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APCCAMPAIGNUPDATE:“Wecanbuildindifficulttime, TinubutellsSouth-SouthAPCstakeholders
from Asiwaju
...APCcandidateassuresofeconomictransformation forwardisataskthatmustbedone.Let's put together and conquer hunger by using the God's great space on agriculture."
Amajor highlight of the TownHall was when the APC candidate brought Senator John Owen Enoh and Barrister Ekpere Mary and reunited them with GovernorAyadeandothers.
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He described Cross Rivers as a land of joyandlove.
“Cross River is blessed in Agriculture. Oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashews, cassava,yam,rice,plantain,andbananas are abundant and already being processed,strengtheningtheagro-allied value chain in ways that create better jobsandraisethestandardofliving,”he added.
He also praised Governor Ayade for already starting the industrialisation driveinthestate.
“TheAyade-ledadministrationhasdone tremendous work to develop the processingcapacitywithinthestatewith theconstructionoftheOgojaRiceMill, Ikom Cocoa Mill, Rice Seed and seedlingcentre.
All Progressives Congress PresidentialCandidate,Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on
Tuesday assured Nigerians and stakeholders of the party from SouthSouthregionthathewouldleadNigeria tobuildbackbetterandstrongerevenin difficulttimeifelectednextPresident.
TinubumadethisdeclarationinCalabar at a TownHall meeting with party stakeholders on national transformation and industrialisation at the Cultural Centre,Calabar
Drawingparallelfromtheexperienceof the United States during its civil war, Tinubu charged Nigerians and party members to focus on what the country canaccomplish.
He said: "We can build in the middle of difficulty, the US was fighting the civil war and still building rail track We should focus on the things that we can accomplish.We have a lot - there is the waterfront here, we have minerals here, we have arable land, we must conquer hunger,wecannotallowhungerconquer us."
Speaking further at the well-attended event that had the Vice-Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, Governor Ben Ayade, Director-General of the campaign council and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, Deputy Director-General and former APC
National Chairman, Adams
Oshiomhole, Senator Florence ItaGiwa, Senator Victor Idoma Egba, former Governor Godswill Akpabio, formerPetroleumMinisterDonEtiebet, Minister of State Power, Jeddy Agba, and Minister of State Labour, Festus Keyamo,Tinubupointedoutthatforthe nationtoexperienceeconomicrecovery, lessfocusshouldbeplacedoncrudeoil whileharnessingotherareas.
Others at the event were former EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam,ChairmanofTeTFUND, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, APC
National Woman Leader, Beta Edu and otherpartychieftains.
The APC candidate promised to work towards industrialisation while also focusingontheproductionofgoodsand servicesacrossthecountry
“My campaign is built on the firm conviction that our greatest good and bestdeedsstilllieinfrontofusandnotin ourpast.
“The industrialisation of our economy represents a most vital step towards achievingtheNigeriaofourdreams.
“From its very beginnings, our nation's economy was established on an incomplete foundation. It was built to rely too heavily on oil exports. This means we have always experienced a large gap in the national economic structure. Greater industrialisation shall fill this gap through the production of more and better goods which improve our standard of living while creating better jobs, providing workers with a living wage and establishing businesses that will drive this economy for generationstocome.
“Because of this gap in our economic structure and the resultant lack of economic activity, Nigeria has experienced unacceptably high rates of unemploymentforseveraldecades.The problems this causes for our society are not limited to simply slowing our economic progress This gap has affected our nation in profound ways, strainingthesocialfabricinwaysthatno nation wishes for Now is the time to repair these fissures our country should never have had to experience,” Tinubu said.
“Our industrial policy will prioritise strategic industries vital to the development of our national economy Wewillgrowthenation'sindustrialbase to provide decent jobs and improving wages to our nation's ever increasing urbanpopulation.”
Speakingonhowtheycanbetterachieve this,Tinubusaidprimaryandsecondary industrial hubs would be created across eachgeopoliticalzoneinthecountry
“The Governor has also gone further to develop the infrastructure for the movement of goods by land with the proposed Super-Highway, by sea with theproposedBakassiDeepSeaport,and byairwiththeconstructionoftheObudu thestate'sresources.
“Our industrial plan encourages manufacturingonamassivescaleacross thecountry Nigeriawillbecomeknown as a nation that produces high quality goods worthy of export to anywhere in theworld.Weshalluseanarrayofpolicy measures. On the fiscal side, we shall employ tax credits and holidays, youth employment incentives, import relief, export credits and well-tailored subsidieswherenecessary
“Cross River State will play a leading roleinoureconomicuplift.Thisstateis blessed with limestone, clay, salt, tin, granite, basalt, quartzite, and kaolin depositsincommercialquantities.
“Our policies will afford local artisans andcraftsmenthroughouttheregionthe necessary tools to provide for their families and, ultimately, boost overall economicactivityforthenationalgood.
I enjoyed the stimulating cultural entertainmenttheperformersdisplayed. This is a town hall meeting of great minds,brainsandvisions.Myconcernis the development of Nigeria, this is a talentednationandmovingthiscountry
CargoAirport."
In his own address at the event, Governor Ayade said the focus of the nextadministrationshouldbeonhuman beingsfirstandGrossDomesticProduct asameasureofeconomicgrowthshould shifttoHumanHappinessIndex,adding that government must focus on industrialisation to create jobs for the masses.
"WemustmovefromGDPtotheHuman Happiness Index When God has empowered you, it is for the people," saidAyade
The Director-General of APC Presidential Campaign Council, GovernorLalongassuredthepeoplethat AsiwajuTinubuhascapacitytoprovide theleadershipthatwillcreateprosperity forallNigerians.
“AsiwajuturnedmammywaterinLagos ocean to Money Water through his brains,"headded.
TinubuMediaOffice
TundeRahman
December20,2022
