By NewsBits
Business leaders, investors, and private sector professionals in Enugu State under the banner of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), the Enugu State Coalition of Business and Professional Association (ECOBPA), Enugu Women in Business, among others, have endorsed the development proposals of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Dr. Peter Mbah.
Among the proposals that excited the industrialists were Mbah’s strategies on strengthening the Ease of Doing Business that would involve tax consolidation, sustainable water and electricity supply, modernisation of agriculture, infrastructure improvement and diversification of transportation in the state.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu, they approved Mbah’s proposal at the Enugu Business Town Hall Meeting with the PDP gubernatorial candidate at ECCIMA House in Enugu on Tuesday.
The ECCIMA Board of Trustees Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Roban Group, Dr. Rob Anwatu after listening to Mbah’s explanations said: “I can see why tomorrow is here. This is first-hand information. I now know Peter Mbah. He is a man prepared for a job ahead.”
In his presentation, Mbah said he came to share his dream and desire of growing the state’s economy in a manner that would shock the naysayers, stressing that his manifesto was people-focused and tailored towards making the state the preferred destination for investment, tourism and living.
According to him, he and his team envisioned an Enugu that could achieve a zero-poverty headcount index with up to $30 billion GDP, which would be a departure from the state’s marginal growth that had not been experienced in the past. He maintained that the state must grow exponentially with a radical approach and deployment of technological bundle of possibilities.
Mbah identified one of the key sectors that would drive the economy to include commerce and industry, adding that as a businessman he understood the pains of running businesses in Nigeria. He said: “I’m also a CEO of a thriving industry and I know what it takes dealing with external factors such as massaging the ego of regulators. So, I feel your pains and I don’t think any other person will do better than me.
“We’ll create the enablers of ease of doing business, the skills and the labour, our job is to ensure that we take care of them. We will look at the sectorial classifications and de-risk their commerciality. We are going to ask tough questions, discuss with business owners and ensure that we increase our service levels. We’ll set up a N100BN Enugu State Industrial revolving fund for those who don’t have access to fund.
“There will be an innovation incubation center for talents, where we will provide amenities such as electricity, water, and internet to explore their full potentials. We’ll inject economic activities to enhance our GDP.”
The PDP standard bearer also, disclosed that under his administration, agriculture would be technologically driven to enhance productivity, provide agro-processing zones in the three Senatorial zones which will make lack of storage for agricultural produce a thing of the past. Mbah also promised to make the state an oil producing state with its several oil fields and gas reserves, saying his administration will work with the other governors of South East states to build the region’s economy.
