"I Am A Money Magician" — Ifeanyi Ubah

Chief Ifeanyi Ubah, Labour Party candidate in the election responds to issues on his candidacy, capacity and controversies around his campaign.

 Excerpts:

What is keen to me is politics of Anambra State Nigeria. I am flexible, I am calm, I am relaxed, I am just doing it as if I’m like somebody trying to do his business. I don’t follow protocol, I don’t follow style.

I am doing it in my own style and I’m as a man that tomorrow, whatever the outcome is, I can always go home and sit. If I win the election I will still go and take a rest and say God thank. If I don’t win I’ll also go back home.

I am winning because I am the best candidate. I am winning because I have the solution to the problems of Anambra people. Whoever in Anambra politics that feels that he is better than me I challenge him with five million naira to come for a debate.

If anybody in Anambra be it Ngige, be It whoever and thinks he is better than me, he should come.
Because first it’s a challenge, if anybody is better than me in any line, he should come and challenge me for a public debate before our debate.

What gives you the assurance?
I came from a poor background, very humble background. I know the society. I have felt what people there are feeling.

In Lagos, this my street won the best street in Lagos in 2011 by Lagos State government. There is light, street light from street end to street end, there is covered drainage street end to street end, this is what I did in Lagos.

So Ifeanyi’s life style with the masses is not something I designed today. I have taken kerosene to every corner to touch the lives of the masses. So I know what people in Kano how they are feeling, the poor masses in Kano, the poor masses in Bauchi every part of this country.

Proud Anambrarian

Now coming to my state, I am with them and I am a very proud Anambarian. So what drives me into this politics is that the politicians have not been fair to Anambarians and the sacrifice I am giving today nobody can afford to give it. Nobody will be at the top of his business and then they say come and run the company and say I don’t want to run I want to go into politics.

It is not that Anambra State has more money than what I am getting from my company, but I want somebody to manage it today let me go and see how I can fix Anambra, at least you should appreciate it from this point.

I want to tell you about other politicians that are contesting. Some don’t have any business with the masses, some have never been in the state, some were forced, some don’t even know the name of their deputy governor (running mate), you know it’s a big crime for somebody to be in a debate and he will not remember the name of his deputy governor.

It happened in America, the candidate they want to force on Anambra people couldn’t remember the name of his deputy governor (running mate). He was confused, that is the truth.

It took him two minutes to remember the deputy governor’s (running mate’s) name. Is that the kind of person we want in Anambra State? Somebody who doesn’t understand how to fix Anambra that is why I said anybody that feels he’s better than me should come for a debate and take five million if he wins me.

But he has intimidating credentials?

Credential is not all about practicality. Bill Gate once said it, it’s not all about credentials, it is all about being street wise, understanding the problem of your people.

Bill Gate said it, Aliko Dangote too said it. The solution is getting the result. It’s not about credentials. Credentials have not helped Anambra people, and I am not also saying that credentials are not good, but we should not lay emphasis on credentials because with credentials without understanding the problem of the people it is equal to zero.

How are you going to generate employment?
If I am looking at people, I can create fifty thousand employment in six months. I am addicted to employing people, so I have that addiction to employing people.

How will you do it?
I’m a money magician. I don’t want to say it now till we get to the debate table.

But people will raise issues concerning your company and AMCON. Your company was taken away from you by AMCON. How will you react to that?

If they don’t raise it, I’ll raise it. In America nobody asked me (about) AMCON, I raised it.

I said I was expecting you people to ask me and by the time I finished nobody even challenged or discussed anything.

But how do you respond to the fact that your company was taken over by AMCON?

Have you ever seen a company that is bankrupt and somebody will go and raise the company up?
No. If you are quarter to die and somebody will come and say there is life for you. Capital oil and gas is not bankrupt.

When you see a company that has ten naira and is owing one naira that company is alive, and if they cannot make one naira based on government policy, government must come and see how they will help the company because Capital Oil and Gas is a company of strategic national interest.

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