From Magnus Eze, Enugu
A group, Advocacy for Job Creation, is pushing that capacity for job creation be one of the major criteria for selecting the next governor of Enugu State in the 2023 Governorship election.
The group which tracks job creation, underemployment, checks statistics of inflation and the Ease of Doing Business described the level of unemployment in the state as alarming.
Briefing newsmen in Enugu at the weekend, Lead Partner of the group, Daniel Nnaji, insisted that those who should be in leadership should be persons who have ideas on how to create jobs for the unemployed youths of the state.
He, however, revealed that a former deputy governor of the state, Rev. Ifeanyi Nwoye, who is aspiring for the Governorship of the state appeared to them as one best fitted to create jobs in the state.
The group said that people were tired of sharing of rice during elections, noting that jobs are what the people need in the present time.
“Integrity, experience and executive capacity also count for Rev Nwoye based on his antecedent. He has over the time created not less than 4,000 direct jobs and countless indirect jobs in Enugu State. The Ecumenical College under his leadership, recruits and trains between 300 to 400 people annually, providing direct jobs to graduands, and making people functional members of the society,” Nnaji said.
His colleague, Onyeabo Caleb, who said that the group had so far empowered 1200 people in the state with skills and trainings, regretted that Enugu’s Tax Code was too porous and caused multiple taxation.
According to him, this was not supporting the Ease of Doing Business in the state, adding that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were the worst hit. Caleb called on the state Government to put up target-oriented loans for people.
Also, Senior Advocacy Partner, Nnadozie Kanu urged Enugu people to ensure that aspirants for the post of Governorship in the state were carefully scrutinized so that they do not make mistake this time around.