I am more reliable than Manager and Uduaghan, says Micheal Johnny

By Abai Francis

Chief Micheal Johnny, one of the leading contenders for the Delta South Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asserted that he is the most reliable and tested of all the contenders.

“I am more reliable, more transparent, more tested and trusted. Among other contenders. I am the only visible person on ground.

“If you talk about accessibility, accountability, transparency, anything you can think of.

“I am the most qualified person and I believe I have the support of the grassroots and the people,” he stated.

According to him, “there is a message and a mandate that were given to me by the people of Delta South. They want a change and they want visible representation. And in that case I was identified and called to serve.

“It is the pains, the poverty situation, the suffering of my people, the underdevelopment, the inadequate representation in the red chamber; as they have not been well represented is the reason I accepted to serve.

“My mission is to bring a visible democratic dividend to them. So I am here to represent the good people of Delta South; the Itsekiris, the Ijaws, the Isokos, and the Urhobos. So if I am coming there, changes are sure. I say, in less than two years I will do what James Manager cannot do in 16 years; in less than two years I will do what Uduaghan cannot do in all those eight years as a governor and those four years as the SSG and commissioner.”

On the confidence to deliver on his mandate, Johnny recounted his achievements during his days as chairman of the regional development council (RDC), the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) as enough proof of his ability to deliver democratic dividends to the people.

“The people in Delta South Senatorial District already believe in what Micheal Johnny can do. If, as a small organisation like the Ijaw RDC, Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), I can use that office with a very low budget to achieve 116 projects in four years; a budget that is less than N400m a year, that is to tell you that I can do better than James Manager in less than two years.

“What I am going there to do is to introduce laws that will reduce the poverty rate in our area and to also provide a conducive environment for all investors in the Niger Delta, and to see how we can introduce a law that the 13 per cent derivation that is paid to the oil producing communities would be increased and would be paid directly to the communities,” he added.

Johnny also debunked rumour making the rounds that the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has paid him to step down, as he rather insists the former governor should support his senatorial ambition.

“Since 2013, myself and Uduaghan have not seen until early last month when he called me that he was contesting for the position and he asked me to step down for him. And I told him that the only way APC can win is Micheal Johnny, not you; so support me.

“So, it is an insult to my kind of person that I am given N150m. I cannot because of N150m sell the mandate of my people. So that story is faulty and it is a great propaganda that they are trying to instigate against my kind of person. If anybody has evidence, even the former governor you are talking about, if he has given Micheal Johnny N1, 000, I challenge him in the public to prove that.”

He therefore called on the youths to avoid the practice of money politics of selling their votes thereby impoverishing themselves, saying, “do not sell your mandate or your votes because of N200, 000 or N100, 000 you will receive. After collecting such you will suffer for another four years. So, it is left for you to make a change; and the change is Micheal Johnny,” he concluded.

Earlier at the weekend, Chief Micheal Johnny had received an award of recognition as “Most Supportive and Student Friendly Personality of the Year 2018” from the National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU), Niger Delta University Chapter.

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