitious programmes there, we will review ICT learning to make sure that it is in tanderm with international best practice. We target those of impressionable age, there will be school meal plus to make pupils want to go to school the next day and this will include both those in the urban and rural areas”.
Still on education the PDP Guber hopeful said his administration will create technical and vocational schools that will be well equipped to ensure that the product will be self employed instead of relying on non-existent white collar job adding that on the much thought about Igbo language going into extinction “we intend to review our educational curriculum, my administration will not sit over the liquidation of our much cherished Igbo language”.
L-R: Ifeoma Otiji, Peter Mbah and Ifeanyi Ossai
Other sectors that engaged his attention were the much dreaded insecurity in the country especially in the South East and the vexed issue of multiple taxation in the Enugu State.
According to Mbah “my administration will have a zero tolerance to multiple taxation and unemployment is the major causative factor to insecurity once we create employment this would have been reduced by 70%” he said.
The PDP candidate drew applause from the audience that constitute majority of students from some higher institutions in the state when he said his government if voted into power would look into the provision of student loans to ensure that no child is denied of education because of lack of money.
The candidate of AAC, Kene Ogbodo, who was represented by comrade Chidi Ogbodo, stressed that his mission was to rescue the people out of abject poverty now ravaging the society.
Frank Nweke II
He assured that if elected Enugu State Governor, he would address the issue of health care, especially for those at the grassroots and the much deteriorating state of security.
The last but not in anyway the least of the candidates was a former Minister of Information and the governorship flag bearer of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Frank Nweke II.
An apparently vibrant Nweke Junior could not contain himself when he wondered why there should be scarcity of water, one of the basic necessities of life, in Enugu state.
Worrisome high unemployment rate, senior citizens been treated with disdain, pensions and gratuities not paid, ineptitude and corruption here are the leadership problems Nweke Junior bemoned.
On incessant strikes in the education sector the APGA Guber candidate blamed it on the govt pointing out that it doesn’t understand value system of education. “School meal programme will be one of my major areas of focus”.
He promised to unbundle the water sector where various areas will be charged with specific functions to ensure an all year water flow in the state.
Mr Chijioke Edeoga the Labour Party governorship candidate of Enugu state who was billed to attend the event could not make due to it coincided with the burial of some indigenes of Isiuzo LGA who were murdered recently in the area by the marauding Fulani herdsmen.
Enugu Cultural Troupe entertaining guests
GMTNews was unable to immediately ascertain why Uche Nnaji, governorship candidate of the APC in the State could not attend the parley.
The event of the day was rounded off with an evening of relaxation and awards presentation, a session that was described by Blessing Emenike, FCA, Chairman EDS and Dinner Planning Committee as a time to take attention off work for purposes of relaxation. She noted that the year’s programme intentionally emphasized the need for accountants to prioritize and care for their well-being. “By relaxing after hard work, one can handle their stress better, avoid any possible illness, and have a clearer mind, leading to increased concentration and focus, benefitting all business activities,” she said.
Awards of recognition, member EDS-ICAN body of patrons were conferred on Mr Jude Sunny Egbo, FCA, Nze Alexander N Nwabuzor, Chukwuemeka Ikechukwu Azie, FCA, and Prof Grace N Oforegbu of the University of Nigeria. Eleven distinguished personalities equally received awards of excellence.
Enugu cultural troupe was on hand to provide entertainment which thrilled the guests.
GMTNews
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