Leaders and members of Ogoja and Yala Local Government legislature have thrown their weight behind Henry Onwe’s ambition to represent Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
Stephen Abang and Patrick Egana, leaders of the two councils, along with 19 councillors drawn from both councils, spoke glowingly of the personality of Onwe, pledging to vote for him during the delegate election to pick a candidate for the All Progressives Congress for the polls.
Egana described Onwe as a reliable personality with a lot of influence who has attracted a large number of appointments/employments to both people of Yala and Ogoja Local Government Areas.
“What concerns him concerns me. The man you are seeing here is a man of high value and content with unequal connectivity. I have lost count of the number of people far and wide who have secured appointments/employments which he facilitated. What endears me to him most is his compassion for the ordinary people”
He further described him as a man of vision and intelligence who sees the need of a person and takes the need as a personal project until it is accomplished. Onwe’s ambition to represent the people of Ogoja /Yala in the National Assembly, he further explained, is to provide quality representation.
Abang, Leader of Ogoja Legislative Council on his part, assured Onwe of his support for recognising the legislators in the local government as important.
“Thank you for recognising us as important part of the system who represent the grassroots. We cannot envisage another person that we have not seen and abandon the one who has come to us”. The Ogoja Leader described Chief Onwe as a man who is eminently qualified to occupy the position because he is a round peg in a round hole.
Earlier in his opening speech, Onwe said he made it a point of duty to consult the local government legislators because they are a critical component of democratic engagement, being the closest arm of government to the grassroots.
“I am starting my consultation to represent our federal Constituency in the National Assembly with you because you know what our people need and you also have the hindsight of knowing who means well for our area”
“I am your brother next door and I do have the zeal to serve and I can assure you I am one person who won’t go away with your mandate. I served diligently as Chapter Secretary of PDP and uptill now my record stands out and I will bring that same commitment in the service of my people when elected”