Publisher, Columnist obtains APC senatorial nomination forms

Publisher of the defunct Summit Newspaper and Newspaper Columnist, Chief Ray Ugba Murphy has obtained the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial nomination forms for Cross River North Senatorial District, Cross River State.

Murphy, who is also an educationist has promised to improve the working conditions of journalists and teachers.

According to him, it was time the media practitioners take over the leadership of the country having contributed immensely to restore democracy to the country.

The newspaper columnist noted that those in power do not read newspapers or listen to news, therefore could not articulate the needs of the people.

He stated that he was at the vintage position to make laws that would bring a remarkable change to his people and Nigeria at large.

He said that the problem with the country is not necessarily poverty, but poverty of education, attributing the poverty of education to poor salary of teachers.

He said the solution to the problem of poor education would be to pay all teachers all over the country tangible salaries.

Speaking to journalists at the APC national headquarters after obtaining his intent and nomination forms, the aspirant said investing in infrastructures at the local areas should be concern of the government because those that live there are part of the country.

He said, “My agenda is simply, rural development, rural infrastructure, education and agriculture. Most of our people live in places that are terrible.

Some of you who are close to me know I built ‘Bus Stop; and people ask me how would a bus stop contribute to the community.

I will tell you why! There are no taxes, there are no buses, people move by bikes because if one woman is carrying her garri and rain starts to fall that is the impact of the bus stop and these are little things people in government do not think about and it doesn’t cost much but I think people, like the elites do not have an idea about what the needs at home that would make the impact.

I tell you that despite the challenges, we have a duty to make things right and bring some positive changes”.

Speaking on his aspiration and why every journalist must aspire to be a leader, he said, “I must tell you that our function of educating those who lead through agenda setting have been lost; Our function of educating those who lead through our friendships and influencing them through our columns have been lost.

None of them read columns anymore, so it becomes necessary for you to do what I am doing, move from the point where you are reporting to a point where you are influencing and that is the main reason of my progression from being a reporter to a person who wishes to influence. That is why I am aspiring for the seat in the Senate”.

He dismissed the insinuations that Cross River State is a strong hold of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, therefore difficult to bring APC to bear.

He stated that APC is a better alternative to the failed PDP in the state.

On the crisis of APC in the Cross River State, he said it was nothing serious as it has to do with individual ambitions.