As Nigerians celebrate the 27th anniversary of the nation’s democracy, a member of the House of Representatives, Dr Alex Egbona, has urged his constituents to avoid political office seekers with a record of deception and lies.
Egbona, who represents the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State, said in his Democracy Day message to his people on Friday, that certain candidates for the 2027 elections were known for lies, deceit and non performance when they held legislative positions in the state.
This is the full text of the address:
My dear Abi/Yakurr People, it is about 27 years now since the advent of this current democracy. For 27 years, you have become an integral change agent in the growth of our democratic experiment. It can only get better.
Having enjoyed an uninterrupted democratic culture for this past 27 years, we can only congratulate ourselves that together, we have made it a possibility.
But we still have a long way to go. There is need to deepen our democratic culture, become more involved in the processes for the election of credible leaders and avoid all tendencies that are undemocratic , including the culture of selling your votes for a plate of porridge.
Luckily, we are in another election year and we all have the opportunity to open our eyes and reject those whose conducts and past deeds are at variance with general democratic ethos. You have the right to choose those you can trust. One way to do this is by registering as a voter so that you can use your vote to get more dividends of democracy.
In the last seven years, I have served you as your voice and eye in the House of Representatives. I can beat my chest and say that I have served with all my heart and touched lives in all the wards of this constituency through the projects and programmes I attracted.
For example, I have built/equipped classroom blocks and renovated others. I have attracted various projects in the areas of health, electricity, agriculture and human capacity development. Many of our hitherto unemployed youths have now been gainfully employed in various agencies and parastals of the federal government. Some have been employed at the Federal Polytecnnic, Ugep, which I helped to attract, while others are at the monotechnic at Ekureku, where our children are being trained on leather works. Many are working in other agencies.
Scores have enjoyed free health care services, having been enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme through me.
I have produced a booklet which contains all the projects and programmes attracted by me in all the wards. It is already online but the updated copy will soon be available.
I have always said that what I have done in seven years was never seen 20 years before I got into the office in 2019, despite the initial distractions due to litigations.
I am not tired because there are a lot more to do. That is why I am preparing for the next election, and also urging you to avoid those people who only know how to lie and deceive. If they come to you, please tell them to show you what they did for you in the past.
Just recently, one of them undertook a tour of deception, telling you that projects are done by the state government and not by legislators. He deceived the people, that he would work with the state government to attract roads if elected as member of the House of Representatives.
The same person was in the state house of assembly for eight years and could not influence the government he served as speaker for four years, to do a single project in his constituency. I urge you not to allow affliction a second time. We have seen Heaven and cannot afford to go back to Egypt
