PDP strangling councils with revenue contractors -APC chairmanship candidate alleges

Moses Oyediran, Enugu

The chairmanship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the November 4 Local Government election for Nsukka Local Government, Chief Augustine Alumonah, has said if voted into office he would abolish the use of revenue contractors been used by the local government to collect its Internally Generated Revenues (IGR).

Alumonah stated this in an interview with journalists in Enugu while speaking on his plans to develop Nsukka Local Government if elected into office as chairman.

He said the eighteen years of the administration of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the council rendered revenue officers redundant and inflicted pains on the people when it engaged contractors to collect its revenues.

The APC candidate noted that PDP retrogressed Nsukka, “what the council needed now is a positive transformation”, he also pointed out that there was no justification for residents of the area to give PDP another chance to rule over them.

Alumonah, who retired from the civil service as an assistant director from the ministry of health in 2002 and the immediate past President of Nsukka Town Union said the main thrust of his administration will be job creation.

“We will make Nsukka Local Government work; we will allow the revenue officers do the job they are paid for instead of continuing with contractors PDP use in draining the resources of the council.

“My focus will be on job creation, we will revitalize agriculture and plug all those sources of drains in the income of the council and use the money saved to drive development and good governance for the people.

“My experience and credibility are major plus. Our people are observing, they understand who to cast their vote for. My opponents are not used to credible election, they are not used to having voter cast their votes and having it announced the way it should be.

“I have no fear, APC of today is not in the minority and so this election will not be like the other ones. PDP will not dare truncate the wishes of the people.

“We want to assure our people that APC government will be transparent and that we will follow due process.

When asked if he will work with PDP Government at the state level, Alumonah answered thus, “Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a progressive, he will be delighted in my performance as chairman of Nsukka Local Government, remember that Nsukka is the rallying point of Enugu North senatorial zone which cover the governor’s LGA.

“Also the people will stand with us because we will always carry them along through our welfare packages and other laudable programmes of the party.

“We are aware that PDP has bought Permanent Voters Cards in large quantity for the election, we will ensure that whoever is coming to vote will vote with his or her card and not another person’s voter’s card,” he said.