LG's have the capacity to attract local, foreign investors -Hon Erazua
By: Oriaifoh Godwins
The foremost Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairmanship aspirant for Esan west local government area of Edo state, Hon. Nicholas Erazua has disclosed that most local governments in Nigeria have the capacity to attract direct local and foreign investments to their local government areas.
He made this disclosure while explaining one of the reasons why some local governments are not viable in terms of productivity to sustain themselves.
Speaking with a team of Journalists in Ekpoma recently, Hon. Erazua who said a lot of resources are lying waste in our local governments begging to be tapped, added that all that is required, is for people with the right vision and will power to actualise their visions to be at the helm of affairs of local governments; such people, he said, should be willing to key into the present Edo state government's drive in the area of self sustainability, local and direct investments. He said; '...this is exactly what I represent and want to do in synergy with Edo state government who is already playing an exemplary and leading role in this enterprise...'
Continuing, Hon. Erazua, who said funding can be a major hiccup to local government Chairmen in actualising their vision, however added that; '...for me, as a professional and services provider, I know the right contact to make, I have the will power, the right exposure, commitment and resourcefulness to solve the problems that are often associated with financial difficulties of such...'
Funds he said, are available at the local and international environments which can be tapped into for the purpose of exploring several potentials at the local governments. 'These are the the things we intend to do if elected...'.
He said;'...using Public,Private, Partnership, PPP, model and as a professional practicing architect and a developer who is already using same model in my practice, I am already well acquinted with how the PPP model works...'
Hon. Erazua added that, the PPP is the future of the world economy therefore the earlier Esan west Local Governmet key into this model of development, the better it will be.
Continuing, he said; '...it's not out of place for a local government to set up garri mills, fruit juice factories, poultries, piggeries as well as cultivation of tubber crops amongst several others'. The actualisation of all these, he said, is not rocket science. '...I have made several presentations to Esan west local government administration on how all these can be done'. At that time, he said, he came with professional farmers to the local government administrators with hybrid seedlings to be propagated in Esan west. '...All these are very feasible as we are already doing them'.
He concluded by saying; '...in the abundance of all our natural environments, able and willing human resources, we shouldn't continue to suffer... '