Credible polls, greatest birthday tribute to Zik  – Ngige

.Declares self a Zikist

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige has said  the greatest tribute  on this year’s  posthumous birthday  of the first President of Nigeria and the Great Zik of Africa, Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe ,  is the free , fair and credible November 6 governorship election, which President Muhammadu Buhari facilitated in his native Anambra state.

The Minister added  that Nigerians are  positive that this trend of credible election shall continue, while noting that  the election of Professor Chukwuma Soludo “at a material time Anambra  is nearly overcast by the  shadows of a second term gubernatorial fatigue,  clearly  aligns  with Azikiwe’s emancipative vision of showing the light so that the threatening darkness begone.”

In a statement by his Media Office in Abuja, Tuesday, Ngige said he was not surprised President Buhari did not allow Anambra sink into chaos, especially in the backdrop of threats of  election boycott,  reinforced by scarring  spate of violence and killings, because the President  just like Dr. Azikiwe   is a quiet  promoter of  peaceful elections and co-existence.

According to him, “President Buhari has paid an immeasurable tribute to Zik with the  conduct  of the Anambra governorship election widely acclaimed as credible . The President  appreciates the place of Anambra as the cradle of Igbo civilization, as well as the fulcrum of  its republican entrepreneurial spirit. With Anambra down , the President   knows full well, the entire South East will be in disarray.

“I recall that it  took a President Buhari to give Zik a deserving resting place by completing the long abandoned mausoleum and library at his  Inosi Onira residence in Onitsha.

“It is the same President Buhari who started work at the Second Niger Bridge, currently nearing  completion. This is  a project that was made  a vanishing bait by successive governments  at every general election.

“As a Zikist myself, I often reflect on Dr. Azikiwe’s  philosophy of economic determinism that  Africa should look inwards,   that nobody except Africans  can determine the future of Africa and  that black is not synonymous with lack; and being black, not an eternal confinement to backwardness.’

 “This philosophy  finds expression in Buhari’s backward integration agenda especially the revolutionary agricultural policies, towards a self-reliant, food producing nation.

“This philosophy  also guided the push and re-focusing of our labour administration policy on youth employment, with skills acquisition, an area with an  abundant latitude for wealth creation as the new focus. We are geared to turn out youths who not only employ themselves but also employ others.

“Being conversant with Zik’s  vision for the greatness of Africa in world politics, also spurred the moderate achievements Nigeria  recorded in international labour diplomacy since Buhari assumed office in 2015; where we  moved  from being a bench warmer in the ILO to the  deputy membership of its Governing Board  in 2017, and now full (Titular) membership. A Nigerian, Sen. Chris Ngige,  for the first time in history,  became the Chairman of the  Government Group of Governing Board of the ILO between 2019-2020.

“Under this period, we  brought the entire world to Nigeria in August 2019 in the first ever Global Youth Forum of the ILO held outside Europe in its  100 years history  .

“Under this period also , Ngige led Nigeria  to galvanize other African countries for a purposeful push of the continent’s mutual agenda, demanding for instance, the removal of the last vestiges of colonialism from the  ILO as well as straightening the unanimity of African voice , that today, an African candidate from Togo will most likely emerge the next Secretary General  of the ILO.

“Zik once said that ‘that Africans through education and hard work, through pride in themselves and through achievements would emerge on the world scene as equal with other members of the world, that there is no other way to   develop  the character, initiative, and ability  of the youth of the country so that they may  be reliable, useful, and intelligent in the rapidly changing life circumstances than education. ’

 “There is no departure from these immortal words and we the current leaders of Nigeria must uphold this.

“We the  leaders also, must  emulate the pathway to peaceful and prosperous nation through honesty, competence tolerance and consensus building as lived by Azikiwe”.

The Minister further commended  the Anambra State government for declaring  November 16 a public holiday and urged youths to use the opportunity to reflect on giant footsteps of the Great Zik of Africa.