The Labour Party candidate for the November, 15 Imo State governorship election, Senator Athan Achonu has said that his emergence as the Governorship candidate of LP at the keenly contested primary election, would afford him a better opportunity and more enhanced platform to implement the ‘’aku ruo ulo’’ project that he has advocated for very long time.
Senator Achonu who stated this while addressing the press in Owerri,over the weekend.He said, ‘’it is on record that I have, through my speeches and the several bill boards that I mounted in several strategic places across the state advocated the implementation of the ‘’aku ruo ulo’’ project, which simply means that successful sons and daughters of Igbo land, especially Imo State should start investing in our state, instead of concentrating their investments in other state of the federation, thereby creating employment opportunities there while our youths roam about because of lack of employment opportunities’’.
Responding to a question, the Imo State governorship hopeful said, ‘’if elected Governor of Imo State, come November, 11, I will break the jinx by creating enabling environmental for investors to come and industrialize the state unlike most governors in the South east, especially Imo State who see prospective investors as potential political competitors who want to outshine them by creating employment opportunities for our youths.
‘’The major problem we have in this state is lack of employment opportunities for our teeming youths. This, has in no small measure contributed to the prevailing insecurity and restiveness. The Governors have reportedly always frustrated the efforts of investors to who are interested in industrializing the state and creating opportunities that will transform it’s socio-economic status, boost our internally generated base and at the same time create employment opportunities for the youths who, out frustration venture into crime as a last resort’’.
‘’The Governors, their appointees and other cabals in the state are known to have tried as much as they can to frustrate the efforts of prospective investors in the state because they think that after investing huge sums of money to set up companies that not only manufacture products, dispense services, in addition to creating employment opportunities, the investors who, in their opinion may have political ambitions would take advantage of their people-oriented investments to become more powerful, more popular and more accepted by the people whose lives they have touched in one way or the other. Based on this mindset, which most times, is erroneous the Governors create all kinds of barriers and impediments to frustrate the investors who would not want to risk investing their hard earned money in hostile environments. This is why there is dearth of projects in the state. I promise to change the narrative by encouraging and creating enabling environment for investors and their investments to thrive. I will also provide solution to complaints by our people whose efforts to contribute to the infrastructural and socio-economic development our state were frustrated by past and present administrations and as well encourage them to key into the vision and mission of the ‘’aku ruo ulo’’ project for the good of our dear state and her people. I can only do this if elected as Governor of the state. Hence my emergence is step in the right direction’’.
