Business magnate and industrialist GODWIN EZEEMO’s eyes are fixed on the PDP’s gubernatorial ticket as a gateway to the Anambra governorship election slated for Nov. 6, 2021. For Ezeemo, the ultimate is Government House, Awka, writes SIMON NJOKU.
Government House, Awka is the seat of power in Anambra State just as Aso Rock, Abuja, is the seat of power in Nigeria. The major occupant of Government House, Awka, is the state governor just as the major occupant of the seat of power at Aso Rock, Abuja is the Nigerian President.
Among the contenders for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial ticket for the race to the Government House, Awka, is business mogul Godwin Chukwunaenye Ezeemo. He made his intention clear while submitting his nomination form last March, 2021 at the PDP secretariat, Abuja while submitting his nomination form. Ezeemo declared that his mission was to make Anambra State what he saw in the UK (United Kingdom).
The UK is a country that is industrially developed, technologically advanced and economically vibrant. Besides, the UK is militarily a superpower. And this is the country in which Ezeemo has lived a good part of his life, emerging as an accomplished businessman, an eminent industrialist with chains of businesses in Nigeria and abroad.
How does this business magnate intend to transform Anambra State to another UK if given the opportunity to be governor, a journey that begins with the clinching of the PDP gubernatorial ticket at the party primaries coming up this month?
“If l have the opportunity of serving Anambra State, l will as a matter of urgency start a programme that will involve re-orientation of the minds of the citizenry. You have to make the youth in particular know that they are the owners of the society….They are the ones who have a very long time to stay. So, they need to make this place work. The reorientation is important, so also is public enlightenment to get the people to change their mindset,” he told s section of the press recently.
Indeed, the youth are the leaders of tomorrow and tomorrow belongs to the youth. Suffice it to say that today’s youth need to be given the opportunity today to build the kind of future they envisage for themselves.
“The youths are everywhere. They are not doing anything. You have to find a way of engaging them,” Ezeemo said. His focus on youths is significant in the sense that industrial, technological and socio-economic revolutions are driven by this segment of the population who hold sway in all areas of the economy including the academia, industry, government, finance, research and development among others. For Anambra State therefore to emerge as an industrial and technological hub the youth are key.
To accomplish this, the Umuchu-born politician also plans to make free education a cardinal policy of his government as a way of catching them young.
“When l talk about free education, l mean it. It is more important than distributing money to them,” he said. Of course, without empowering the youth with education and skill, the expected transformation of Anambra state after the order of the United Kingdom will be truncated.
Apart from education, constant and uninterrupted electricity supply is another major component of Ezeemo’s developmental agenda for Ndi Anambra. Electricity is the live wire of any economy. It is the bedrock of any accomplishment in any field of endeavour – industry, technology, information and communication technology, finance, agriculture etc. What about the small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), the engine of growth of any economy – the barbers, welders, hairdressers, vulcanizers, tailors, mechanics etc – all depend on electricity supply. Yet, regular and uninterrupted power supply has remained a major threat to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy over the years.
How does Ezeemo intend to address this?
“I have a team and it is where l direct it that it will go. We will take hard decisions. If it is working in other parts of the world, why will it not work here? There are lots of Anambrarians and Nigerians out there who are knowledgeable and can come here and render those services free. It is a charity work and they are ready to do it. I have spoken to a lot of them. They have the knowledge and competence and they are ready to come and do it. They are ready and willing to render the service to our people. They are not happy with the way things are going. But they need a leader that can stand by them, a leader they can trust. It is not going to be easy but it can be done,” he assures.
Importantly, what will be his attitude to criticism as most Nigerian leaders resent criticisms of their policies? Ezeemo says his administration would be favourably disposed to opposing views, especially constructive criticisms devoid of sentiments.
“Constructive criticism is good. It helps to cultivate the ground you have lost. I encourage my people to critique my decisions, tell me what l am doing well and what l am not doing well. But when you criticize and it lacks objectivity, l will tell you that is not criticism but sentiment. You have to be objective and factual, and when you bring in empirical figures l will follow it,” he declared.
Indisputably, Ezeemo’s journey to the Government House, Awka will receive impetus with an endorsement by key party stakeholders at the PDP primaries slated for this month, June 26, 2021. Should the stakeholders empower him with the party’s gubernatorial ticket for the November 6, 2021 governorship election, his mission to the Anambra State seat of power will certainly receive fresh impetus!