RT. HON. COSMOS NDUKWE PhD, MEMBER REPRESENTING BENDE NORTH STATE CONSTITUENCY AND DEPUTY SPEAKER ABIA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY CLOCKS THREE YEARS AS A LEGISLATOR TODAY: The journey so far.

RT. HON. COSMOS NDUKWE PhD,
MEMBER REPRESENTING BENDE NORTH STATE CONSTITUENCY AND DEPUTY SPEAKER ABIA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY…
CLOCKS THREE YEARS AS A LEGISLATOR TODAY … The journey so far.
I am glad to have you again read my long but meaningful recap of my days in office.
Our pact with each other remains to allow the free flow of information. I am equally glad that we have continued to follow each other in what has been an effective work – in – progress.
Today marks three years I assumed the mandate, as freely given to me by the hardworking people of Bende North State Constituency; to SPEAK for them at the Abia State House of Assembly. While I thank them most profoundly, I thank in a special way too, my colleagues who found me worthy to be elected their DEPUTY SPEAKER. I can tell you without fear or favour that these opportunities made the achievements possible.
YEARS BEFORE MY ELECTION
I had a mindset that we will make steady progress as a people if we continue to do LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER. Driven by that philosophy, I searched through our villages and kindreds for the poorest of the poor. It was in that quest that through the instrumentality of COSMOS NDUKWE FOUNDATION that
1. I built seven bungalows furnished to a modest taste and donated to indigent widows. I have also ensured that they were given upkeep periodically.
2. Commenced the payment of WAEC registration fees for no less than 200 candidates each year.
3. Identified brilliant but indigent students who were enlisted in our UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME. Every year, we ensure that no fewer than fifty (50) of them were given cash grants to offset school and other fees.
4. I built a Church with a parsonage and Civic Hall for my Onuobia kinsmen.
5. Commenced and sustained annual party for widows where grants were given to them to start up small businesses. This is apart from clothings and other materials for their upkeep.
I have read about politicians who probably dump their causes soon after they are elected. What I tell people is, I am not a “politician”, I am only passionate about ensuring that through my duties, actions and discharge of my responsibilities that I continue to make life better for as many as I can. My stint in Abia State House of Assembly will not be any different. I agreed with God in prayer that my worst score card would be a sustenance of what I had done to improve the welfare of others long before the thought of venturing into elective politics.
PRIMARY DUTY AS A LEGISLATOR
1. In about one month of our inauguration, precisely on the 15th of July 2015; I sponsored the first motion that awakened our consciousness to the reality of the menace of cattle rearers. The resolution of the house and events that followed added strongly to the eventual proposal and passage of the ANTI – GRAZING BILL by the 6th Abia House
2. Activating my business sense, I had crafted and proposed the INVESTMENT PROMOTION BILL. I am pleased to inform you that my contributions and position formed the fulcrum of the ABIA STATE PARTNERSHIP AND INVESTMENTS PROMOTION BILL that promotes the ease of doing business in Abia which has since been signed into law.
3. My matter of urgent public importance inspired the 6th House to resolve in favour of the deployment of security agencies to tackle the lingering boundary dispute between our Akanu Item people and their neighbors in Ubeagu Akaeze in Ivo Local Government.
4. I have also solely sponsored the ABIA STATE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BILL 2016. This bill which has since passed second reading is in line with global standard that seeks to remove inhibitions either by reason of birth or circumstances.
5. When our people, despite being in the rural areas where electricity consumption is at its lowest, raised the alarm of PAYING EEDC FOR DARKNESS; I raised the matter on floor of the house caused the House to issue the electricity distribution company a notice to improve or quit. This persuasive mandate gave our people some measure of relief from the distribution company.
6. I search through the lines and construction of every bill to ensure that non would later haunt Bende North particularly and Abians in general. For those ones I find difficult to achieve, I appeal to the conscience of my colleagues.
7. I am done with a fresh bill which seeks to stem the tide of security challenges. In no time, this bill, wholly to promote peace and security will be introduced to my colleagues for their support
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME
MY idea of empowerment is based on the principle of teaching people how to fish other than giving them fishes. Upon inauguration, I had selected 50 unemployed persons across Bende North who I paid stipends every month. However, I informed them the measure was a very temporary one until I am through with designing a more permanent empowerment.
