Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has constituted a 15- man Economic Advisory Committee.
The committee, which has received applause from residents of the State is to advise and guide the state government on the best economic policies that would help to engender sustainable economic growth in the face of the present dwindling revenue from Nigeria’s Federation Account caused by the glut in the oil industry.
Among prominent Nigerians that made the list of the 15-member Enugu State Economic Advisory Committee are the former minister of power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, deputy senate president, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, industry giant and chairman of Innoson Group of Companies, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, former Economic Adviser to the president and current Director of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Nigeria, Prof. Ostia Ogbu, Chief Chilo Offiah, among others.
In setting up the economic advisory team, the administration of Governor Ugwuanyi desires that the pool of experts would effectively discharge its obligations by “thinking of new ideas on economic issues” and or give government pertinent advise on what should be done to enhance the economic fortunes of the state.
According to a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Uwakwe Abugu, the functions of the economic and development experts would revolve around three key objectives, namely, to promote balanced and sustainable economic growth, to promote and engender adequate employment for the people of Enugu State and to promote a system of fair income distribution among the various income groups in the state.
The Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Msgr (Prof). Obiora Ike, who has been central figure in the successful entrepreneurial exploits of the diocese has been named the chairman of the committee while the Economic Adviser to the governor would serve as the secretary of the committee.
Other members of the committee put together by the governor include former Aviation minister, Amb. Fidelia Njeze, a successful investor and civil society activist, Chief Loretta Aniagolu, Dr. Chikelu Mba, Mr. Kelvin Emeka Onah, Mr. Emeka Odo who had mercurially ‘transfigured’ from a business reporter with the Daily Times of Nigeria to become a banker and financial guru, Princess Ngozi Nnaedozie, Mr. John Okoye and Mr. Ikechukwu Chioke.
The membership of the committee cut across states other than Enugu and the Chief Press Secretary explained it in the statement yesterday, saying the decision to include experts from outside the coal city state was informed by Governor Ugwuanyi’s desire to ensure that nothing was left undone in the current efforts to shore up the revenue base of the state in view of his burning desire to fulfill his campaign promises to the people of the state who gave him overwhelming support at the polls last April and have continued to show their love for him since he assumed office.
The governor’s move is basically a response to the concern across the country owing to the frightening development in the oil sector which has made it difficult for some states and even the federal governments to pay their staff salaries and meet other obligations starring them in the face as governments that should be responsive to the yearnings of the people.
Hence, Ugwuanyi’s advisory committee is coming at a time when “Enugu state Government has come to the conclusion that the advisory committee will assist us in investments promotion, mobilization of funds, increased internally generated revenue (IGR) and establishment of industries.
“It is our own economic survival strategy and we also intend to use the platform to encourage and reengineer effective public-private -partnership”, the statement added while also describing the committee as an assemblage of economists, entrepreneurial gurus, financial experts, and others from the energy, civil society sectors as well as politicians who have cut their teeth in the executive and legislative business of government in the country.
The committee will be formally inaugurated soon after the coming Enugu State Executive Council would have been constituted.
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