Atiku promises ease of doing business in Southeast

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has assured businessmen and women in the Southeast that his administration would ensure the ease of doing business if he is elected President in 2019.
Atiku spoke at the Aba Sports Club in Aba, Abia State, during a town hall meeting with stakeholders and captains of industries in the Southeastern.
The presidential candidate noted that the place of Southeast businessmen and women in the economy of the country and the West African region could not be underestimated, saying he was aware of the constraints and challenges facing business in the east, and the country at large. He promised to address the challenges as soon as he becomes the president.
Atiku lamented that the country’s economy was nosediving because the present presidential economic team does not possess the requisite skills to turn the economy around.
He, therefore, promised to use knowledge garnered as a public officer and businessman to turn things around economically.
Atiku also promised to give attention to Onne and Calabar Ports to ease the congestion of Lagos port.
He said: “I know of your challenges because I’m a business man like you. Your pain is also my pain; I face the same challenges you are facing, but the only thing we can do to change the situation is to change the government in power now.
“This present government lacks the understanding and the capacity to turn our economy around, and promote the ease of doing business. We would ensure that policies that would encourage businesses to thrive in Nigeria are put in place.”
Vice Presidential candidate Peter Obi said Atiku has ideas of solving the country’s problems and supporting the growth of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMES), who he described as the backbone of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to Obi, the economy is in comatose because the manufacturing industry, which was contributing over 50 per cent to the economy in the 80’s, is currently injecting only 20 per cent now.
He said: “Atiku is a businessman; he understands the economy. He feels your pains and knows what to do to make the economy work again. The problem with Nigeria is that those in power are not business-minded, and that is why they cannot solve the problem of the economy.”
Host Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said there was no better way to improve the economy without one-on-one interaction with businessmen and manufacturers. He said his government was doing so well in promoting small and medium scales business through the made in Aba campaign.
Nation