Mrs Ann Agomeze, former Permanent Secretary in the Ebonyi Ministry of Lands, Survey and Housing, has declared her intention to contest the Ebonyi South senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The seat is currently occupied by Sen. Sonni Ogboji, who was elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2011 and re-elected in 2015.
Ogbuoji defected to the APC in January, and is one of the front runners for the 2019 APC Ebonyi governorship ticket.
Agomeze declared her intention at a press conference on Thursday in Abakaliki.
The former permanent secretary said that she was eminently qualified for the office, adding that she would offer qualitative, effective and credible representation if elected into the senate.
“I will use my cognate experience in public service to offer the best of quality representation in the senate through sponsoring of bills that will impact on the lives of the people, especially the ordinary Nigerians.
“I will attract and utilise accordingly whatever dividends that is at the disposal of the office and ensure high level of women and youths representation.
“I will be gender sensitive and gender responsive; I will be more disposed to give more priority to social concerns and to the relatively disadvantaged population and vulnerable groups.
“I will attract as well as create job opportunities where necessary for unemployed youths and women from my z.one.
“I will ensure that people of my senatorial zone participate in legislative business by creating town hall platforms for quarterly meetings in order to create awareness to the people and listen to their needs.
“In order to encourage girl-child education and empowerment, I will provide scholarships to deserving female students at basic education levels and across various institutions of learning,” Agomeze said.
Agomeze said that she should be given a chance as no woman from the Ebonyi South senatorial district had represented the state at the National Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ebonyi South senatorial district comprises five local government areas: Afikpo North, Afikpo South, Onitcha, Ohaozara and Ivo.
NAN also reports that Agomeze is from Onitcha, the only local government yet to produce a senator from the zone since return of democracy in 1999. (NAN)