FELIX NWANERI reports 
Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu, the member Representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, he speaks on his vision for the state if elected. FELIX NWANERI reports
You are one of the governorship hopefuls in Ebonyi State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). How prepared are you for the race?
My people have felt the impact of the little position they gave me to serve as a member of the National Assembly for at least six years now and that is why they are urging me to run for governorship in 2023. By the grace of God and the will of the people, I will be coming into office as governor in 2023 at a critical phase in our socio-economic evolution, when Ebonyi State like the rest of the nation, is facing profound challenges.
These extraordinary times require a focused, steady and compassionate leadership and that is what I intend to offer. I will be a servant leader of the people, an astute manager of the resources of the state and a change agent, who will put the people first at all times.
The challenges we face today require a leader with compassion, a leader who knows and understands Ebonyi State and its people. So, the future of our state requires a clear vision of the present and a clear path to a glorious future that works for everyone. If given the opportunity, I will lead from the front from the first day. I will be in the trenches on daily basis fighting for the masses because my mission is to restore the lost dignity of Ebonyi person.
What new are you bringing to the table given the belief that the incumbent governor, Dave Umahi, has performed creditably?
There is no doubt that Governor Umahi has done well in the area of infrastructure but my team and I have come up with a document christened Ebonyi State Economic Development Master Plan, which will address the present challenges of the state and reposition it to achieve an all-inclusive growth and prosperity. This vision rests on the achievement of thee cardinal objectives of education, health, job creation and enterprise development.
The master plan will be driven by an open, transparent, inclusive and accountable plan committed to human capacity development.
The significance of the concept of human capital in generating longterm economic development of the nation cannot be neglected. It is expected that the macroeconomic policies of all the nations, especially labour surplus countries, are focused towards promotion of human development and subsequently economic development. My plan shall be focused on these drivers, working in collaboration with strategic partners.
Access to knowledge is part of your master plan. In specific terms, what plans do you have for the education sector if elected?
Education is one of the critical drivers of my economic blueprint, so the state will invest to significantly increase the number of secondary school enrolment and that of primary schools in my first four years. The infrastructure in our public primary and secondary schools will be paid full attention to ensure conducive learning environment and qualified teachers. My blueprint for the state aims to reno
vate all public secondary schools within this period. This shall in turn require an increase in the number of certified teachers to meet the new demand. Payment, promotion and training of teachers shall be of utmost importance and pensioners shall be given due attention.
The inspectorate department of Ebonyi State Ministry of Education will be empowered to effectively discharge its role in regulating standards. The Ebonyi State University, Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo and College of Health Sciences will be sufficiently funded. Their faculties and curriculum will also be aligned with the state’s competitive advantages in agriculture, extractive resources and tourism and hospitality.
My administration will also revive the abandoned postgraduate scholarship programmes for deserving students in critical areas of studies and will award foreign post-graduate scholarships yearly to deserving citizens in areas of dire need. The state will also expose suitable candidates to access other scholarships offered by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Niger Delta Development Commission and British Chevening scholars, among others.
The health sector is another area that is critical to development; what are your plans for the sector?
My plan seeks increased investment in health infrastructure and resources. Our aim, if elected, will be not only to increase the number of general hospitals but to ensure maintenance, presence of doctors and other professionals to attend to the health needs of citizens. We will ensure that every local government area has at least one fully functional secondary health care institution in the state. Government will aim to equip these general hospitals with surgical resources and ensure the provision of diagnostic and pharmaceutical services as practiced in civilized
climes like the United Kingdom. The number of Primary Health Centres (PHC) will be increased such that there is an available PHC every 30 minutes walking distance. The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) will be reduced, while the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) will also be reduced drastically.
My administration will also increase the number of doctors and professional health workers in the sector by improving enrolment/facilities at the Ebonyi State University College of Health Science and the schools of nursing and midwifery.
How do you intend to address youth unemployment in the state?
Job creation is one of the cardinal objectives of my economic development master plan and the aim is to create over 30,000 skilled and unskilled jobs through the Foreign Direct Investment/Domestic Direct Investment drive for industrialisation.
The vision of this Ebonyi State Economic Development Masterplan is to attract investments particularly into those industries that represent the state’s competitive advantage and they are agriculture, extractive and tourism. Existing companies in Ebonyi State will be encouraged to create more jobs through tax incentives that will enable them undertake expansion of their businesses in the state.
The government will invest in training school leavers and graduates in information technology and other basic skills thereby improving their competitiveness and guaranteeing their employability. We will also come up a N3 billion funding window through the Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA) to leverage on the opportunities provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Development Bank of Nigeria and other development institutions to finance micro, small and medium enterprises within the state. These collaborations will support 5,000 SMEs and in particular, enable as many start-ups as possible yearly.
Ebonyi State has done well in the area agriculture, particularly, rice production. What plans do you have to leverage on what has been achieved and build on it?
Agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of crude oil. From 1970 to late 2000s, the sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export earnings steadily declined because the country’s focus shifted to petroleum exploration.
The recent fall in crude oil prices has triggered debates around the role of agriculture in economic diversification. Ebonyi State land mass is nearly 100 per cent arable and the state enjoys an all-year rainfall. The state is among the highest producers of rice, palm oil and cassava.
My economic blueprint has plans to mechanize agriculture and introduce profitable and convenient modern farming techniques like the cultivation of yam in sacks and modify same for other essential crops. Strong collaborations will be established with Central Bank to enable Ebonyi farmers leverage the bank’s most important agricultural initiatives – the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk
Sharing Model for Agricultural Financing (NIRSAL), the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), the Real Sector Support Fund (RSSF), and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, all of which unlock low interest finance. In line with its value chain approach, this Economic Development Master plan will ensure that Ebonyi State attracts domestic and foreign manufacturers to invest in the state and to create the following value addition across the most profitable segments.
We will also strengthen agricultural extension capabilities to support farmers especially in adopting better farming techniques; construct rural roads for easy evacuation of harvests, while Investors would be encouraged to establish food-processing factories in the state thereby reducing the raw-finished food export ratio.
You talked about industrialization; what will your administration do to reposition the extractive industry in the state for Ebonyi people to benefit from the abundant mineral resources in their state?
The extractive industry involves the removal of aggregates, minerals and metals from the ground. Under the Nigerian constitution, every mineral belongs to the Federal Government. The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals exercises this power through the grant of Prospecting and Mining Leases. Ebonyi State is home to several solid mineral resources.
These include lead/zinc, crude oil, natural gas, marble, limestone, granite, salt and gypsum. As a government, we will build a strong working relationship with the relevant federal ministry; document and disseminate information on the mineral deposits in Ebonyi State as well as engage Nigerian and foreign missions to enlighten foreign businesses on the rich mineral deposits in state. We will also encourage major domestic mining, construction and cement manufacturing companies to open quarries and factories in Ebonyi.
We will support the fast track of applications from prospective investors; enable peaceful community/investor relationship and improve ease in land acquisition. My plan is exhaustive and includes other critical areas such as tourism, which has become an important source of revenue and also creates employment opportunities in the service sector. So, Ebonyi State will leverage the United Nations World Tourism Organization technical capabilities especially in tourism destination planning and management.
The Economic Development Master plan identifies many tourist sites and proposes that these sites be first evaluated, categorized, developed and integrated. The development of the sites will be predicated on a best business model that leverages on direct investment and sustainable profitability.
My administration will also create a Tourism Bureau to drive this impetus and a new faculty in the existing Ebonyi State tertiary institutions dedicated for studies in tourism.