I have since, using the instrumentality of COSMOS NDUKWE FOUNDATION selected twenty persons per each ward in Bende North who were exposed to various skills (according to their preference) like welding, hairdressing, sewing, barbing, vulcanizing, driving, cake making just to mention but a few. As soon as it was certified that they had acquired the minimum skill required to start up small businesses, I provided them with:
a. 14 Motorcycles
b. 14 giant freezers
c. 42 sewing machines
d. 42 welding machines
e. 42 giant hair dryers
f. 42 set of flour/cooking gas/groundnut oil
g. 42 sets of generators with clippers for barbers
h. 42 vulcanizing machines
i. 42 Industrial grinding machines
j. three buses
K. 5000 wrappers
L. 5000 bags of rice
M. First ever children Xmas party for 3000 kids of Bende North
N Umunna N1m football competition
O payment of monthly stipend to 275 constituents
The buses were given to civil servants in my constituency who grapple with the challenge of going to the LG headquarters in Bende where they work, the artisans who need to assess the hinterlands and to the College of party chairmen who do most of the leg runs identifying the needs and aspirations of our people
2. As a prelude to a more secured future, I have continued to make funds available for the payment of WAEC registration fees. From 200 candidates each year when we started in 2011, the number has risen to 233 and still counting
3. In the last three years, I have ensured that at all times, we are giving cash grants to no fewer than 50 undergraduates on our scholarship list.
WIDOWS PROGRAMME
In the last three years, we have been able to complete a house/shop for an indigent disabled woman in Igbere. As I speak, two other houses are being built for two widows in Bende North. God willing, we will hand over the houses, modestly furnished to the beneficiary widows in the coming weeks. You will note that we had done seven of such houses at least four years before I purchased nomination form to contest for elections.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
1. In line with our campaign promise, we have successfully built, equipped and donated a PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE to people of Okagwe Item, invited the relevant government agency to manage the facility.
2. Built new market stalls to encourage his Constituents in Apuanu/Amaeke.
3. Presently constructing Apuanu/Amaeke popular Iyiechi bridge, 6 stall toilets in Amaekpu, A gigantic culvert in Amaekpu.
4. donated huge sum of money to Amaeke Dev. Union for renovation of their civic hall,
5. donated #1.2m for rehabilitation of Ekwo Amautu Road
6. another 16 stall market at Eke Akanu
7. Rehabilitation of a water bore hole at Amankalu Igbere with a gen set/cash to enhance availability of water at all times.
8. Building of 3block classroom at Ezeukwu Central School Ezeukwu
9. Building of giant Bridge @ Amaeze Ugwueke.
10. Attracted the zero pothole project of Ikpeazu administration for alayi – okoko – amaokwe – Apunanwu road
GOSPEL MINISTERS PROGRAMME
Not many know that a lot of Ministers do not get attracted to working in rural communities. When I started this PROGRAMME severally years ago, I had in mind that for no reason shall our people be denied certain benefits. This is given our disposition to religion. In the last three years, I have continued to make funds available for their training in Bible School and other grants so that rural – urban migration is checkmated.
CHILDREN’S PARTY
Since the villages often lack amenities that make life pleasurable, our children are hardly exposed to certain good things of life. It is my considered opinion that we could raise the confidence of our children by exposing them to those good things that seem the exclusive preserve of urban dwellers. When in Dec 2017 I gathered over 3,000 children across Bende North, the aim was to inspire them to learn and be exposed like their mates elsewhere. Apart from the entertainment, we offered scholarship to those who distinguished themselves in various categories of the competition organized.
Gentlemen of the Press, let also kindly inform us that the bedrock of my representation lies in constant consultation with traditional rulers, opinion leaders, the clergy, fathers, artisans, women, youths and children in and of Bende North. We have an understanding that we shall never let each other down. They have also agreed with me that the challenges facing us cannot be resolved in these three years. Through the mercy of God, I have Pledged to do more for Bende North first as a form of gratitude for their magnanimity in sending me to speak for them and mostly for my conviction that long after we are gone, we would be remembered only by our legacies.
Thank you and remain richly blessed
Rt. Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe Ph.D
Deputy Speaker