By Uche Okere
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Chijioke Kaduru has said the creation of a free-trade zone in Imo State will address the mass exodus of youths in the area to address urban migration.
Kaduru who is also the Managing Director of Corona Management Systems, a health intervention firm, made the disclosure during a chat with Punch in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
He said he was contesting the Imo East (Owerri zone) senate seat to help improve lives and the quality of living in Imo and across the country.
Kaduru who hails from Ngor Okpala local government area of Imo State said as the second largest council by land mass, the establishment of a free-trade zone will create jobs and local content at more than 40 percent.
According to him, the push to endorse a free-trade trade zone in Imo State will benefit the people and zone and help reduce the exodus of youths searching for greener pastures.
He said: “A free-trade zone will create jobs for local people because you can drive local content at more than 40 percent. This means locally there will be jobs, it means we can create opportunities for people doing business to expand and help the economy via jobs.
“If you visit Lagos and Ogun States free-trade zones, you will see the huge impact. All we need to do is to be mindful that we don’t over industrialize our place and lose the local areas we have. There are many places we can chase those types of investment so that it will benefit our people and I’m personally interested in the push for a free-trade zone in Owerri zone. The truth is you need alignment from the executive and legislature arms along with the key parastatals that are involved and it is achievable”, Kaduru said.
He dispelled insinuations that he will only push for health reforms as a medical doctor though he admitted health was key to healthy living.
Kaduru said “yes, I will not deny that which I know well, which is to attract health programmes to Nigeria which includes Imo State. What I know is that if sickness comes, that money you think you have will go into the treatment of that ailment.
“But the reality is if you give people quality health, you are also giving them access to economic progress and prosperity. So I will continue to do that which I know how to do well, which is to attract resources and governments from outside, that is a value I know well.
“I know how much we have attracted to Imo State through donors both directly and indirectly, based on what we have spent as an organisation supporting.
“Lawmaking from an outsider’s perspective is something we are comfortable with. But we have realized that when you do laws and stuff from outside, if you don’t have the right legislator to push it, no matter how nice the idea is, it will never pull through.
“Currently, we are looking at how we will unlock UBEB for southeast. Already the Federal Government is funding it, but states also need to compliment. Yes, we are looking at how we can help unlock other sources of finances to support states. How we can unlock these monies so that primary schools and basic education will improve. These are practical things that can be done to improve our society because we have seen it work in other places”.
