The red-jerseyed football team of young men in Nyihemba, along with the entire community, roared with laughter – along with the lady on the ground who had just kicked a football to the team and somehow landed on the carpet of leaves coating the village square.
She picked herself up and was quickly surrounded by the football team who wanted a picture! And that was how Ier Ichaver, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the Kwande/Ushongo House of Representatives, kicked off her campaign at Nyihemba, the headquarters of Mbaikyor ward in Kwande – ‘the most beautiful place in the whole wide world’ according to Ms. Ichaver, a daughter of the Kwande people.
Present at the campaign flag-off were IerforKwandeUshongo2023 Campaign Coordinator, Selumun Zaki; Hon Zege Or Thomas, the African Democratic Congress Kwande LGA Chairman; Mr. Vitalis Shangbun, ADC Benue Party Leader; Ms. Ahemen Shima, Coordinator IerforKwandeUshongo2023 Supporters’ Group; Mr. Aondofa Avaan, Ushongo LGA Coordinator, IerforKwandeUshongo2023 along with other community leaders and residents.
Her campaign coordinator, Selumun Zaki, in his opening remarks noted that the candidate had been working in the constituency for over 10 years – delivering relief materials to displaced persons in various locations across the constituency, a strong advocate for peace and justice across the nation as she had been very vocal against terrorist attacks since 2014. He said she recently repaired two boreholes in the ward in the last week in partnership with the 48@48 Initiative sponsored by her friends and associates and had a number of such projects in the pipeline, which were being worked on even as she was campaigning.
Ms. Ichaver said she was running the race to work for the constituency and would be a strong voice for the people, drawing on her partnership building experience to bring investments and development to Kwande and Ushongo. She explained that she was focused on solidly representing the constituency in seven key areas – security, wealth creation, human capital development, technology, environmental sustainability, women’s inclusion and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. She further stated that she intended to facilitate the creation of jobs in the constituency by having developmental and wealth creation projects in these seven areas which would be funded through partnerships and a constituency fund she intended to launch on assuming office.
A member of the football team expressed pleasant surprise that the candidate is still young at heart and full of good energy, saying he looked forward to having her represent him and other youth like him at the House of Representatives.