By ALEX ENEBELI
ENUGU- The PDP governorship candidate in Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, has assured that his administration would engage youths and transform them from job seekers to wealth creators.
Mbah gave the assurance during a Town-Hall meeting at Ojebe-Ogene and Ezedike Development Centres in Udi Local Government Area on Sunday.
He said that unemployment would be a thing of the past as he had already mapped out strategies to tackle the menace by making youths also employers of labour.
The governorship candidate who outlined his development plans for the people of the area, stressed that agro-allied processing industries, special economic zones, building of world standard skills acquisition would be given adequate attention.
He also added that vocational centres and upskilling the capacity of the youths with 21st century digital know-how that will industrialize the state would be built.
Mbah, who said he had a special interest in the empowerment of young people and women, promised that agriculture would be commercialized to create a value chain and multiple employments for the people.
He noted that infrastructure is critical to unlocking the rural economy, growing the economy seven-fold, and making the state a hub for investments and tourism.
The PDP standard bearer further added that the major link roads in the development centres should not be taken for granted as they were adequately captured in his manifesto.
He said that they would be given urgent attention that would expedite their construction, maintaining more industries that would encourage productivity, generate huge revenue and put the state on the roadmap to prosperity.
Mbah equally re-emphasized his commitment to provide a N100 billion naira revolving capital for young entrepreneurs, declare a state of emergency on rural water scheme for easy reticulation of water in every household.
He said he would upgrade healthcare centres with modern facilities and qualified health workers and ensure that other social amenities would be provided.
Speaking earlier, the administrators of the two development centres, Mr Simeon Egwu, and Mr Joe Anieze, as well as the chairman of the council area, Philip Okoh, commended Mbah for his outstanding development plans.
According to them, Mbah represents a pathfinder and pacesetter who is coming from the private sector with a rich experience that will add value to the state.
Meanwhile, leaders and representatives of the various communities in the development centres, while presenting their prime needs, hailed Mbah for the laudable town-hall meetings.
They stressed that his government would spur quantum leap in rural and urban integration even, promising their votes for him are intact.
The leaders which include Dr Sam Ugwuozo, Tahil Ochi, Uche Agu, Prof. Edwin Nwobodo, Mrs Gloria Agu, Mrs Ify Igbochi, Hon. Bibian Anekwe, Prof. Pascal Okorie, among others, said they would take the project as their own and would continue to mobilize for Mbah through their door-to-door tours.
Ochi, while describing the business mogul as a divine project on a rescue mission, expressed confidence that he would steer the state away from the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, dwindling revenues from the federal government.
On his part, Dr Ugwuozo described Mbah as a humble, simple, courageous, compassionate man with a sense of justice to redefine governance in the state.
The people, however, appealed to the gubernatorial candidate to construct their 12-kilometers Awhum – Nkana – Nike link road; Awhum – Egede and Ukana – Ebe link roads in order to promote agriculture and expand their market base in the area.
They also requested that the Adaukwu, Amagu and Ebe roads be constructed with drainage against erosion. (NAN)
