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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei, has promised that if elected governor in 2023, his administration will establish a second industrial layout in the state to boost the economy and create job opportunities.
He made the promise Saturday at the Polo Club in Port Harcourt, while addressing thousands of his supporters who staged a one million-man march in solidarity for his governorship ambition.
Rivers State has an industrial estate at the Trans-Amadi area which has been hugely depleted by years of unfriendly business climate as many of the industries there have either closed shop or relocated, mostly to Lagos.
Speaking to the crowd of supporters Abe noted that creation of jobs opportunities are not through laws and fiats, adding that his administration will create an atmosphere through which Rivers people could make money.
He said: “We have told you that since Trans-Amadi was built, no other industrial estate has been established in this state. We will establish another one.
“We have told you that given opportunities to our people to get jobs and employment is not something to be done by laws or by fiat. We will create an atmosphere through which Rivers people can make money.”
Abe declared that the party has grown to become the biggest political party in the state.
The SDP governorship candidate stated that political parties are mere vehicles, pointing out that it is the people that make up the party.
He said: “Finally, I told you before that a political party is nothing but a vehicle. It is the people that make the party. Rivers people, today, you have made the SDP, the biggest political party in Rivers State. You have that power.
“All those other parties, because you were there, that was why they were big. Now that you are here, this one too is big. SDP is the biggest political party in Rivers State today”.
Abe, who sympathised with the people of Orashi region of the state, over the devastating floods, said if elected, his administration will find a lasting solution to the perennial challenge.
He said: “The other thing I want to say is that last week, we put off this programme because of the flooding in Orashi region. The whole Orashi region of Rivers State, every time, gets flooded.
“We all know that these things are not man-made and every time it happens, we appear totally unprepared. It is only a tree that you will tell that you get an axe and cut it down and it will still remain in that place.
“I want to assure Rivers people, we cannot stop water from coming if that is path of the water. But, there are several things we can do to prepare for things we know can haunt us down. We can dredge our rivers annually so that when the water rises, it can go down quickly. We can build canals to divert the water away from where people are living.
“If it becomes impossible, we can move people from where we know they cannot stay to places where they can stay. You know it is safer to relocate people; we have done it before. So, I want to assure our friends, our brothers, our sisters in the places that are flooded; yes, it may happen again, but, I want to assure you that it will never ever be this bad again.”
