Mbah charges party faithful on good governance

Ali Odefa, has re-emerged as chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South East zone, in an election conducted recently to select the new zonal executive to direct the affairs of the party in the region.

The election that took place during the zonal congress of the party held at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu on Wednesday, saw the emergence of James Ugwu as zonal secretary, Regina Uchebo, zonal treasurer, Cornelius Okey Ugwu, zonal organising secretary, Madubuike Okoro, Chigozie Igwe, Dominic Nwankwo, and Ifeyinwa Arodiogbo were elected to the positions of financial secretary, publicity secretary, legal adviser, and woman leader, respectively.

Also elected are: Godswill Nwanoruo and Ezeanya Augustine to the positions of zonal youth leader and auditor.

The congress also produced six national ex-officio members and five zonal ex-officio members.

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu State, and leader of the party in the South East zone, reminded party faithful that election is never an end in itself and neither should the victory arising from it be construed as personal triumphs.

The governor tasked party faithful on setting the PDP as a template for good governance, insisting that democracy abhors excuses, no matter how plausible they sound.

“We fully understand the demands and expectations of the people in a democratic setting. The bottom line is good governance. This is the ideal to which the PDP has committed to from its inception.

“That is why, for us here in Enugu State, the people remain the centerpiece of government policies. The improvement of their welfare is not a task we regard with levity.

“It reflects in our determination to ensure that the provision of basic services can indeed be taken for granted by the people.

“Democracy is beyond the squabble for office and power. It is about the people. We cannot emphasise that enough,” Mbah stated.

He further tasked the party faithful on unity and reinventing the party to restore its past glory in the SouthEast region.

“The party’s greatness derives from its capacity to reinvent itself, and retain its national appeal in the face of challenges. The South East has always been a bastion of the PDP. We must ensure that it remains so.”

Odefa, in his acceptance speech, on behalf of the 21-member zonal executive, called for unity, saying it is the only guarantee of PDP’s victory over the ruling All Progressive’s Congress, (APC), which he accused of bad policies and poor governance that have caused sufferings in the land.

Also in attendance at the congress observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were: Ifeanyi Ossai, deputy governor, Enugu State; Adolphus Wabara, chairman, PDP Board of Trustees; SKE Ude-Okoye, national secretary, Sam Egwu, Osita Ngwu and Augustine Akobundu, the party’s national auditor, Dan Obi; federal and state lawmakers, council chairmen, state party executives and other delegates from the zone.