Enugu State currently has an unemployment rate of 52.91% (Budgit).
It is impossible for the government alone to create employment for all citizens. We must create the environment that attracts investors and allows private businesses to thrive and provide productive employment. This is what improving the ease of doing business will achieve.
Our plan is to move Enugu from the 27th position out of 37 States (including FCT) on the PEBEC Ease of Doing Business ranking done by KPMG, to the top 5 through the course of 4 years by creating an enabling environment for investors and entrepreneurs, consequently providing productive employment for residents.
This will be done by addressing the bottlenecks in the following key areas shown above.
1. Land Acquisition and Management
We will:
Digitise the Land acquisition process using a GIS (Geographical Information Solution) – Enugu Land Administration and Management System – E-LAMS
Ensure effective and transparent regulation of Land Administration with land ownership published publicly.
Guaranty the speed of completion of transactions [with C-of-O or Governor’s consent] within 7 business days.
Enhance the utility and value of land in all urban areas within the first 12 months.
2. Fixing the Tax System
We will:
Reduce, simplify, and harmonise state taxes, ensuring that relevant payment
Work with the State’s Board of Internal Revenue to digitize the Taxation system in the State.
Provide Tax incentives to attract businesses and encourage growth within selected sectors and parameters.
Curb the harassment of small-scale traders for the collection of multiple and illegal levies.
The foregoing was clearly stated earlier, however, a rehash is necessary given the exigencies of the present time. We are all aware of the perennial threats our people are facing outside the homeland. There have been threats of eviction and there have been threats of dumping of people into the Atlantic Ocean. Periodically shops are burnt out there. Those shops belong to traders and we know our people are traders. Therefore, we need, as a matter of urgent necessity, a conducive environment for our people to live, invest and thrive here at home. But such an environment can only be guaranteed by visionary leadership.
It is heartwarming that such visionary leadership is afoot in Enugu State as Frank Nweke Jr offers himself to serve armed with vast experience and exposure from years of meritorious service at different levels of government. He also brings to the table impecable record of integrity, honesty, discipline, humility, humanity and other marks of visionary leadership.
Frank Nweke Jr’s pact as Governor with Ndi Enugu is clear direct and to the point:
“My team and I will restore trust in Government and dedicate ourselves to the fundamentals – building a stable and prosperous state where every citizen is economically empowered, has access to potable water, excellent healthcare and quality education; a place where every life is secure and treated with respect and dignity.”
Nweke is a protégé of the legendary Venerable M.I Okpara of the former Eastern region. The unassuming professor is of the people’s political platform, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), that molded the trailblazing Peter Obi, then Governor of Anambra State. APGA; our own – Nkea bu nkanyi, is a homegrown people’s party that breeds people oriented leaders – leaders who love and understand our people, leaders who want to truly serve our people.
The people’s authentic political movement, APGA, which started its journey in recent times from Anambra State to restore our dignity and pride as a people once more, is taking roots in Enugu State with Nweke Jr. as it’s governorship flag bearer. With its culture of enthroning visionary leaders who are from the people and for the people, APGA will make a full circle of the entire old Eastern region and even beyond in due course.
It is hope alive in Enugu State with the professor, high achiever, Frank Nweke Jr. His success at the polls come 2023 will guarantee a safe and conducive environment for our people to come back, invest, work and live a descent life here at home. It will be a victory for Ndi Enugu, and a sure step towards realizing the vision of our heroes past for the people of the entire old Eastern region.
