Anosike Plans to Industrialise Umuahia, Make It True State Capital
The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Dr. Kelechi Anosike, has unveiled plans to develop and industrialise Umuahia to make it a cosmopolitan city befitting of a state capital.
Anosike spoke when a group known as Umuahia Urban Men paid him a courtesy visit in Umuahia to declare their support for his governorship ambition.
He lamented that Umuahia, the state capital, has remained underdeveloped because successive governors who relocated governance to their home areas.
“Umuahia is not developing. Part of the reason is that every state governor moves the state capital to his area. Anywhere the governor comes from is where the state capital moves. This has made businesses in Umuahia to be dying, instead of growing,” Anosike said.
According to him, the lack of commitment to the capital city is evident in the fact that former governors do not even own homes in Umuahia.
“The former governors, none has a home in Umuahia. They don’t have any house. In Umuahia, all the former governors have no joy and pride to own a house in the state capital. It is a plan not to develop Umuahia. So, we will put an end to it,” he declared.
Anosike said if elected to become the governor, his administration would be determined to reverse the trend by developing Umuahia into a cosmopolitan city with an industrial layout
“Our determination is to develop Umuahia into a cosmopolitan city. It will not be wrong to site an industrial layout at Ohiya. It’s the government that will designate it. Companies will come in to develop it. So that businesses will boom here. Activities will pick up,” he said.
He explained that deliberate government policy to favour Umuahia will translate to more money for residents and businesses.
“If government policy changes in favour of the city, it will translate to more money in your pockets.
“If I emerge and my administration comes and gives attention to this city and injects funds, uses local contractors who are living here, they stay here and they spend their money, in three months, you will see the difference. But you see, the problem here is that those that work for the government, (particularly major contractors), don’t spend their money here. When they get their money, they wire it to their companies and families. We will use local contractors but we will not do substandard work,” he said.
The PDP flag bearer further revealed plans to set up industries as private enterprises rather than government bureaucracies.
“We plan to set up a battery factory in Umuahia but it will be run like a private enterprise, not a bureaucracy. The State government can register an investment company. It will run like a private enterprise because it is profit-oriented. Why can’t we have Abia Cement? We have limestone. I can bring Chinese and we float Abia Cement company like a limited liability company. There is a lot to be done for anyone who has genuine intention to develop the state,” he said.
Anosike said his administration will create agencies to drive development, including Operation Feed Abia (OFA) for agricultural revolution and food security, Abia Labour and Global Opportunities Agency (ALGOA) to create jobs for youths, Traders Micro-finance Bank for cooperative financing with collateral-free and interest-free loans, as well as health insurance and subsidy.
On recreation, he decried the absence of leisure facilities in Umuahia.
“There is no form of organization in Umuahia. I’ve not seen an amusement park, wonderland or a water park. What you see in big cities for birthdays, parties, ceremonies and so on. Those are one of the low-hanging fruits that we need to set up. Imagine if they have an amusement centre here with a gaming centre inside it and water parks. It’s even a way to generate money for the state,” he said.
He assured the people that Abia has enough resources to develop, noting that local governments alone have received about N350 billion in three years, with the least monthly allocation at N500 million.
Earlier, the Chairman of Umuahia Urban Men for Good Leadership, Hon. Endy Paschal, had said that the group resolved to identify with Anosike because they believed in his manifesto.
“After our deliberations, we decided to pay a courtesy visit to you because, indeed, we believe that come next election, by His grace, that you will be the governor of Abia State. So on that note, we decided to associate with you, to let you know that Urban Men are in existence in Umuahia. And we have much part to play in your government,” he said.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.