The Executive Chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State Hon Uche Ibiam, said he cannot be distracted by the ongoing preparations for the July 20 Council elections as his priority would be on actualizing his people's oriented projects in the area.
Ibiam, who was reacting to an interview granted by a self-styled political commentator and analyst, Dr Ifeanyi Anya and published by some media organisations said nobody should fight for him to be returned to office, and that his numerous projects would fight for him.
The council boss said that he has won the total support of stakeholders of Afikpo East, and Afikpo West including Amasiri, Ibii/Oziza and Akpoha.
He said: "My target is 300 persons in each ward. We have 12 wards, and 300 persons for glasses and note that not every eye problem needs glasses. We treat more than 300 but my target is 300 for glasses.
"There is no ward we don't treat more than 300 persons. When we went to Uwana Poly, the people were excited including the Rector and these are things ordinarily if you come to Abakaliki you will not spend much money and we are giving quality glasses.
"So far so good, we have spent close to 10 million Naira and I pray that it will be enough for us because the demand may be high and we will add more but for now I want to touch every ward; each ward must get two days. When we round off, I will sit with the medical team and review their activities and know if we should extend it or not. I have the drawing of VIP toilets I want to build in every ward I don't care about elections I just want to work for my people.
"We have paid bills. I went to the Center of Hope for inspection they showed me a bill of almost 800.000 and the patient has been there for over 8 months. I told the hospital to allow her to go home. It is not the first, second, third, fourth or fifth time. We have offset many bills even in FETHA. Anyone who is trapped in the hospital hears it and it is something we can do, we ask the hospital to let the person go home most of them don't see it on social media it is the few my PRO remembers that he posts.
"We are doing it to help our people, forget about publicity. When I started the free eye care program, I paid for the glasses 3 months ago but the glasses didn't arrive in the country on time. It arrived about two weeks ago otherwise I would have finished the program before now but from the timetable, it will end at the end of May 2024 because we do Monday and Tuesday to give the Doctor a chance to go to their hospital. After all, they are on lease so they do Monday and Tuesday and then adjourn to Friday and Saturday. They use the middle of the week to do their own business because most of them we hired from private hospitals.
"The cost of hiring the medical team is built in the 10m and they are about 8 with their nurses. It is capital intensive but we have to do it for our people because they voted us into power and they should enjoy the dividends of democracy more than us. People are suffering in the village. I have been there and I see them. If I come to work now and 200 people want to see me, 199 is for financial assistance. We can't help everybody but at least do the little we can.
"I also plan to enrol fresh 500 people into the Ebonyi State health insurance scheme. We have done a lot for our people to forget detractors that will come to say one thing or the other but we will shut them up. I have told my supporters on all media to too argue and shut them up with our projects with what we have done. Don't fight for me, my projects will fight for me that is my belief," he said.
