Why we embark on Enyimba Economic City project – Gov. Ikpeazu

By Adoga Michael Oyi


Abia Government says it is building a multi -million naira Enyimba Economic City that will industrialise and boost the economy of the state .
Gov . Okezie Ikpeazu made this known when he briefed heads of media houses in the state at the Abia Government Lodge, Aba , on Sunday as part of efforts to industrialise the state since he assumed office in 2015 .
“ This project is very close to my heart and I am passionate about it. Abia Government is building Enyimba Economic City.

“ It is sitting on 9 , 000 hectares of land . We have committed over N 10 billion to the project and we are shopping for sponsors , ” he said .
He said the state government was not making much noise about the project because “ we have our target to industrialise Abia and we must get there ” .

On the moribund Golden Guinea and Ceramics industries , the governor said that previous administrations sold the companies, including the Enyimba Hotel , Aba .

Ikpeazu said that in spite of the concession; the state government was doing all it could to bailout and re - vitalise the companies.
He said that the state government had assisted Mr Peter Nzenwa , the new owner of the brewery to secure Bank of Industry facility .

On modern ceramics, he said that it was concession to Catholic Diocese of Umuahia , who took a loan of N 250 million to rehabilitate and revitalise the company .

“ As I speak , that facility has accumulated to N 1 .5 billion interest . We have approached the court to pay and exit the church from the Shylock facility .”

He said that after exiting the church from the debt , the state government would like the church to explore its Italian connection to make the company functional again.

On teachers ’ salary, he said that there was only two months gap , adding that before the end of 2018 those gaps would have been completely filled .
Ikpeazu said that Abia had the highest workforce of 30 , 000, adding that 70 per cent of the workers were in the ministry while others were in the parastatals.

He explained that his administration inherited a monthly wage bill of N 2 .7 billion , noting that it had been reduced to N 2 .1 billion.

The governor said ICPC adjudged the state government as the best manager of the Paris Club Refund because it deployed 71 per cent of the cash inflow to workers ’ salary.