Ten Point Agenda of #Sen Ike Ekweremadu
AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE MY
EXPERIENCES AND NETWORK
TO TRANSFORM ENUGU
STATE.
Enugu State gave me huge opportunities to
serve as a Local Government Area, Chairman,
Secretary to The State Government, Chief of
Staff to the Governor, A Senator and A three
term Deputy Senate President, Speaker,
ECOWAS Parliament and many important committees and global positions. In the course
of this journey, I have meet World Leaders,
business Leaders, and made friends in both
private and public sector of both national and
global economy. I have had the opportunities to
understand how states and nations are
transformed. A good example is a city like Dubai,
UAE that was a desert but has now become the
world’s most digital city and global investment
hub. I have an insight to the economic
transformation taking place in Rwanda and even
at our back yard Ghana.
As a Senator, I worked hard to put forward
necessary bills that will impact positively on the
well being of our people, ranging from
constitutional amendments, security, education,
economy, Health and electoral reform. I have
initiated and completed many life changing
projects in our communities beyond my
constituency, be it water boreholes, roads,
schools, health Centres, power and many more
projects. I have the will but the means are limited.
I am limited to what I could mobilise as a
Legislator in terms of developmental projects and
programmes. I always wish I could do more.
I am limited to what I could mobilise as a
Legislator in terms of developmental projects and
programmes. I always wish I could do more. At
this point, I believe It is time to give back to Enugu
State and Enugu people without whom, I would
not be who I am today. When elected Governor, I
will utilise all these experiences, friends, partners
and world leaders that I know for transforming
Enugu State to a model state, for other states to
copy. I will implement this vision through the
following 10 point agenda;
1.Good Governance
2.Agricultural Sector Reforms
3.Vibrant Economy
4.Education Sector Reforms
5.Sustainable Health System
6.Sustainable Youth Development
7.Infrastructure Development
8.Community Development
9. Security and Public Safety
10.Human Capital Development
WHAT WE SHALL DO
1.Good Governance
Restoration of the peoples’ faith on the government will be achieved by having open door government, doing what we promise, and being
honest to the people. We shall reform our civil
service, fight corruption, and throne justice, equity and liberty. Government services will be available 24/7 through a well designed e-government. Our revenue collection will be fair, reliable and devoid of leaks
and waste. Tax payers fund will be spent in the best interest of the people.
We will end practices that require citizens induce anyone to receive government services, employment, benefits or opportunities. We look forward to
running a government that sees all citizens as equals before the Law.
2.Agricultural Sector Reforms
Our government will reform the agriculture ministry and its programmes to reflect todays
realities in field of agriculture. Our compara-
tive advantage areas of our agriculture will
receive attention and investment it deserves.
We shall create new Agric-Cities dedicated to
modern integrated farm practice side by side
industrial cities and hubs that will utilise the produce from the Agric-City. It
is our desire and commitment to make Enugu State a“manufacturing
state”. We will provide infrastructures and policies that will facilitate value
addition and production of by-products for export from our agricultural pro-
duce. We shall provide incentives to investors in agriculture and agribusi-
ness value-chain actors.
3.Vibrant Economy
The economy of Enugu State will be refocused
by investing in our areas of comparative ad-
vantage, catalyzing value addition enterprises,
manufacturing sector and reducing government
overheads and eliminating waste. We shall create
economic hubs such as ICT city, Film/Media City,
Auto City, Knowledge City, and Health & Sports
Cities. The government strategy will be to create enabling environment and
approve policies that will attract corporations, both foreign and local to es-
tablish manufacturing plants in Enugu. We will seek our beneficial private
partnerships in projects in areas that will result in significant job creation
and ripple economic positive effects in the interest of the people. Our eco-
nomic plan is simple, “industrialize Enugu, catalyse the growth of MSMEs,
build infrastructures to support business communities and create jobs”.Economic Hubs to be
Created:
Agric-City
Auto-City
Film/Media City
Health City
Sports and Leisure City
Knowledge City
ICT
City
Rice City, Adani Energy City Auto City
Digital City Knowledge City Sports City
Film City
Healthcare City
4.Education Sector Reforms
There are many educational institutions already in Enugu
State. Our focus will be on improving the standard, facili-
ties and building teachers' capacity to deliver on a mod-
ern education. We will consolidate government schools
and institutions to create sustainable schools and institu-
tions. For some, we will encourage Private Sector investment while we shall
maintain a few government owned and fully funded institution. Our target at
the primary levels will be to merge schools and make them more sustaina-
ble, retrain teachers and rebuild schools to standards that we can be proud
of. Our teachers must be retrained, re-qualified and paid well. The goal is to
attract the best brains to Enugu State educational system. Our Higher insti-
tuitions will reinvigorated to produce employable graduates. We will wel-
come private sector investment in our higher institutions to the extent that
they becomes sustainable, produce quality graduates and maintain a well
trained and well-paid lecturers. Our scholarship system will be reformed to
become a merit and hardship based scholarship system. We will explore a
private sector driven students loan system to ensure that no child who wish
to pursue quality education be denied that opportunity on financial grounds.
