The Labour Party Candidate, Obiora Agbasimalo, has reiterated his resolve to bring big and small private investors into the state to boost its Gross Domestic Product (GPD).
The candidate made this submission during a Q&A session on Channels television on the topic, ‘The Battle for Awka Seat of Power’.
He said the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Anambra State is about N28 billion for 2020 whereas Lagos State has the highest with N418.99billion but noted that out of Lagos IGR, the bulk of it comes from ‘pay as you earn’ by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS).
“The private sector pays taxes more than the government. That means it is the private sector that is boosting the economy of Lagos. Now Anambra is one of the most industrial states in the country, maybe after Lagos and Ogun. Are we tapping into the revenue of the state?”
Therefore, the LP candidate pledged to encourage investors to come into Anambra State. “That is why we will build industries, encourage investors and make the environment more conducive for them to come in and establish more – either the cottage or the big ones”, he said.
On how he would execute this plan when he emerges the governor, Agbasimalo harped on enhancing and improving security of the people and their investments as a priority.
Continuing, he listed some plans in his manifesto. “We are going to go to the grassroots base, the local government administration. We are going to have democratically elected government chairmen by conducting local government elections within a year, give or take.”
He declared his readiness to successfully and strategically run Anambra to the envy of other states.Agbasimalo who is the youngest candidate in the race, said: “Anambra is ripe for a new lease of life. Anambra deserves a new way of doing things. The old ways won’t cut it anymore. In this era of “not-too-young to run”, there is now opportunity for people like me 35 years and above to run for governorship positions.
Describing Anambra as the light of the nation, Agbasimalo said it was time for the state to live up to that name.