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By Chukwudi Nweje
Member of the House of Representatives, Anayo Edwin Nwonu representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency is aspiring to contest the 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi State. In this interview, the lawmaker who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) discusses why he is the best man for the job at this time in Ebonyi State.
Why do you want to govern Ebonyi State?
By the grace of God and the will of the people, I will be coming into office as Governor in 2023 at a critical phase in our socio-economic evolution when Ebonyi State like the rest of the nation is facing profound challenges. These extraordinary times require a focused, steady and compassionate leadership. This is what I intend to offer.
I will be a servant leader of the people, an astute manager of the resources of the state and a change agent who will put the people first at all times.
Governor Dave Umahi is now of the All Progressives Congress(APC); do you think you have what it takes to upstage an incumbent governor who is likely to influence who succeeds him?
It has been done in Ebonyi before when Governor Umahi himself won the election. He was not the choice of his predecessor, former Governor Martins Elechi but he picked the PDP ticket and later won the gubernatorial election. And in any case, as far as I am concerned, there is no APC in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi is a PDP state.
But what makes you think you can govern Ebonyi?
The challenges we face today require a leader with compassion, a leader who knows and understands Ebonyi and her people. The future of our state requires a clear vision of the present and a clear path to a glorious future that works for everyone. If given the opportunity, I will lead from the front from the first day; I will be in the trenches on daily basis fighting for the masses. My mission is to restore the lost dignity of Ebonyi person.
You have a document which you call the Ebonyi State Economic Development Master plan. What is it about?
The master plan is a strategic document my team and I have put together to address the present challenges with the aim of repositioning the state to achieve an all-inclusive growth and prosperity. This vision rests on the achievement of these cardinal objectives and much more:
On human Capital Development, the Ebonyi State Economic Development Masterplan (2023-2027) will be driven by an open, transparent, inclusive and accountable plan committed to Human Capacity Development. Human Capacity Development of Nigeria is the index used by the United Nations to measure progress of the country which was put at 0.539 in 2019 which leaves it in 161 on the table of 189 countries. The HDI measures long term progress in three critical areas of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.
The significance of the concept of human capital in generating long-term economic development of the nation cannot be neglected. It is expected that the macroeconomic policies of all the nations, especially labour surplus countries, are focused towards promotion of human development and subsequently economic development. My plan shall be focused on these key drivers: Education, Health and Job Creation/Enterprise Development.
Who are our strategic partners? They include relevant Federal MDAs; state Ministries of Education & Health; Development & Donor Agencies; Private Schools & Hospitals; Communities & Churches and Organised Private Sector.
Access to knowledge is part of your master plan. So, specifically, what plans do you have for the education sector if elected?
Education is one of the critical drivers of my economic blueprint. The state shall invest to significantly increase the number of secondary school enrolment and that of primary schools in my first four years. The infrastructure in our public primary and secondary schools shall be paid full attention to ensure conducive learning environment and qualified teachers.
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My blueprint for the state aims to renovate all public secondary schools within this period. This shall in turn require an increase in the number of certified teachers to meet the new demand. Payment, promotion and training of teachers shall be of utmost importance and pensioners shall be given due attention.
The inspectorate department of Ebonyi State Ministry of Education shall be empowered to effectively discharge its role in regulating standards. The Ebonyi State University, Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo and College of Health Sciences shall be sufficiently funded. Their faculties and curriculum shall also be aligned with the state’s competitive advantages in agriculture, extractive resources and tourism/hospitality. The new administration shall revive the abandoned postgraduate scholarship programmes for deserving students in critical areas of studies and shall award foreign post-graduate scholarships yearly to deserving citizens in areas of dire need. The state shall also expose suitable candidates to access other scholarships offered by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Niger Delta Development Commission, British Chevening scholars etc.
Do you have any plans for the health needs of people of Ebonyi?
My plan seeks increased investment in health infrastructure and resources. Our aim if elected shall be not only to increase the number of general hospitals but to ensure maintenance, presence of doctors and other professionals to attend to the health needs of citizens. We will ensure that every LGA has at least one fully functional secondary health care institution in the state. Government shall aim to equip these general hospitals with surgical resources and ensure the provision of diagnostic and pharmaceutical services as practiced in civilized climes like the United Kingdom. The number of Primary Health Centres (PHC) shall be increased such that there is an available PHC every 30 minutes walking distance. The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) shall be reduced while the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) shall also be reduced drastically.
