SAMUEL OGBU NWOBODO OGBU, FIRED UP AND READY TO SERVE NKANU-LAND!

An accomplished family man, successful attorney and entrepreneur, who now wants to take up another challenge, fighting the cause of his Nkanu people! He wants to go to work for his people of Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency of Enugu State Nigeria as their next elected Federal Representative in Abuja!

To the people and constituents of Nkanu East and West Federal constituency of Enugu State Nigeria, his message is simple, - "you have been under-represented for so many years and now comes the man of the hour to fix what is broken and remedy what has been so badly damaged for these past many years." His name is Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu, a native of Akpugo and he is your candidate for the Federal House of Representatives. Sam wants to serve you at the National Assembly as your next elected representative in 2011 and urge you to send him to Abuja to go and put his training and experience to your beneficial use; and bring home for you the bacon which have so far eluded your constituency all these past years of inadequate representation!

Icheoku was invited to a fundraiser and introduction of candidate held in Bay Area of Northern California USA a few weeks ago by 'Friends of Sam for House of Representatives. During our chit-chat with the candidate, he revealed a man with a steely resolve; possessed of a burning desire to help his Nkanu East and West people reinvent themselves. He wants to empower them to restore their dignity, by reasserting their voice once again in Enugu State and Nigeria politics. He strongly and reasonably believes that since the last time his late father represented the area at the then Anambra State House of Assembly, that the constituency have never been so adequately served again by the subsequent crop of charlatans who were in it primarily for themselves. He however plans to put a stop to this under-representation and bring back selfless service to the people, reminiscent of the old days of his father, as their next elected House of Representative member. For Sam, the days of seating out the party while on the fence and criticizing what is going wrong is over and any one who wants to drive the car must now do so from the inside. Sam believes his world experience as a successful USA-based attorney as well as international businessman will help him successfully navigate the corridors of the National Assembly towards bringing back home for his people of Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency their fair share of democracy dividends.

A former chairman of Security and Intelligence committee of Governor Sullivan Chime transition committee, Sam stated categorically that the PDP in Enugu State has no factions and that the party is led solely by Governor Sullivan Chime with Honorable Chief Vita Abba as its chairman; both of whom he expressed unalloyed support and loyalty to. He equally said that Governor Sullivan Chime by his own assessment has earned the right to a second term based on what he has been able to accomplish during his first term; principal among which is creating an all inclusive and cordial ideas-based enabling political environment where people of ideas are now attracted to get involved in politics of and in Enugu State.

His cardinal objective when elected will be to pursue a 'State of Origin Act' legislation where the paramount and determinate factor in any Nigerian's state of origin should be the state of birth of that person as opposed to the present state of ancestry which hinders full integration in Nigeria. According to him, it does not make any sense for example that a third generation Igbo person residing in Sokoto whose father and grandfather were born in Sokoto will still be identified and treated as an Igbo man after such generational period sojourning in Hausa-land. Or an Ijebu-Igbo man who has called Enugu home for over half a century and still being treated as a Yoruba man alongside his Igbo-fluent children? Or that Fulani man who shepard his cattle to Aba before independence and settled there ever since with his new inlaws who are Igbos? Also he will fight for the establishment of an 'Employment Development Agency' to help streamline matters of employment and lack thereof in Nigeria. Attorney Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu believes that technical qualifications in Nigeria should be standardized similar to the days of 'British City and Guilds' such that carpenters, plumbers, electricians and such other trades and artisans could have one qualifying certification to ensure uniformity of competence and skill. This would in turn ensure a steady pool of well qualified artisans and tradesmen which in turn will boost confidence of foreign investors that their technical needs for pedestrian-manpower could be supplied should they decide on investing in Nigeria; and as a consequence entice them to so invest. For Sam, things in Nigeria could always be done better in order to improve, hence his decision to go home and lead the effort from the inside. It is his believe that to change something, one has to get involved in the change effort and not just be finger-pointing.

On Freedom of Information Act, Sam says, pass it now; as he has personally seen its beneficial use as a practicing attorney in the USA. On Babangida intended run for president, Sam is of the opinion that he is a Nigerian and since nothing expressly precluded him from running for any office, he can run for the office; but whether he will win is another question? On President Goodluck Jonathan's prospective run for president in 2011, Sam said he is not aware of it officially; but likewise any other Nigerian, he too is eminently qualified to run as well. He promised to declare his assets but does not ascribe to Madam EFCC's Farida Waziri call for the Chinese treatment of corrupt Nigerian public officials; but encourages a systematic approach through the legal framework in place in tackling the corruption. On legislators' constituency fund, Sam said it was wrong for such legislators to privatize such public money and that they should account for projects on which they spent such allocations. On kidnapping, he said it is a function of societal decay and the bi-product of the high unemployment in Nigeria; but nothing justifies such criminality.

