BY VINCENT UJUMADU

How well-spread is your activity in the federal constituency?

One thing I promised my constituents before the election was that a project must be set up in each community before the expiration of my tenure. We are determined to achieve it. But you should not forget that I’ve just spent only 2½ years because of the funny manipulation that happened immediately after our primaries in 2007. But I must state with all sense of responsibility that all the projects carried out by my three predecessors cannot be compared to what I have given to the people these past two years.

There is this observation that many federal lawmakers from Anambra are not active on the floor of the National Assembly?

I have moved several motions in the house and you know in the National Assembly, bills are more important than motions. Let me place it on record that I sponsored the Telecoms Equity Bill in 2009 which will compel GSM operators and companies to give 30% of their shares to Nigerians as a way to avoid total capital flight.

How close are members of the Anambra caucus in the National Assembly?

Well, they were not interacting properly before I came to the House of Representatives. I suspected it was because they were divided along factional lines on which platform they all got into the House. But I am happy that things have changed. We now network to give quality representation to our people. I am the secretary of Anambra Caucus in the House of Representative and the chairman is Hon Cyril Maduabum of the Nnewi Federal Constituency. You must know that the Enugu International Airport got re-opened on time because of the input from the members of the Anambra and South East caucus in the National Assembly and a host of other things we were able to achieve.

There is this suspicion among ACN members that you might return to PDP after winning the election on its platform as some have done in the past.

I left the PDP primarily because of the crisis that has engulfed the party. You recall that the party’s primaries ought to have been conducted months ago, but the exercise was marred due to much litigation. Honestly it is difficult to belong to an organization where nobody is in charge. Let me quickly say here that the old PDP crisis did not get to Idemili federal constituency. The leader of the party in the zone and perhaps the state, Senator Annie Okonkwo and I got this zone insulated against the crisis.

But remember that ACN won the governorship election here with landslide because of the influence of Dr. Chris Ngige who is widely respected, loved and accepted because of his numerous achievements when he was in power in the state. Besides, ACN is a party that believes in internal democracy. One thing is certain and that is that whatever the outcome of the April general elections I am not going back to PDP. I have left that party for good.

Registration of voters has started, are you optimistic that Prof Attahiru Jega and his INEC will get it right in April?

INEC has done some things that give rays of hope to Nigerians that this election would be far better than the previous ones and it is expected that the process would be largely free and fair more than the previous ones. I must also appeal that the on-going voters’ registration exercise should be supported by all because the hope of a free and fair election hangs principally on a credible voters register. On our part we have been mobilizing the people on the need to participate actively in the exercise.