Giving Anambra’s Plum Job Another Chase

Giving Anambra’s Plum Job Another Chase

Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, a politician, industrialist and serial entrepreneur wants to bring his penchant for growing economies and providing jobs to governance in Anambra State, writes David-Chyddy Eleke

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will on 26th June hold its primary election to elect a candidate to represent the party in the November 6th governorship election in Anambra State. Mr Godwin Ezeemo will be on the ballot when this happens as he will be doing battle with 15 other aspirants of the political party who are seeking the ticket of the party.

Not being a noisy politician, or what one can describe as an everyday politician, Godwin Ezeemo cannot lay claims to being the best known among those gunning for the ticket of the party, but he has qualities that are akin to what Anambra people need in the next governor of the state.

In a recent interview with THISDAY, the business mogul stated that part of the reason he decided to take a shot at governance was to make corrections in places he knew that he had excelled as a private individual, which as a top government executive, he knows he can do on a much larger scale, but has seen government fail in them. Having listed the areas of interest to him when he becomes the governor of the state, one can conclude that Ezeemo is coming to governance, not just with the Midas touch that has characterized his chains of businesses, but seeking to bring entrepreneurial touch to governance.

Among the things Ezeemo seeks to bring to governance, which can be attributable to his long years as a businessman, industrialist and entrepreneur are; rapid industrialization of Anambra State, creation of jobs, improvement on the entire economy of the state among others. He told THISDAY that, “The things I want to bring to the table are not things I have not done as a private individual. They are things I have done and found to be very practicable in improving the lives of the people of the state, just that as governor of the state, I shall be doing it on a much larger scale that would benefit far more number of people than I have been able to reach as a private individual.”

Among Ezeemo’s thriving business empire include cconcerns in various business interests, ranging from agriculture, printing/publishing, manufacturing, hospitality, information technology, media, oil and gas, haulage and many others. He listed some of his companies, which he said has over 20,000 persons in its employ to include; Orient Feed Mill & Farms Ltd., Orient Daily Newspaper and Commercial Printing Press, Orient Mega 101.7 FM radio station, Fresh Life Table Water, Union Haulage Oil and Gas Limited., Multipurpose Computer Center, Honeywell Hotel Umuchu and many others.

Job creation for him is a priority, and providing jobs for the teeming youths in Anambra State could also solve the problem of crime. He said, “Curbing crime and bringing about quality security can only be achieved through job creation. The youths must be engaged properly. An idle mind remains a threat to the security of the society.”

He described as sad, the increase in the population of young and vibrant men and women, graduates and skilled youths roaming the streets all in attempt to survive. He lamented that it is regrettable that such is no longer viewed as an issue that demands urgent response by the current handlers of government at all levels, who he said still do not find it as a threat to the security of lives and property. He reminded everyone that just recently, he made a case via his Twitter handle, stating that job creation will provide the long anticipated solution to insecurity in our society.

“Taking a clue from what I have been doing over the years in my capacity as an individual, we have to first champion the move towards industrialization of Anambra State, which will bring about massive job creation. As an international businessman, I have traveled far and wide and been to many advanced states in the world, one thing is obvious and that is the prevalent role job creation plays in reducing crime and other related vices in the society.

“The evidences are there for all to see that the industries set up in Anambra State singlehandedly by me, are specifically providing over 20,000 direct and indirect employment in the state. This is important as it has to a large extent provided a source of living to the workers and helped to keep so many youths off the street. Importantly, my Orient Farms located in Aguata, is one of the biggest agric farms in eastern Nigeria, and my Fresh Life water equally is another massive employment channel, so is Orient Newspaper and Orient printing press both in Awka the capital city of Anambra, which has immensely provided huge employment across fields of discipline.”

He said one thing is a target to him, and it is to reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state, and to achieve this, Mr Godwin Ezeemo is concerned about engaging youths with valuable jobs and this he believes will in turn reduce the number of idle youths in the society. He said the axiom, “a hungry man is an angry man”, remains cardinal to the essence for his unrelenting push to make Anambra the industrial hub of Nigeria and Africa which is a journey he said he started over the years and will continue to keep till he can confidently say he have reduced unemployment to the barest minimum.

He stated that if Anambra must toe the part of greatness, the state must consider carefully, who it wishes to make the next governor of Anambra State, as achieving the full industrialization of the state will bring positive impact on every other sector in the state, and also ensure security, which he said will attract investors and boost entrepreneurial activities, bringing about massive gain to the state.

Ezeemo said, “It is in the light of this, that I believe that I have the capacity and technical know-how to bring about greatness in Anambra and create the chances which the state needs, to create massive employment in the state, if given the mandate as the governor of Anambra State.”

This year’s contest is the third time the former UK-based businessman would be giving the Anambra plum job a chase. He had in 2013 contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but was unlucky as he lost the ticket of the party to former governor of the state, Dr Chris Ngige who is today the Minister of Labour and Employment. He then moved to the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) where he clinched the ticket of the party and ran for the 2013 election, though he lost. In 2017, Ezeemo again ran on the platform of the PPA and lost, but not without making a huge impact in the election after running a thoroughly purposeful campaign..

If his dream comes true this year, it will be credited to his capacity to clinch the ticket of the PDP. He has since left the PPA for PDP, and in this year’s election, Ezeemo will be facing other aspirants of the PDP in the June 26th contest for the ticket of the party. Other aspirants of the party who Ezeemo will be squaring up against include; Dr Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman of United Nigeria Airline, Hon Chris Azubogu who is the member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Valentine Ozigbo who is the immediate past president of Transcorp PLC and 10 others.

QUOTE

The things I want to bring to the table are not things I have not done as a private individual. They are things I have done and found to be very practicable in improving the lives of the people of the state, just that as governor of the state, I shall be doing it on a much larger scale that would benefit far more number of people than I have been able to reach as a private individual. Among Ezeemo’s thriving business empire include cconcerns in various business interests, ranging from agriculture, printing/publishing, manufacturing, hospitality, information technology, media, oil and gas, haulage and many others. He listed some of his companies, which he said has over 20,000 persons in its employ to include; Orient Feed Mill & Farms Ltd., Orient Daily Newspaper and Commercial Printing Press, Orient Mega 101.7 FM radio station, Fresh Life Table Water, Union Haulage Oil and Gas Limited., Multipurpose Computer Center, Honeywell Hotel Umuchu and many others

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