Awka – Political parties and their candidates for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra have been urged to focus more on their manifestoes and plans for the development of the state, rather than frivolities and propaganda.
The call is coming on the heels of a verbal attack on his aspirants to the Anambra State Governorship office in other parties, by the APGA candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo where he boasted that Anambra is too big to be governed by WAEC certificate holders.
Soludo, who is a Ph.D holder had boasted that none of the other candidates of the various political parties possess what it takes to lead the state because they applied for the job of the state helmsman with WAEC certificate.
In reaction, other candidates and parties had taken to different platforms to trade banters with the professor and APGA, over the comment.
But in a reaction to the development in Awka on Tuesday, a Public Affairs Analyst, Chima Christian while noting that education plays a role in shaping leaders, maintained however, that it is wrong to say that good governance is tied to the height of educational certificates attained.
“It would be erroneous to deny the critical role played by knowledge, especially those acquired through formal education, in evaluating the competence of a prospective leader.
“But to insist that good governance cannot be delivered except one reaches the peak of academic pursuits also misses the point.
“We have seen utterly useless professors and we have seen utterly useless school dropouts. We have also seen real game-changers on both sides of the academic divide.
“This close to the election, our focus should be on who has what plans for Ndi Anambra.
The ongoing dick-measuring contest is distracting.
“It has trended long enough and should stop forthwith,” he said.
A citizen who spoke to TNC correspondent in Anambra, Ikechukwu Umeh-Onyia regretted that it is worrisome that instead of engaging the people on what plans they have for them, the politicians are delving into personal issues.
He maintained that the electoral act is clear on the qualifications for governorship aspiration, urging the politicians not to delve into personal issues.
“We need to see these fireworks from the candidates on their plans and proposals on alternatives to the bad governance we have today in Anambra State. Instead they are bantering over who submitted what certificates. The Electoral Act has laid the matter to rest, as to who is qualified to run for the governorship position so if INEC had certified that they all are qualified, then we all should move on to the next stage, which their plans for Anambra State,” he noted.
Umeh-Onyia said the state is facing serious challenges in the areas of healthcare, education, environmental degradation including erosion and flooding, economic decline among many others.
For the National Secretary, Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Wing, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, it is time for the youths to rise up and demand their rights from the governing class.
