2023: I Don’t Have Godfather Says APC Flag Bearer, Nnaji

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, November 7th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial flagbearer in Enugu state, Chief Uchenna Nnaji, has declared that he is the only candidate running in his capacity without a god father.

He stated this, weekend, while presenting his programme before the Enugu Business Community under the aegis of Enugu Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) and the Enugu Coalition for Business and Professional Association (ECOBA).

Nnaji, said if given the mandate, his administration would revitalize abandoned industries, build new ones in partnership with the private sector and reduce unemployment to minimum level in four years.

“I’m the only guber candidate in this election without a god father. But God and the people of Enugu state are my god father,” he said.

The APC Governorship hopeful, announced that if elected, his administration would establish Enugu State Development Bank with a capital base of N250 billion.

“I know that funding is a big problem, government will be a catalyst in industrial development, we will support small, medium and micro enterprises to grow.

“To this end, we will set up Enugu State Development Bank which will be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Security and Exchange Commission and other relevant bodies.

“Government will own 10% equity in the Development bank while the people of Enugu state and other private investors will own 90% of equity.

“So I don’t have problem with funding of our projects; we will use the development bank to catalyse industrial development.

“Any business we invest in, we do so with the private sector by investing 10% but when the business begins to do well, we will divest and move into another business,” he said.

He described himself as a complete “Enugu boy”, having done his primary, secondary and university education (University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN) in the state before venturing out for business.

“I’m the only business man in this contest; I started my business from the scratch, without using government funds. Business is meant to grow from one level to another…

“PDP candidate (Peter Mbah) is not a business man, he did not grow in business, he only jammed money and started oil marketing.

“Those of us in oil and gas business know what it means; building oil tank farm is only an arm of oil and gas marketing

“We are in oil and gas business including owning equities in oil blocs and refineries outside Nigeria.

He catalogued problems of Enugu state to include mismanagement of resources, multiple taxation and lack of capacity by government officials to deliver on their mandate.

Nnaji however, promised to fix the perennial water problem in the state by revitalizing the abandoned seven water schemes in the state.

He said if elected, he will create 10,000 hectares of land in each senatorial districts of the state and use government resources to prepare the land and allocate same to young people and other farmers to cultivate with provision of financial support and improved seedlings and machineries, so that the state can produce for local and export.