On his vision for his people of Nkanu East and West Federal constituency, Candidate Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu said he wants to be an agent of change for all the people of the constituency and for once make the people feel a real representation, provided by a man with experience, integrity, honor and a sense to make a difference in reaching out to the communities therein with various forms of real democratic dividends. For him, he is not going there for self but is hunched with a legacy of a selfless father-politician, whose populism he wants to emulate and possibly surpass and shall provide a shoulder for all-in-need in Nkanu West and East to rest upon. Sam plans also to forgo his periodic monetary allocation in lieu of job allocations and positions for his people of Nkanu East and West federal constituency. Continuing, he said that he will be the vehicle through which the constituency will be heard loud and clear in Enugu State and Nigeria political scene. His will provide an all hands representation for the entire 28 wards/towns that make up the constituency and in his theme of bringing hope to the hopeless, he plans to provide gainful employment and/or training for at least five persons in each of the 28 wards during his first term in office. His explanation on how he will accomplish these job creation was quite satisfactory and having so far created over 80 jobs in his private capacity tells a lot on the experience he is bringing to the project when elected.

Sam does not believe in handouts or giving people clippers as their empowerment tools as some candidates do, notwithstanding that such beneficiaries do not even know how to cut hairs? He promised to efficiently apply his constituency funds and receipts to directly empower the people properly to not only give them fish but also teach them how to catch fish for themselves. Sam believes in a lasting empowerment that will long outlive and outlast his term of office; and having done that before, he plans to reenact same again; but now on a grander scale, spreading it throughout the 28 wards of Nkanu East and West Federal constituency. For Sam, there is a great difference between being wealthy and being great and he will rather be great by seeing his effort translate and transform several peoples lives from hopelessness to hopefulness in Nkanu East and West constituency, starting with the initial forty people he plans to start-off his job-creation initiative with, upon being sworn-into office.

Sam also promised to establish a fully staffed and functioning constituency office in his constituency where his people can be in touch with their representative and also hold periodic courts akin to America's town-hall meetings. Simply summarized, if Nkanu East and West federal Constituency is tired of the status-quo and looking for a progressive change, Attorney and businessman Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu is the change, the agent of change and a catalyst of change which the constituency has been waiting for. To the people of Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency, Sam says, wipe your tears of sorrow and hopelessness as it is a new day in Nkanuland; when effective representation will mount the saddle.

Under Sam, the days of half measures will forever be gone in Nkanuland once elected; and just as it takes one person to start a market, he plans to to be that single person to start the onward march to real progressive change in Nkanuland particularly in Nkanu East and West Federal constituency. His experience in America has taught him that people can do better if driven and he plans to be on the saddle, helping to drive his people towards realizing their various and respective dreams. Candidate Sam is of the opinion that the single most militating factor in his constituency is that over the years less qualified and under-motivated people have been representing the area and this will end as soon as he is elected; as he will chart a new course and direction for the people of Nkanu East and West constituency. Sam promised to forever change the course and face of politics in Nkanuland if and when elected as the next Federal Representative in 2011. On who is sponsoring his election, Sam said in addition to what he has squirrelled away over the years as a practicing USA based attorney and entrepreneur, he hopes that friends and people who see the vision he is bringing to the table will come to the table and help him to realize it.

In summary, Icheoku says to the people of Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency of Enugu State, this is the man you have been waiting for! In Attorney/Entrepreneur Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu you have found what you have been looking for in a Representative. His articulated vision and passion is unparalleled and he is very real grass-root new generation politician. Having listened to him make his case on the need to have actual and real representation for Nkanu East and West Federal constituency coupled with his international exposure, pedigree and degree of preparedness, Icheoku affirms that Nkanu East and West couldn't have asked for any more qualified and better candidate to fight their cause in Abuja than Sam. So Nkanu East and West Federal constituency, this is your chance to get it right; opportunity knocks on your door and open you should. Samuel Ogbu Nwobodo Ogbu is your candidate, the right candidate and the very candidate doctor-politics ordered for your constituency! Take him; accept him, vote for him and send him to Abuja in 2011 as your next Representative in the Federal House of Representatives!