From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi has accused Federal Government of corrupt leadership with wrong physical and monetary policies that do not support economic growth.

Mr Obi spoke when Freshminds Communications Limited, Nnewi in conjunction with Lion Business Park, Enugu presented Anaedoonline 3rd anniversary lectures at Innoson’s plaza Nnewi, Anambra State.

The anniversary with the theme: South East Nigeria: An Untapped Investment Hub of the next decade attracted many resource persons from the banking, film industry, commerce and other areas of human endeavor.

Mr Obi while speaking on the nation’s economy and leadership said that the country had a corrupt system that had not allowed for right physical and monetary policies to boost small and medium scale enterprises for economic growth.

“We have a corrupt system and the first thing corruption does is to kill enterprenuership. Nobody appreciates enterprenuership in a corrupt country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs) are frustrated. People are making money without being productive. Enterprenuership and hardwork are killed. That’s what is happening in Nigeria.

“I use Nnewi as an example. Today, government has not come up with a policy that can support Innoson Group of Companies in his vehicle manufacturing business. Government should support people like Innoson, if the economy has to be boosted. Why shouldn’t they do that? They look at a different direction. I have been in several countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and I saw the way they support the private sector and local manufacturers, ” Mr Obi said.

Chairman of Freshminds Communications Limited, Mr Cornel Osigwe in his comments said his media outfit has put every machinery in motion to train secondary school leavers in skills and graduates from various higher institutions for them to be gainfully employed. He said that his outfit had decided to train the youths to discourage them from getting involved in cultism and other activities inimical to society.

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Mr Osigwe said his outfit had done its research and discovered that the youths can only be tamed when they were engaged in productive activities that would keep them away from antisocial activities.

In his contribution, the Chairman of Lion Business Park, which is Enugu industrial free trade zone, Dr Okechukwu Mbonu said that the significance of bridging the gap to harness the socio-economic potential in the South East could not be over emphasized. He explained that it was the vision his company had when it conceived the idea of an integrated commercial and industrial hub now known as the Lion Business Park in collaboration with the Enugu State govenment.

” It is on this note, that I will like to center my discussion on Lion Business Park, a project that will not only harness the economic potential in South East but will transform the entire South East into an industrial hub and lead to job creation, ” he said, among other things.

Another resource person, Mr Anayo Nwosu, a banker, articulated a lot of factors that could boost investment in the South East region. He said they included basic investment logic, feasibility studies, defining the market and capital base, engagement of experts as well as consideration to insecurity, among many other factors.

Mr Ekene Mkparu, an Nnewi indigene in the film industry said there were lots of untapped potential in the sector that could keep those interested busy for life.

He said that the cinema as a creative industry had potential everywhere untapped. He named hotels, restaurants, residential buildings and other environments as places films could be shot to make money for the owners.

He gave an in-depth lecture that traversed the principles and practice of film making.

There were other speakers including Chief Obed Monago; Dr John Okechukwu and Dikenna Chika Okafor, the Executive Director of the Chicason Group.