Abia PDP candidate vows industrial revolution in state capital
The Abia State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Kelechi Anosike, has promised to industrialise Umuahia and transform it into a befitting state capital if elected.
Anosike pledged when members of Umuahia Urban Men for Good Leadership visited his campaign office on Aba Road, Umuahia, to declare their support for his governorship ambition.
He blamed the city’s slow development on successive administrations, alleging that governors had concentrated governance and development in their respective home areas instead of giving the state capital adequate attention.
“Umuahia is not developing. Part of the reason is that every state governor moves the state capital to his area. Wherever the governor comes from is where the state capital moves. This has caused businesses in Umuahia to die instead of growing,” he said.
The PDP candidate also criticised former governors for allegedly failing to establish permanent residences in Umuahia, describing the situation as a sign of their lack of commitment to the city’s development.
“The former governors, none of them has a home in Umuahia. They don’t have any house. In Umuahia, all the former governors have no joy and pride in owning a house in the state capital. It is a plan not to develop Umuahia. So, we will put an end to it,” Anosike stated.
He said his proposed administration would establish an industrial layout at Ohiya to attract companies, stimulate commercial activities and create opportunities for residents.
“We are determined 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.
Anosike added that his government would prioritise local contractors to ensure that public funds circulated within the state and benefited residents.
He, however, promised that the use of local contractors would not compromise the quality of public projects.
“We will use local contractors, but we will not do substandard work,” he added.
Anosike also disclosed plans to establish a battery manufacturing factory in Umuahia and explore the state’s limestone deposits for cement production.
According to him, such investments would operate as profit-oriented private enterprises rather than conventional government agencies.
“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,” Anosike said.
He further outlined proposed initiatives to address unemployment, food insecurity, access to finance and healthcare.
Among the plans are Operation Feed Abia, which he said would drive agricultural development and food security, and the Abia Labour and Global Opportunities Agency, aimed at creating employment opportunities for young people.
He also proposed a Traders Micro-finance Bank to provide cooperative financing through collateral-free and interest-free loans, alongside health insurance and subsidy programmes.
On recreation and tourism, Anosike lamented the absence of major leisure facilities in Umuahia, saying the city could generate revenue and create jobs through investments in amusement parks, gaming centres and water parks.
“There is no form of organisation 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 some of the low-hanging fruits that we need to set up,” he said.
He maintained that Abia had sufficient financial resources to fund development, claiming that local governments in the state had received about N350bn over three years, with the lowest monthly allocation standing at N500m.
Earlier, the Chairman of Umuahia Urban Men for Good Leadership, Endy Paschal, said the group decided to support Anosike because it believed in his manifesto and considered him capable of leading the state.
“After our deliberations, we decided to pay a courtesy visit to you because, indeed, we believe that come the next election, by His grace, you will be the governor of Abia State,” Paschal said.
He added that the group was ready to contribute to the candidate’s proposed administration.
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