5.Sustainable Health System
Our dream healthcare system will be a
holistic systems interconnected to each
other. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
health system will be seamlessly connect-
ed with each other and equipped to per-
form their required functions and services.
Government will work with private sector
to create world class medical and diagnostic centres and yet affordable.
Our Healthcare City will attract the best and top line medical experts from
around the world. The government and her partners will invest in the
healthcare infrastructure such the buildings, equipment's, roads, water sys-
tems, internet, ICT infrastructure,telecommunications, ambulances and
basic management staff. The Private sector healthcare professionals will
then be invited to lease the departments or units and run them in line with
approved guidelines. We hope to see medical tourism inflow into Enugu
State when the Health City becomes fully operational.
6.Sustainable Youth Development
Our State is blessed with highly educated
working age people and the youth. Creation
of Job is mainstreamed in all our agenda.
We understand that government job cannot
end unemployment but government can cre-
ate enabling environment for a vibrant pri-
vate sector and very active MSMEs. These two sectors will create jobs for
our teaming youths. We have designed our economic hubs and cities as job
creation centres too. Our government will have deliberate plans for attract-
ing foreign and indigenous investment into the state. We shall maintain de-
liberate policies that ensures our citizens are employable and competitive .
We are also aware that the industries of today requires relevant ICT and
digital technology training for citizens to become employable. This is why
we will be creating The Knowledge City. At the Knowledge City, we will pre-
pare our future industrial leaders, civil servants, policy makers and experts
in different fields of interest to the people. We will be implementing evi-
dence based development programme using right persons with right capac-
ity. Our knowledge city will also double as research ground for administra-
tive, management, economic and scientific policies. It is expected that we
will have local and International Experts at the Centre. Other states may
have send their people to the Centre for specific trainings.
7.Infrastructure Development
Our infrastructural plan will recreate our old cities to mod-
ern cities through urban renewal, building green estates,
network of roads, smart cities, modern transport system.
We have the social capital to attract foreign investors and
enough integrity to keep our words. The key areas include
Roads, Water Supply, Rural Electrification, Erosion con-
trol, vehicle modern packs, City Wi-Fi and organised and
safe estates gas supply systems. On the Road infrastruc-
ture, every road leading in and out of Enugu State is
planned to be dual carriage roads. Road Maintenance
Agency will be reformed to ensure her effectiveness and sustainability.
8.Community Development
Our development plan will shift from the urban to our communities while the
urban will experience urban renewal. This will reverse urban migration from
the urban to economic hubs in our communities. This is why we are commit-
ted to creating economic cities and hubs out of our different communities.
Our old cities will be renewed to digital and green cities. Our Public Housing
will truly serve the people and accommodate all strata of our working peo-
ple. Government will have a good working relationship with communities and
will consult very widely and reach agreements before embarking on any pro-
jects that will require community land or resources.
9. Security and Public Safety
Security and public safety will be a top priority for our
government. We shall create a state funded and con-
trolled security system that will compliment that of the
Federal Government. Security and Public Safety coordi-
nation Centre will be created to manage all issues of
security and public safety in Enugu State. They will
also serve as interface with the Federal security. Our
community security will be strengthened, re-trained
and re-focused to address emerging challenges. As
the gateway state between the Southeast and the
Northern Nigeria, we will implement an innovative boarder security plan.
Every individual and businesses in Enugu State will be properly documented
in Enugu State Identification Database, ESID. We will utilise information
technology to fight crime, protect lives and properties.
10.Human Capital Development
Our civil servants will be retrained to become compli-
ant in this digital age and information technology driv-
en economy. We have a huge number of unemploya-
ble graduates. Retraining our graduates and develop-
ing their capacity to take roles in this digital economy
will receive particular attention. Industrial, computer
skills, life skills and business development will re-
ceived ample government investment. Our knowledge
City will provide a Centre of Excellence training and re
-training of our human capital. Every aspect of our
economy will require new skills. Our government will
make huge investment in the human capital development. Human capital
development is very dynamic sector. Our government will institutionalise
continuous human capacity development is all sectors of our economic life.
Further Information
We do not pretend to have all the answers to the problem and challenges of our people and
governance of Enugu State. It is therefore necessary that we also receive feedback from our
people on how best we can bring the desired transformation of our state.
This is a excerpts from the book “My vision for Enugu State” by Professor (Senator) Ike Ekweremadu
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Send all comments and suggestion to the
editorial desk;
+234 (0) 810 222 119 strategy-aspirants@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: Efforts have been made to ensure correct presentation of the plans of His Excellency, Professor Ike Ekweremadu for Enugu State
in this summarized format.
It is important to note that this is just part of the full plan. Non inclusion of any vital issue here does not mean that it is neglected or not of interest. Responsibilities for errors or omission is that of the editors and has nothing to do with the Candidate.The editor takes full
responsibilities for the entire content of this journal. For Copyright issues, email strategy-aspirants@gmail.com. Published by The Aspirants Inc. @Enugu,Nigeria October 15,2031
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