Show us What You Have been Doing in the Last 10 Years – Igboebisi Dares Other Reps Aspirants

..Calls for Prohibition of Palliatives Towards Election Year

By Uzo Ugwunze

Founder of Igboebisi Educational Foundation IEF and Federal House of Representative Aspirant for Idemili North and South Constituency, Dr. Kene Igboebisi has dared fellow aspirants to show Umu Idemili and other citizens what they have been doing for their community in the past 10 years before coming out for elective positions to represent them at Abuja.

Addressing newsmen at his country home Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Dr Igboebisi called for the prohibition of palliatives or rice distribution by so called Foundation owners who spring up towards election year for political motives.

Igboebisi who is aspiring for the Green Chamber’ under the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA party said that he intends to sponsor a bill for Solutions Social Services SSS which would take care of the needy throughout the year so that the masses would not be swayed by power hungry politicians who hud their gifts only to surface towards election years to set up Foundations to share palliatives which is an indirect way of votes buying.

“Before we get into electioneering campaign, the first thing to ask is: what have you been doing for the past 10 years, not what you have been doing for the past two years. Because someone who started something last two years knew he is going to run for an election in two years time.

“People that started sharing palliatives in 2025 or 2024 already knew that election is coming in 2026. If you could afford palliatives in 2025 why were you not giving palliatives in 2020.

“This is where I am different,we have got a foundation that has been given people scholarships for over 10 years without having election in mind. We have watched elections come and go.

“Moreso, I am different because my going there is not all about getting more money for Idemili North and South Constituency. We should be able to know the laws that are not working and change them.

“They say ‘charity begins at home ‘. What have you done in your community? What laws were you able to put in place that are developmental which could make people say that they can now push you forward to the Federal House of Representative to represent their interests?

“I can give you an example of what we did in my community, Obosi. When we came back for one our Foundation’s yearly educational empowerment and saw how they were running the town union government, we inquired about how they do select the community executives. We decided that for it to be free and fair and for the best candidate to emerge,it should not be by just nomination and voting.

“We created a platform for debate and manifesto presentation where the whole community will gather and here from the contestants to enable them make informed choices before casting their votes. For the first time in Obosi, if not in Anambra we conducted President General debate aired across the world. People in many country watched it live and knew whom exactly to support and the outcome of the voting correlated with how the candidates performed in the debate.

“The underdog who was never a popular candidate nor the elites choice emerged winner. That should be expected to happen in this coming general elections.

“Sharing of palliatives should be stopped. The unsuspecting electorate have been deceived all these years. Once election year is approaching people start sharing rice, it is funny.

“We are going to introduce Solution Social Services SSS. Just like Soludo’s solution mantra, A Solution Social Services that actually cater for the needy throughout the whole year not just months before election. We intend to propose the bill not just for Anambra but to be applicable all over the federation. That is how we can change the narrative of sharing rice.

“Palliatives or handouts should not be the basis of voting for somebody. Just bags of rice even without oil or potable water to cook the rice. They are just buying your votes and not catering for you as a person. That needs to stop, we are bringing in laws as a solution before curtailing the rice sharing. Through the SSS you will get the rice and other palliatives all through the year, so that when a politician comes to offer you rice, you will tell him I have rice, tell me what you are going to do for us.

Concerning politicians who get into office through political Godfathers to enrich themselves Igboebisi said:
“What makes me different is that I am already accomplished in my own private life.If I am coming to enrich myself I am going for the wrong thing. I am actually going their to serve because I have got something to offer.

“We have to also understand that having wealth does not translate to being a good representative. If you are not sponsoring yourself,or someone can point to a particular individual as your sponsor you shouldn’t be running for any office because when you get there you have to pay back. Consequences include that we the constituents get sacrificed while the rich gets richer. That is why I am different, I don’t owe anybody. I am going to push myself through to this position.

“Representation of Idemili North and South Constituency is not quite at the level it ought to be. The reason may not be because of the incumbent Member but could be as a result of the amount of allocation which is not enough for the vast LGAs.

” We need someone that is vocal with the capacity and capabilities who will go there and fight for what is our right. Someone who can represent us fully at Abuja and stand.

Some politicians who have been representing us before either get there with the help of a Godfather or Patron who they are pushed to respect so they take what they were given.

“Politics is not a job, if you don’t have a means of livelihood you should not be in politics. We need people who are accomplished in what they are doing and want to come and serve.

“Politics is not about you enriching yourself but to come and serve people who sent you to represent them. But we found people who went there to serve themselves

” I believe in giving back, the philosophy of ‘Pay it Forward ‘ . My community Obosi, Idemili North and South LGA have given me a lot, not just because of my heritage.:They have given me the opportunity to be the person that I am today. Everything that I am today was because of my grounding and being brought up in Nigeria. Having been exposed to life outside the shores of this country I have a lot to contribute in my country.

“As Founder/CEO of IEF I have given scholarships to lots of children not just mere gifts but funding everything required for the secondary school students and those in the University. School fees, shoes , bags , laptops for those in higher institutions. Given them the best education they can obtain around where they live in the best schools so that they can achieve their God given potentials.

“Through IEF we have also empowered businesses for quite a few citizens resident in Idemili North and South. We are involved in empowering youths , girls , women, children to make them stay away from vices and crime.

“Recently, we acquired a computer hub for all secondary schools students in Obosi, to be commissioned soon.

“However, I have stepped down from the Foundation to run for the position of the Federal House of Representative to represent Idemili North and South Constituency, he quipped.

Also, you should not start a foundation because you want to go into politics. Your Foundation should have focus. If your Foundation is to empower youths, children, widows or orphans, you focus on that no matter the weather.

“When I decided to run for a political post, I resigned from my Foundation so that the Management and Board of Directors could focus on the IEF vision while I look for another platform to better the lives of Umu Idemili from the Federal level,” Igboebisi said.

Dr Kene Igboebisi said that he pitched tent with APGA because it has brought lots of development to Anambra state. “We are all progressives . “We work together with the political party at the center, All Progressive Congress to bring progress in our Constituency”.