Labour Party, (LP) candidate for the Owerri Federal Constituency in the 2027 election into the House of Representatives, Dr Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has advocated a shift from individualistic to collective representation, for the development of Imo state.
This was contained in a newly launched developmental drive for the constituency.
Tagged “The New Deal”, the governance and representation framework aimes at strengthening collaboration among federal and state lawmakers to drive coordinated development in Owerri Federal Constituency.
Dr Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, disclosed this in a policy statement shared with reporters.
Particularly, the document proposed a shift away from what she described as fragmented legislative representation, where federal, state, and local government actors operate independently with limited synergy.
She pointed out that this lack of coordination has contributed to duplication of efforts, weak advocacy for development projects, and limited impact on grassroots communities.
According to her, a more collaborative model between the member representing Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and lawmakers representing Owerri West, Owerri North, and Owerri Municipal constituencies in the Imo State House of Assembly would significantly improve development outcomes.
“The New Deal is built on a simple but powerful principle: collaboration between federal and state legislators can unlock transformative socio-economic development at the grassroots.
“Under the proposed framework, lawmakers would jointly identify community priorities, harmonize legislative advocacy and pursue coordinated interventions across key sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, and security.
She emphasized that residents are less concerned about whether development projects originate from Abuja or Owerri, but are more interested in tangible improvements in their daily lives.
“Development has no political boundaries,” she said, adding that roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and economic opportunities should be evenly distributed across communities.
The initiative also proposes periodic strategy meetings among elected representatives to review ongoing projects, assess community needs, and develop a shared legislative agenda with measurable outcomes.