A one time 1st member of the State Primary Education Board and currently Special Project Director for the dualization of Old Lagos/Asaba road, Hon. (Pastor) Mrs. Cordelia Nkemchor Onyia has said that she will ensure the dividends of democracy get to the people of Ika South constituency, if she gets the nod of the people, to represent them in the Delta State House of Assembly.
Hon.Onyia gave the promise while addressing newsman on Tuesday 17, 2010 at Agbor, on her intention to run for the House of Assembly seat for Ika South. Hon. Onyia who said "I have come to ask my people to give me the mandate and the vopportunity to help empower people the more" stressed that what the people of Ika South needs now is somebody who will effectively represent their interest and attract development to the LGA.
"I do not know how God wants to do it but I know that when God takes me there, our people will know that they have somebody at Asaba, and not a selfish person, who will only think of himself. I am not a contractor or business woman that people will say I want to use them for business. I want a situation where I can empower my people, especially the youths.When you see the youths, the way the are idling away, and you don’t have any feelings for their plight, then there is no spirit of God in you. When your people come to meet you and say "I need so and so amount of money and you tell them, this is the last time you will collect this kind of money from me and that you should pray that God should help me so I will empower you, so you too can empower others. That is the mind I have" she stated.
On how she hope to attract development and empower the people, considering the fact that the primary responsibility of a legislator is to make laws, Hon. Onyia observed that a member of the House of Assembly can attract good things to his or her constituency through mainstay of a good working relationshipwith the executive "when we look at it that way, we see it as if we are confined to a situation where we only make laws and don’t implement it. Government is all about interaction, to know the needs of one another, and how to go about it.If I have a good working relationship with the executive, whatever I need for my people, I know that my people are their people, whatsoever we workout and agree together for the people, it will surely get to them. It is for me to be in agreement with them and know what my people need and present to them so- that their demands will be included in the budget."
She said she will work harmoniously with the people of her constituency, if elected as member into the House of Assembly. She added that her first priority will be to look at what is on ground in terms of abandoned projects, the needs of the people and address them, not just alone but with the people, working as a team; and then approach the governor to make request, adding that, in that way, the LGA will receive the needed attention.
The House of Assembly aspirant, who was one time councilors in the LGA and had contested for the House of Assembly seat in 2003 while noting that power belongs to God said she believes that the time for her to stand in the gap for her people has come. "I rely so much in God. I believe in divine providence. It was not the will of God for me then to be in the House. Since then, God has been faithful to me. He has used governor James Ibori to give me the opportunity to reach out to many people. I was one of the governing council members of institute of Continuing Education, where I had the privilege of assisting my people. By the grace of God, while there, I was able to empower 12 graduates. Also, when I became 1st member in SUBEB I saw more opportunities to help my people. I have come to know that being in government is more to empower people. Government is all about negotiations. So I am confident that, if elected as member of the State House of Assembly, I will do more for my people," she declared.
On the old Lagos/Asaba road, Hon. Onyiawho the monitoring appealed to Ika people to exercise patience assuring that the road will be completed as governor Uduaghan has given his word on it. Her words "as many as have actually shown interest on this project of Old Lagos/Asaba road dualization, I have continued to tell them the truth. As the eye of the government and a daughter of Ika nation, I will not lie to my people, because as long as I am representing the government, I am representing my people too. The problem we had was that of design. The initial design was faultily. It was not good for the terrain. We all know what the topography of BojiBoji is. That needed to be put into consideration. Two important things were left out from the design, so when the contractor, being a man of integrity, invited his own consultant to look into it, they discovered that it will not serve a good purpose. So we had to go back to redesign, which contributed to the seeming delay. But now we are on course. I plead with our people to be patent and I ask for their understanding. The governor means well for Ika nation. There is no hidden agenda in the execution of the project. This is a special project which means a lot to our people. The project, must be completed during the governor’s tenure, as he promised, as he will be the one to commission it.
She called for support for the Uduaghan administration, saying that voting him in for another term will afford him the opportunity to consolidate. On claim by some people that some positions are not vacant, she stressed that outside that of the governor, all others are open for curtest. "Anybody outside Dr. Uduaghan that he is hailed to a particular position, if the time God has given you to stay in an office has expired and you refuse to leave, whatever happens you take it. But God is bringing about restoration in Ika South. I was very happy when I visited Hon. AmechiMrakpor and saw what she has done in her constituency. She will not need to ask for a second term before her people will give it to her because she has done well." Power belongs to God. Saul in the Bible was still parading himself as king even when the spirit of God had left him and the anointing had expired. What God is doing is what I am interested in and not what they are saying."
On his message to the people of Ika South, Hon. Onyia, reiterated that "this is the time for restoration. All that the enemy has stolen from Ika South or all that we have carelessly throne away and our faulty fomdelin, God wants to restore, so give me the opportunity to serve you". She concluded.
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