Moghalu: Power Will Shift To APC In Anambra
EMMANUEL OLADESU
POLITICS DIGEST – Former National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief George Moghalu is a governorship aspirant in Anambra State. He spoke about his plans for the state, the preparations for the primary and factors that will shape the November 6 election. Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.
George Moghalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Managing Director of Inland Waterways Authority, Lokoja, is gazing at the Anambra State Government House.
The office will be vacant on November 6 when the tenure of Governor Willy Obiano expires.
Three political parties are dominant in the Southeast state. The ruling party is the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which took over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 16 years ago. The third is the APC. Although there are other parties, they are merely warming the register of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Moghalu is throwing his hat in the ring at a time the stakes are high for the three parties. The three are in commotion over the proposed primaries.
Ahead of the June 26 shadow poll of the APC, the former national auditor of the party has embarked on mobisation across the three senatorial districts. He is a household name, having served as a permanent secretary in the state at a tender age and as secretary of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP).
He is not the only chieftain preparing for the primary. But, can he get the ticket? Moghalu told reporters in Lagos that the challenge is not insurmountable. “I don’t look at challenges as obstacles, but as stepping stone. I keep my eyes on the ball,” he said.
To him, Anambra’s potentials should be properly harnessed for its development by a competent person at the helm of affairs in post-Obiano period. “Anambra has everything-potentials, Human and material resources. The state needs a servant leader to harness these potentials.
“Anambra has thrown up great names. Whoever will be governor should have the capacity to lead, to drive the state, to harness the potentials,” Moghalu added.
Noting that power belongs to God and he gives to a person he pleases with, the aspirant said what an interested person should do is to present himself, first to the party, and then the people.
Reiterating his intention to serve, he said: “I am prepared physically, mentally and spiritually. I want to change the narrative in Anambra State.”
Moghalu explained that the time is ripe again for powershift in the state. He said people have lost confidence in the state government, adding that the gap between expectation and reality is huge.
He predicted success for his party in the next poll, saying: “If APC has a candidate that is competent and you add the performance of the Federal Government in the Southeast, APC will win.”
Anambra APC faces a predictable hurdle ahead of its primary. The shadow poll has become a bone of contention and a source of disunity. Aspirants are building personal structures, unmindful of the fact that the party structure constitutes the platform for seeking power.
Moghalu acknowledged this reality. He said to achieve unity in the chapter, a level playing ground should be provided to ensure a credible primary. “Winners should win fairly. Losers should lose fairly,” he stressed.
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To the aspirant, the perception that the Southeast cannot accommodate the APC has fizzled out, adding that that feeling would change, following the emergence of a governorship candidate that has the reach.
Moghalu could not clarify whether the primary will take the form of direct, indirect or consensus. It is up to the party to decide. However, he thanked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who visited the chapter to encourage the chieftains with an assurance that the primary will be free and fair.
Exuding confidence, Moghalu said he will get the APC ticket because he is eminently qualified to rule the state. He unfolded his manifestos, saying: “I am bringing experience, knowledge and commitment. People feel betrayed, disappointed and shortchanged. The people want a governor that will provide the enabling environment for them to thrive.
“There is no trust. There is lack of confidence in the ruling party in the state and the government. There is need for human capital development, the need to rejig our educational curriculum. We need to revisit Government Training Centres; technical schools and colleges so that after school, the products will not depend on people; people will depend on them.”
He added: “The one year NYSC should focus on skill acquisition, just like lawyers finish at the Law School and goes for NYSC. There is need for craft training; tailoring, carpentry. We should emphasise the training of teachers. Many graduates are not employable. We should mechanise agriculture to make it attractive. It is about leadership.”
The three major parties are conscious of the zoning controversy. Moghalu said he is not indifferent to the important factor. But, he clarified that there is no constitutional provision on zoning. Therefore, as he put it, it is not sacrosanct because it is not formalised.
In another breath, he said leaders including traditional rulers, captains of Industry and top politicians, have met and decided that it is the turn of his native Anambra South, hinging their decision on equity, fairness and justice.
Moghalu also noted the role of the church in the electioneering. The intervening factors are the Catholic and Anglican churches, which have since the time of former Governor Peter Obi, become influential political blocs. He is a Catholic, who had also been given recognition by the Anglican Church for his service to the denomination.
Besides, Moghalu pointed out that leaders across political divides have roles to play. He said their backing is more important, and more useful, than money.
He said: “Winning elections in Anambra will require the consent of all political elite across the parties.”
Asked who is his godfather, he retorted: “I have goodwill with all the leaders. Enormous goodwill is more important than money. God is my godfather.”
How will he get revenue to run the state, if elected? Moghalu said it is relatively easier to jerk up the internally generated revenue, adding that “it is about creative ingenuity.”
He stressed: “As governor, I will be doing the right thing. There may be need for down sizing, which is not about sacking workers, but bridging the loopholes. You must create an enabling environment for industries to grow.
“Anambra North has the potentials to produce food for the entire Southeast, if properly harnessed.”
On the clamour for power shift by the Southeast, Moghalu said: “Power is not given; it is taken. We must work hard as leaders to take over the platforms of the APC and PDP, which have the capacity to take over the Presidency.
“We should extend our reach across the tribes and zones. We must build bridges. Presidential materials are not lacking in the Southeast.”
Moghalu lamented the worsening insecurity, describing it as a major and disturbing challenge. He said killing security personnel and destroying police stations and prisons have made the Southeast vulnerable.
He added: “They have to be rebuilt. Where are the resources? If we make our zone ungovernable, we are the losers. I appeal to our people to give peace a chance. Let us go to the table of brotherhood.”
 Chief George Moghalu is a governorship aspirant in Anambra State.){kind=link}