By Chidipeters Okorie
Although her party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) didn’t perform to expectation in the 2019 House of Representatives election, Hon. Mrs. Juliet Egbo says the contest prepared her well for the forthcoming 2023 election.
Mrs Egbo believes she is capable of winning the seat for Enugu North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the ticket of her party
Founder of a non-governmental organization that addresses issues around women and children rights; Mrs Egbo is the first woman aspirant to get the blessings and nod of the elders and the religious leaders to plunge into politics.
Mrs Egbo has made a name , thanks to the work her NGO does. Her work has seen her receive several awards for her affirmative action for the marginalized such as the youth, girl child, and poor rural women. Her humanitarian and entrepreneur projects have also been recognized widely.
So far, Mrs Egbo, whose nickname is Ka Nwanyi jee, and her team have been on the ground campaigning wards by wards, moving from door to door, and holding town hall meetings to woo registered voters in Enugu North and South Federal Constituency.
Her main campaign issues include strategy that encompasses transformation of Enugu North and South Federal Constituency: better education; vibrant health systems; extensive physical infrastructure; robust public service; sustainable peace, security and the rule of law; affirmative action for the marginalized citizens such as youth and women; integrity in the management of public assets; and protection of natural resources
“I am determined to serve my people. I am also a critical thinker and through my NGO we have held many capacity-building forums to empower our women, youth and people living with disabilities,” Mrs Egbo said.
Equally, she aims to propel her constituency as a force in trade and commerce, higher education, agriculture, Infrastructure, technology, and virtually every other aspect of human creativity to foster growth and development.
But her quest for the position has come with its share of challenges. She has to face male rivals in other political parties. But Mrs Egbo believes that “most women fall by the roadside because of lack of political will, lack of political strategies, know how on networking, and how to woo voters.”
“I am ready to be part of the change, we don’t have to give hampers but convince the people that their problems can best be addressed once they elect me and I implement my manifesto.’
All is, however, not lost. She is happy there is a shift in thinking about women leadership and a focus on electing leaders who are progressive in their thinking and not those who give hampers
“This generation is no holds barred and soon we will reach a tipping point which I’m excited to be a part of. Therefore if elected, my constituents will have opportunities to lend their voices, more available than they were since 1999,” he assured.