The People’s Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar says his expectation if voted into power is to expand businesses, create jobs, and ensure functionality of dry ports in the South East region.
Atiku who was speaking at a Town Hall Meeting with the South East Business Community at Aba Sports Club,reiterated his determination to tackle challenges facing Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs), Manufacturers and Industries in the zone adding that he wants to see prosperity and job creation in the country.
In his words, ” I am aware of the constraints facing Small and Medium Enterprises, Industries and manufacturers.The challenges are quite evident and I feel your pains.It pains me because I am one of you.I am a business man and a manufacturer.
“We are going to create jobs, we can’t afford to have 15million youths unemployed in the country”.
Describing SMEs and Entrepreneurship as the live wire of any economy , the PDP presidential candidate noted that Aba can be turned into SME sub-region.
Atiku who berated the President Buhari led APC administration said the PDP would set things right in 2019 urging them to vote for the party in the forthcoming elections.
According to him,the PDP administration started the policy of ease of doing business which he said has been destroyed by the present government adding that his government will introduce technology in ease of doing business to eliminate bottlenecks as well as ensure functionality of dry ports in the southeast zone.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in his address, said the PDP Presidential candidate understands the importance of Aba in the business and manufacturing sector in Nigeria and expressed belief that he would profersolutions to the existing problems of the business community.
Ikpeazu who described Aba as a special zone that would drive the economic growth of Nigeria in the years to come said the meeting is expected to among other things help Abia business men and women highlight their challenges as well as provide lasting solutions to the Enyimba city as the premium destination of the Southeast, Nigeria and Africa at large.
John Udeagbala, the first Vice President of NACCIMA and the President of the ACCIMA Andy Uba Obasi in their separate speeches described the Southeast as disadvantaged because of the untold misery faced by the business communities in the zone.
They said though Aba suffered severe setback owing to insecurity challenges is gradually receiving a facelifts especially in SME noting that they expect sustainability in the present state of affairs in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprise.
They listed inadequate power supply, concession of federal assets, adequate support for SMEs, neglect of federal roads/ railroads, support for the Enyimba Economic City, extortion of business men by security operatives stationed on Nigerian roads among others as some of the challenges facing the south East business community pointing out that the Aba business community had what it takes to overtake other world economies if given the adequate attention needed.