The new administration shall increase the number of doctors and professional health workers in the sector by improving enrolment/facilities in College of Health Science EBSU and in the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery.
Also, job creation is one of the cardinal objectives of my economic development master plan and the aim is to create over 30,000 skilled and unskilled jobs through the Foreign Direct Investment/Domestic Direct Investment drive for industrialisation. The vision of this Ebonyi State Economic Development Master plan is to attract investments particularly into those industries (agriculture, extractive & tourism) that represent the state’s competitive advantage. Existing companies in Ebonyi shall be encouraged to create more jobs through tax incentives which will enable them undertake expansion of their businesses in the state. The government shall invest in training school leavers and graduates in information technology and other basic skills thereby improving their competitiveness and guaranteeing their employability.
In addition, on enterprise development,
a N3billion funding window shall be created through the Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA) to leverage on the opportunities provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Development Bank of Nigeria and other development institutions to finance Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises within the state. As an outcome, these collaborations will support 5000 SMEs and, in particular, enable as many start-ups as possible yearly. The process of identifying, selecting, refining and incubating prospective start-ups shall be transparent and independent.
Agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of crude oil. From 1970 to late 2000s, the sector’s contribution to GDP and export earnings steadily declined, because the country’s focus shifted to petroleum exploration. The recent fall in crude oil prices has triggered debates around the role of agriculture in economic diversification.
Ebonyi State land mass is nearly 100 per cent arable and the state enjoys an all-year rainfall. The state is among the highest producers of rice, palm oil and cassava. My economic blueprint has plans to mechanize agriculture and introduce profitable and convenient modern farming techniques like the cultivation of yam in sacks and modification of same for other essential crops. Strong collaborations will be established with CBN to enable Ebonyi farmers leverage the bank’s most important agricultural initiatives – the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing Model for Agricultural Financing (NIRSAL), the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), the Real Sector Support Fund (RSSF), and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, all of which unlock low interest finance.
In line with its value chain approach, this Economic Development Master plan shall ensure that Ebonyi State attracts domestic and foreign manufacturers to invest in the state and to create the following value addition across the most profitable segments:
Investors shall supply high yield seedlings to farmers and shall guarantee the off-take of all harvests.
Ebonyi State shall strengthen its agricultural extension capabilities to support farmers especially in adopting better farming techniques and LGAs shall support farmers to organize themselves into cooperative societies that can procure, maintain and deploy tractors and other mechanized farming equipment as well as fertilizers.
Ebonyi shall support cooperative societies to obtain international product certifications and shall provide cooperative societies market information and enable them to establish market linkages; Ebonyi shall construct rural roads for easy evacuation of harvests and investors shall establish food-processing factories in Ebonyi thereby reducing the raw-finished food export ratio.
Your state is endowed with some minerals; are you going to do anything to harness that potential?
This industry involves the removal of aggregates, minerals and metals from the ground. Under the Nigerian Constitution, every mineral belongs to the Federal Government. The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals exercises this power through the grant of Prospecting and Mining Leases. Ebonyi is home to several solid mineral resources. These include lead/zinc, crude oil, natural gas, marble, limestone, granite, salt and gypsum.
Ebonyi shall build a strong working relationship with the relevant Federal Ministry; document and disseminate information on the mineral deposits in the state; engage Nigerian and Foreign Missions to enlighten foreign businesses on the rich mineral deposits and
encourage major domestic mining, construction and cement manufacturing companies to open quarries and factories in the state.
Ebonyi under me shall leverage the United Nations World Tourism Organization technical capabilities especially in tourism destination planning and management. This Economic Development Master plan identifies many tourist sites and proposes that these sites be first evaluated, categorized developed and integrated. The development of the sites shall be predicated on a best business model that leverages on direct investment and sustainable profitability. My administration will create a Tourism Bureau to drive this impetus and a new faculty in the existing Ebonyi State tertiary institutions dedicated for studies in tourism.
