Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu has cleared the air on his achievements as the member representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, saying his feats at the Red Chambers have direct impacts on his constituents and entire Nigerians.
Senator Egwu stated this while interacting with journalists at his country home, Umuebe in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
He proved to be false the claims by his opponents under-rating his achievements as Senator and described them as being ignorant of his records.
Senator Egwu said, for his past seven years as a Senator, he has been busy with activities that have a direct impact on the generality of Nigerians and his constituents in particular.
He disclosed that as a Senator, more than two thousand Ebonyi North Citizens have benefited from his empowerment programmes of skills development, training and equipping people to start up handiworks that will make them self-reliant.
"I have not rested nor got distracted from my statutory responsibilities. The fact that some of us don't make noise about our efforts does not mean we are idle. I have many bills to my credit, some have been passed, and others are at various stages of legislation. I have provided electricity, water and empowerment to my constituents and all these are there for verification in case anybody is in doubt.
"You see, I believe in teaching people how to catch fish. As a Governor I did the same by empowering the Ebonyi people educationally and today we are reaping the fruits of it. I have replicated the same as a Senator. We have done a series of empowerment programmes for the past seven years. Another one will be done, maybe in January 2023. All these are geared towards skill acquisition. These are few among what we have done," he said.
The Senator also disclosed that through his contacts and exposure, he was able to attract Industrial Training Fund Office to Ebonyi State for the first time in the history of the State.
"Just as one of his bills was responsible for the establishment of a Technical College of Education in Ebonyi State. I have also secured federal jobs for people. Those were not mean feats.
"You don't just go to the Senate without experience and contacts and you begin to do exploits. As a former Governor and former Minister, I have the exposure and contacts to attract some of these things and I'm just doing that silently. So, if given another opportunity I will consolidate my achievements. My people must benefit maximally," he added.
Responding to the questions from newsmen, Senator Egwu who is currently in the Senatorial race for the third time said, there is no truth in anybody saying that there was a time we sat down and agreed on the zoning arrangement of the Senatorial position of Ebonyi North. Not true. Circumstances had always thrown that up. But I don't give attention to unnecessary propaganda. At my age and level, I shouldn't get distracted by things that don't matter."
"It's all about pedigree, credibility and exposure. Senate is not for the boys. It's for people with reasonable experience and exposure. It's not the House of Assembly, it's not the House of Representatives. That's why if you go there, you see former Governors, Rtd IGPs, Ltd. Generals and all that. If you don't have good leadership experience, you only go there to be answering Sir to your colleagues."
Recall that Senator Sam Egwu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is contesting the 2023 Ebonyi North Senatorial seat with the Labour Party Candidate, Anselm Enigwe and that of All Progressives Congress, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, among others.
Also, recall that Anselm Enigwe and Onyekachi Nwebonyi have been reportedly the major challengers of Senator Egwu as the 2023 polls were approaching.
Anselm Enigwe was the former Caretaker Chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Anselm Enigwe was allegedly denied a chance to be elected as the Executive Chairman of the council following his alleged high-handedness to his subjects, especially against the stakeholders through the alleged calculation of the then State PDP Chairman, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, which later favoured the immediate past Executive Chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area, Chinyere Nwogbaga.
Onyekachi Nwebonyi after his defection to the APC lost his position as the then-PDP Chairman in Ebonyi State.
He was immediately appointed as the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Capital Territory Development by the State Governor David Umahi. During his time as a Commissioner, there were allegations of brutal destruction of people's means of livelihood within the Ebonyi State Capital by his office. The discolouration of the alleged destruction is yet to fade away from the hearts of the victims, most of them, the inhabitants of the Abakaliki metropolitan area. More to come.
