By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu, has promised the people of South-East massive economic development and a forward-looking government that will assuage the past difficulties of the region.

He spoke at a Town Hall meeting with leaders of the private sector and trade associations on Thursday in Owerri, Imo State capital.

The APC standard bearer was responding to the remarks of Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi who said the Southeast had been neglected and abandoned since the end of the civil war, asking what Tinubu had in stock for them.

Before his response to Umahi, the APC presidential candidate thanked Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma who is also the South-East Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign for facilitating the town hall meeting.

Tinubu used his address to comprehensively address the issues raised by the Ebonyi State Governor and other development challenges of the old Eastern region first by recalling his experience as a son brought up by a mother who was a trader and market leader.

Tinubu said that based on his experience and the lessons learnt, he understands the challenges traders, business owners, and people of the South-East are going through.

The Town Hall meeting was attended among others by APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Kashim Shettima, Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi who is the Coordinator for South, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Hon. Idris Wase, APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Emma Enekwu, Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and some members of the National Working Committee for the party.

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Tinubu said about his mother, “She gave me the grit and determination which has served me well in politics. More importantly, she taught me that patience, wisdom, tolerance, and generosity are the hallmarks of a good leader, be they a market leader or a candidate aspiring to the highest office of the land.”

On his plans for the South-East after becoming Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2023, Tinubu said new industrial hubs would be created in Aba and Owerri, while already existing ones would be modernised.

He also spoke about making access to credit facilities available to traders across the region and the country in general.

“My government shall build an economy with a growing industrial base, more and better jobs for our youth, and more high-quality home-grown goods to sell and merchandise.

“We shall establish industrial hubs throughout the nation and modernize existing ones. We will encourage and facilitate greater production in places like Owerri and Aba. At the same time, we shall broaden opportunities for you to engage in more international commerce by steering more activity toward ports outside of Lagos such as Onne.

“I envision the Owerri-Port Harcourt and Aba-Port Harcourt corridors becoming more active and lucrative trade and manufacturing corridors than they already are.

“My administration will establish policies that widen your horizons and expand your business reach both in terms of the goods you sell and your geographic reach to new markets.

“Working with the state governments, the CBN, and the banking industry, we shall embark on a two-pronged credit revolution.

“First, on the sale and supply side, we shall seek to drive down interest rates on business loans, especially for investment in manufacturing as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Second, we seek to make consumer loans more available. This will allow more people to afford and buy more high-quality goods from you. By empowering the consumer, we increase economic activity and prosperity for the overall economy as well as for your businesses.

“We will put in place policies that will boost trade and commerce. We will solve the forex crisis and ensure that traders like you have easy access to a unified forex market.

“We shall seek to revive struggling industries in this region and throughout the nation. Working with Governor Uzodimma, we shall continue to push to return Avutu Poultry to its status as a world-class poultry farm. This will increase food and nutrition while creating jobs and giving us a chance to open new markets. Ada Palm can, once again, become a fulcrum of job creation and foreign currency earnings.”

On infrastructure development, the APC presidential flagbearer said the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri would become fully operational to help the large-scale movement of goods across the region while priority would also be placed on the completion of the Abakaliki-Benin section of the rail project, integrating the South-East to the national rail system.

“Our national infrastructure plan shall pay great attention to roadways eaten by erosion and flooding. We shall give traders the sound roads they deserve to move goods for the benefit of the rest of the population.

“For those of you in the agricultural sector, commodity exchange boards and other measures will be established to better link local markets and farmers with the global economy while also assuring them minimum prices for their harvests. The idea is to boost farm incomes, thus giving farmers a greater incentive to produce more.”

The former Lagos State governor also didn’t fail to mention that he would work towards integrating all regions in the country to ensure Nigeria continues to remain in unity.

Uzodimma said the Town Hall meeting was a deliberate strategy of the APC candidate to interface with the business leaders and trade associations in the Southeast so he can factor their positions and views in the business of government when elected.

APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu said he was at the event to demonstrate that the APC is with the Southeast people and will not forsake them if they vote to entrust the next 4 years in the hands of the party.

*S’ East businessmen raise N1bn to support Tinubu’s presidential bid

Meanwhile, no fewer than 2000 South-eastern businessmen have contributed N1bn to support the campaign of Tinubu.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, made this known yesterday at the Town Hall meeting between the APC presidential flagbearer and business leaders in the region.

He said membership of the group was drawn from the five states of the region.

“I am happy to say our people are fully in support of our presidential candidate who has come to share his vision and plan for Nigeria and South East today. To support this aspiration the sum of N1bn has been raised by 2000 business owners across the South-East states,” Uzodimma said.

A spokesman for the group, Emeka Mgbudem, said the group believes in Nigeria and is committed to peace.

He said members contributed N500, 000 each because they believe in Tinubu, after reading his Action Plan for Nigeria.

He said where an Ibo man puts his money, he puts his heart.

He, however, asked Tinubu to remove the numerous checkpoints on the roads in the region and also build the roads linking the state capitals in the region.

Responding, Tinubu pledged to introduce technology in the clearing of goods at the ports that will render unnecessary checkpoints on the roads.

He also promised to run a government where all Nigerians are treated equally.