Abia State governor-elect, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, on Monday, May 18, 2015 met with former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Professor Charles Soludo in Enugu State to discuss economic strategies for Abia State.
According to reports, the purpose of the meeting which held at the Enugu residence of Professor Soludo, was to solicit the professor’s economic road map to help turn Abia State into an industrial city and economic hub in Nigeria over the next four years.
The governor-elect said he sought Professor Soludo out because he of a firm belief in the professor’s economic expertise and that he remained a strong economic force. Along with a desire to hurriedly re-position Aba and this desire he said was the driving force behind his willingness to synergise with all necessary stakeholders regardless of political affiliations.
“Re-positioning Abia is a task that we must accomplish, God helping us, and we need the support and partnership of people like you to drive our vision,” the governor-elect told Soludo.
“The present state of Aba, the commercial town of our people, which is almost in a comatose, is part of the reasons the economy of Abia, Ndigbo and Nigeria is always on the downward slope, but all of that will be history after May 29. We are prepared to hit the ground running.
“I appeal to you to leave your doors always open for us because all hands must make Aba work again. We believe that if we get Aba right, Abia will be right and we are determined.”
Professor Soludo commended the governor-elect for his vision for the recovery of the state’s economy while also giving his firm promise to visit Abia State soon to support the governor-elect in his economic revival quest.
“Ikpeazu has the capacity and all it takes to reposition Abia and make Igboland great again.” he added.
He described him as a man “with clarity of vision, who has done thorough diagnosis of the Abia problem,” the professor expressed confidence that Ikpeazu would deliver.
