A former presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general elections, Dr Sam Ohuabunwa, has said that the involvement of Igbo governors and leaders in the affairs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide will fast-track economic development and stem the tide of insecurity in the land.
Ohuabunwa, the chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s Council of Business Leaders, and former chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, spoke on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Retreat, themed “Ako Bu Ije,” and held in Enugu.
He said: “As Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Business Leaders, the National Executive Council of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation has deemed it fit to further expand the tasks in the mandate given to us in this committee.
“The mandate is in phases. The first is to act as a catalyst for grooming young entrepreneurs in Igboland. The second aspect is to work to industrialise the states in Igboland, including resuscitating dead industries—that’s industrialisation. The third major part is in the area of generally attracting investment within and outside the Igbo region. The fourth is to develop a blueprint for the economic development of Alaigbo and establish a business vehicle in Igboland. So these are the four major plans (as enshrined in the mandate given to us).”
Continuing, he said: “Several aspects of this assignment will involve the participation of the government. Let’s take the resuscitation of moribund businesses in Igboland for instance. The question is: what made those businesses moribund? And you find that some of the reasons are due to the operating environment. Then you find that it’s part of the responsibility of government to provide a conducive and enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“These are fundamental. To be able to get businesses to thrive, one needs a stable procurement and land tenure system. So, government should be involved in helping businesses and businessmen obtain documentation for their land-bankable documentation.”
He also added: “The Constitution gives the state governments powers to handle this, and so nobody can run away from their participation. I talked about the operating environment; and another is the tax regime, infrastructure, and provision of security, among others. So we need the government.”
