Nkwegu Vows to Industrialize Ebonyi if Elected as Governor in 2023

From Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki

The Chairman of the Special Public Works in Ebonyi State, Arc. Edward Okereke Nkwegu has pledged to embark on aggressive economic revolution in Ebonyi if elected governor in the 2023 general elections.

Nkwegu made the pledge in Abakaliki, few weeks after Governor David Umahi lifted ban on political consultations by citizens interested in seeking elective positions ahead of 2023 general elections.

Nkwegu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EDON Nigeria Limited, while fielding questions from newsmen, is angling to preside over the affairs of the state under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

He stated that he is determined to bringing rapid industrialization in Ebonyi, if he emerges the state governor in 2023.

The APC Chieftain described industrialization as the catalyst for economic revolution , maintaining that if his aspiration sails through, he would embark on a sustainable and all inclusive wealth creation in the state.

His words: “If I’m employed as the Chief Servant of Ebonyi State, through the Grace of God, I hope to do what I called economic revolution. The catalyst for economic revolution, first, will be rapid industrialization. I will create micro, small and medium size enterprises. Micro, small and medium size enterprises have always been the engine rooms for economic revolution and greatest employers of labor in the society.

“I believe, the sustainable and all inclusive wealth creation, is what we need in the state now. I will create job, job and jobs, if by the Grace of God I become the Governor of Ebonyi State.”

The governorship hopeful equally unveiled his plans to introduce what he described as access, quality and relevance in educational sector, thereby ensuring a robust enrollment and curricular reformation in the institutions of learning in the state.

“It’s one of my social agenda, to do that, first with education. Education is the bedrock of today and tomorrow’s society. For you to reform development in the society, you must ensure that you have what is called access, quality and relevance in our educational sector.

“By access, I mean more enrollment in our educational institutions. By quality and relevance, I mean curricular reformation, so that things we study in our educational institutions will be relevance to today’s society.

“I want to use cellphone for example. Some of us used 043. We also use 090, but there are many people who have never seen 043, now using cellphones which have WhatsApp, Instagram and others for interaction.

“They have more reformed development, and now passed industrial era where they had 043. They jumped into information era where they are using cellphone. If you want to reform development, you have to do the same thing, in the areas of agriculture, and infrastructural development.

“So, access, quality and relevance education, through curricular reformation are parts of what I will do,” he pledged.

Comparing the contributions of the previous administrations since 1999 for the development of the state, Nkwegu said that ‘Ebonyi State has been lucky with leadership.’

According to him, “after the creation of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu, came in between 1999 and 2007. As at that time, we had human capital insufficiency. We didn’t have enough manpower to run the state and Dr. Sam Egwu came up with the idea of free and compulsory education, followed with a lot of other schemes, such as the HIPAC programme, and many beneficiaries of the HIPAC Scheme have succeeded in their different areas of callings. Today, there are many success stories. In my own assessment, Dr. Egwu did very well.

“In the time of Chief Martins Elechi, who was the Governor of Ebonyi State between 2007 and 2015, like we all know, Ebonyi State is about 5600 Square Kilometers

“Out of this area, we have a lot of wet land, with its attendant water bodies, cutting communities from one another. So, Elechi came with the idea of building bridges of unity. He built a lot of bridges to make the Ebonyi communities to be able to connect one another.

“Now, our present governor came and has done marvelously well in building quality infrastructures. He has built a lot of flyovers, roads including the ongoing rig roads, International airport, and many laudable projects.

“And if I become the next governor of Ebonyi State, I will focus on economic revolution. I will bring industrialization, I will create micro, small and medium size enterprises to employ youths.

“There will be jobs, jobs and jobs to ensure our youths are gainfully employed. I will create wealth, not just wealth but enabling and all inclusive wealth for the teeming youths and population of Ebonyi State, that will affect our Human Development Index (HDI) to meet up with the global standard. I will do a lot for the benefit of our people and I have the prerequisite experience in that area.

“According to philosophers and lawyers, you can’t give what, you don’t have. So, I have experience in that area, and I’m sure it will go a long way to develop our dear state more and to bring end to youth restiveness.”

Nkwegu also congratulated the State APC Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha for his successful inauguration, pledging total support to achieving the given mandate.

He urged the APC faithful’s to continue giving their support to the party, calling on Ebonyi citizens to endeavor to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs to enable them choose their preferable candidates during the election.

He as well advised the youths to shun all forms of social vices especially the trending dangerous ‘methamphetamine’ known as ‘Mkpuru-mmiri’ in Igbo dialect.