The Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate for Imo East (Owerri Zone) Senatorial District, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, has called for urgent action to break the cycle of poverty in Imo State, declaring that poverty must never become a permanent inheritance for ordinary citizens.
Amadi made the call while speaking at the annual August Meeting of the Women’s Wing of the Okpulla Amakaohia Development Union (OADU) in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, where he decried the worsening socioeconomic conditions confronting families and communities across the state.
The Umuekwenne, Ngor Okpala-born academic and social entrepreneur identified inadequate healthcare, poor infrastructure, deteriorating public schools, deplorable roads, unemployment, economic hardship and social disconnection among the consequences of years of poor representation and misplaced priorities in governance.
He maintained that government and elected representatives at every level have a responsibility to create the conditions necessary for citizens to live with dignity, security and opportunity.
Amadi commended the women of OADU for their sustained contributions to community development and grassroots mobilisation, noting that women occupy a strategic position in the family and community and often bear the greatest burden when economic conditions deteriorate.
He therefore urged them to translate their numerical strength and grassroots influence into political power by actively participating in elections and demanding leaders who will genuinely represent their interests.
“The poor cannot continue to remain poor while a privileged few continue to prosper from our collective resources. Our mothers cannot continue to struggle with medical bills, our children cannot continue to learn in dilapidated schools, and our young people cannot continue to roam the streets without jobs and opportunities. Government must work for the ordinary people,” Amadi said.
Speaking particularly on the state of public education, the APP candidate expressed concern that quality education was increasingly becoming inaccessible to children from poor and vulnerable families.
He warned that the continued deterioration of public schools would widen existing inequalities and deny countless children the opportunity to improve their circumstances through education.
“As a son of nobody and a proud product of public schools, I weep daily seeing education gradually becoming the exclusive preserve of privileged members of society. Public education gave people like us the opportunity to dream beyond the circumstances of our birth. We must rebuild a society where the child of the poor has the same opportunity to dream, learn and succeed,” he stated.
The gathering took an emotional turn when Amadi encountered an elderly woman with a conspicuous growth around her throat. Visibly touched by her condition, he described the encounter as a painful reminder of the hardship confronting citizens who cannot afford timely and quality medical care.
Moved by the woman's situation, Amadi announced a donation of ₦500,000 towards her immediate medical evaluation and treatment.
He stressed that no citizen should be left to suffer from a treatable medical condition simply because they lack the financial means to seek medical attention, arguing that access to basic healthcare should be a responsibility of government and not a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
“What we have seen here today is beyond politics. It is about our common humanity. Nobody should have to carry an illness for years simply because she cannot afford medical attention. We must build a society where government sees the pain of its people, hears their cries and responds to their needs,” he said.
Amadi also announced a donation of ₦3 million towards the development initiatives of the Okpulla Amakaohia Development Union, commending the community and its women for continuing to contribute to local development despite the prevailing economic difficulties.
He described the traditional August Meeting as an important platform for strengthening community bonds, promoting grassroots development and enhancing women's participation in community affairs.
However, the senatorial candidate cautioned against a situation where communities are continually compelled to provide basic amenities and services that should ordinarily be the responsibility of government.
He urged the women to demand greater accountability from elected officials and to ask critical questions about public resources, representation and development.
According to him, elections provide citizens with a constitutional opportunity to assess the performance of their leaders, reward those who have served them well and reject those who have failed to improve their lives.
Responding on behalf of the women, the National Vice President of the OADU Women’s Wing, Mrs Victoria Ugochi Chukwu, expressed appreciation to Amadi for honouring their invitation and identifying with the developmental aspirations of the community.
She particularly commended his ₦3 million contribution to the union’s development efforts and the ₦500,000 intervention for the elderly woman’s medical treatment, describing both gestures as evidence of compassion and concern for the welfare of ordinary citizens.
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