PDP Incoming Government to Industrialize Anambra as King in Africa …Ozigbo

By NWEKE NWEKE (AWKA)
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has promised that his administration would transform and position the state as the king of industrialization in Nigeria and Africa if elected governor.

A multi-award-winning global CEO, Valentine Ozigbo, the immediate past President and Group CEO of the Transcorp Plc, who was a guest in a function organized by the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) to raise fund for the completion of its permanent secretariat premises, Iast Thursday, (September 16, 2021), expressed worry that Onitsha, which suppose to be the commercial hub of Anambra State and Nigeria by extension, is presently a ghost of itself; promising to bring back the lost glory of the commercial city, if given the mandate by Ndi-Anambra.

“My administration will concentrate and put greater efforts, attention, and resources on areas with unique economic potentials, such as Onitsha,” 

“Onitsha is presently a ghost of itself, and we plan to transform the city and its environs into a proper commercial hub. We will harness the tourism potential of Anambra State, and ensure that hospitality becomes a viable source of internally generated revenue.

“We will develop Awka cluster to reflect its status as a capital city. Nnewi, Ihiala, and the surrounding areas will be industrial hubs that will position Anambra as the king of industrialization. The Old Aguata area will house a never-seen-before technology hub; while the Omambala area will be an agricultural hotbed that will go beyond mere production to processing of agricultural produce,” Ozigbo said.

Ozigbo, who arrived at the venue of the event in the company of his running mate, Dame Azuka Enemo, an astute administrator, also emphasized that since he belongs to the organized private sector, he would fix businesses in the state and make them more competitive.

“Today, I visit the chamber as a governorship candidate. In few weeks to come, I’ll be visiting as a governor-elect; by the grace of God. I’ll be a very friendly governor to the chamber of commerce. My government will build a better support system for businesses in Anambra; because I know what Igbo people need to survive,” he said.

Earlier in his address, the President of ONICCIMA, Pharm Chris Ukachukwu, said the new secretariat is his brainchild, which he enthused, would be completed before the end of his tenure. He further said that the chamber is poised to remain a catalyst for private enterprise development through the promotion of socio-economic advancement of members in particular and the business community as a whole.

“Today, we take it a notch further with the fundraising ceremony for the completion of our permanent secretariat, which when completed, would serve as a melting pot for ideas and programs that would impact the Onitsha business community positively.

“ONICCIMA is committed to providing advocacy for the organized private sector in Onitsha and Anambra through its advisory services, workshops and seminars, trade missions, and related programs,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, the Chairman of GUO Group of Companies, praised the PDP governorship candidate, Ozigbo, for his avowed commitment towards transforming the Anambra business community, and expressed hope that Ozigbo would march words with action when he becomes the governor.

“Ozigbo is a very powerful businessman, who has touched and transformed many business organizations all over the world. There is no doubt in my mind that if elected governor, he would apply his business acumen in the transformation of the business and economic lives of our people,” he said.

He also said that the construction of the ONICCIMA secretariat would mark a turning point in the advocacy activities of the Onitsha chamber; adding that adding the chamber has done a lot of things that have shaped the face of Onitsha and its environs.

Dignitaries that attended the event include Deputy governorship candidate of the PDP, Dame Azuka Enemo; Chief Daniel Chukwudozie, Chairman, Dozzy Group; represented by his General Manager, Chima Akuchie; former Commissioner for Works in Anambra, Mrs. Chika Ibeneme; former President of ONICCIMA, Mr. Okey Akaneme; representatives of the Anambra State government, former presidents and leaders of the Onitsha chamber, representatives of the Onitsha business community, among others.