OKEY MADUFORO 
Ozo Jef Nweke is the candidate of Action Alliance (AA) for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. In this interview with OKEY MADUFORO, he speaks on his chances in the election and vision for the state if elected
You recently secured the ticket of the Action Alliance (AA) for the November governorship election in Anambra State; how do see your emergence?
It is divine and we thank God for that, and as you saw that day, every thing was peaceful and I congratulate all party members and delegates for a peaceful process.
Your party is said to be not too popular yet you still have confidence that you will win the election. What informed that belief?
Political parties are not just there for the name but to contest elections and to form government.
So, every political party has that ambition to form a government, just like my party, the Action Alliance.
What makes a party is the people or you can say members of the party and without the membership the party is non existent.
So, when you say that my party is not known or relatively known, you get it wrong because those in other parties are the same Anambra people and the same electorate.
Looking at the big names and big parties, what are your chances in the election?
When you look at those political parties, you will discover that the problems we have in the country were caused by those parties. Some of them have been in power for decades but they have only worsened our economy a d created unemployment and hardship across the country.
The other one came which is still the same people with the promise of change and they did not tell us the type of change that they are coming with. Today, we are seeing that change.
Some call it renewed hope but one wonders what kind of renewed hope they are talking about considering the level of insecurity and the falling standard of living. So, our people are tired of these mantras that have never led us to anywhere.
Our people deserve a change to better living and improved infrastructure and that is what the Action Alliance stands for, and when we come on board, you will see what will happen in Anambra state under my watch.
How do you rate you fellow contestants in this election?
It is for our people to say. But the fact is that we have continued to recycle the same people in every election and their massages are still the same old stories Some have even become serial contenders and they see it as a way of life even when they know that they cannot win the election.
The incumbent governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has spent about a year now lecturing people but governance is not academics.
It is about the people and what they want you to do for them. And come to think of it, the heavy taxation he has imposed on our people leaves much to be desired.
I am not saying that people should not pay tax but it is not everything that is taxable in view of the hash economic situation in the country today. People are being milked dry in the name of taxation and this is telling on them.
When you investigate properly, you will agree with me that the bulk of those money do not go into the account of Anambra State and it is not properly being accounted for. Now, the question is what happened to the money that we have been paying as taxes and levies? The question is left for the current government in Anambra State to answer and not the poor masses.
What do you make of the situation, where Labour Party is said to have two candidates?
It is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that can answer that question because they are in charge.
The zoning arrangement is an affair of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It is not the decision of Anambra people… so it is not binding on us
For us as a party, we will continue with our campaign, while the commission takes a position on that. But remember that there are no two candidates for one political party according to the Electoral Act. So, when the time comes, we will take a position on that, but with INEC involved, the answer is not far from here.
You are a security expert; what is the way forward in resolving insecurity in Anambra State?
It is a collective thing and not for the security operatives alone to handle. I am from Awka, which is the capital of Anambra State, and we as Awka people, know ourselves and when a stranger enters the town we can easily know. So, the people in the various communities should be proactive in terns of neighborhood watch.
Similarly, both the vigilante groups and the conventional security operatives should work together for optimal productivity. Again, the major reason for insecurity in Anambra is unemployment as we have lots of jobless young men and women roaming the streets.
My administration will engage them in meaningful activities through skills acquisition, so that they can be gainfully employed. It doesn’t stop at launching a security initiative and so much grand standing in the name of fighting insecurity in the state.
Zoning has always been an issue in the politics of Anambra State, and the belief is that your zone is to produce the next governor after Anambra South Senatorial District. Don’t you see this affecting your chances in the election?
When you talk about zoning or rotation; it must be agreed by all and sundry and not when a political party takes a position it becomes binding on everyone. The zoning arrangement is an affair of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It is not the decision of Anambra people.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or Labour Party never adopted that zoning arrangement, so it is not binding on us. In my party, the Action Alliance, we do not have anything like zoning. And mind you, in past elections, people from other senatorial districts took part and no one asked them not to contest. Also, this zoning arrangement doesn’t bring out the best in terms of candidates and good governance because people are elected because it is the turn of their senatorial district.
Similarly, those from Anambra South, who are contesting in this election have only one term of four years to serve as governor if you say let us respect zoning but what happens after four years. The constitution of Nigeria will not disqualify them from going for a second term and the zoning cannot stop them. So, they will do eight years, making that zone to serve for 12 years. So, zoning cannot work and it is impossible to ask a sitting governor not to go for second term.
