Anayo Edwin Nwonu

Anayo Edwin Nwonu (born 1975) is a Nigerian politician and member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State. He was first elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. Nwonu also contested the 2023 Ebonyi State governorship election. Quotes My people have felt the impact of the little position they gave me to serve as a member of the National Assembly for at least six years now and that is why they are urging me to run for governorship in 2023. By the grace of God and the will of the people, I will be coming into office as governor in 2023 at a critical phase in our socio-economic evolution, when Ebonyi State like the rest of the nation, is facing profound challenges. These extraordinary times require a focused, steady and compassionate leadership and that is what I intend to offer. I will be a servant leader of the people, an astute manager of the resources of the state and a change agent, who will put the people first at all times. Interview response to the question "How prepared are you for the governorship race? There is no doubt that Governor Umahi has done well in the area of infrastructure but my team and I have come up with a document christened Ebonyi State Economic Development Master Plan, which will address the present challenges of the state and reposition it to achieve an all-inclusive growth and prosperity. This vision rests on the achievement of the cardinal objectives of education, health, job creation and enterprise development. Interview response to the question 'What new are you bringing to the table given the belief that the incumbent governor, Dave Umahi, has performed creditably? Education is one of the critical drivers of my economic blueprint, so the state will invest to significantly increase the number of secondary school enrolment and that of primary schools in my first four years. The infrastructure in our public primary and secondary schools will be paid full attention to ensure conducive learning environment and qualified teachers. My blueprint for the state aims to renovate all public secondary schools within this period. This shall in turn require an increase in the number of certified teachers to meet the new demand. Payment, promotion and training of teachers shall be of utmost importance and pensioners shall be given due attention. Interview response to the question 'what plans do you have for the education sector if elected? My plan seeks increased investment in health infrastructure and resources. Our aim, if elected, will be not only to increase the number of general hospitals but to ensure maintenance, presence of doctors and other professionals to attend to the health needs of citizens. We will ensure that every local government area has at least one fully functional secondary health care institution in the state. Government will aim to equip these general hospitals with surgical resources and ensure the provision of diagnostic and pharmaceutical services as practiced in civilized climes like the United Kingdom. The number of Primary Health Centres (PHC) will be increased such that there is an available PHC every 30 minutes walking distance. The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) will be reduced, while the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) will also be reduced drastically. My administration will also increase the number of doctors and professional health workers in the sector by improving enrolment/facilities at the Ebonyi State University College of Health Science and the schools of nursing and midwifery. Interview response to the question 'what plans do you have for the health sector if elected? Job creation is one of the cardinal objectives of my economic development master plan and the aim is to create over 30,000 skilled and unskilled jobs through the Foreign Direct Investment/Domestic Direct Investment drive for industrialisation. The vision of this Ebonyi State Economic Development Masterplan is to attract investments particularly into those industries that represent the state’s competitive advantage and they are agriculture, extractive and tourism. Existing companies in Ebonyi State will be encouraged to create more jobs through tax incentives that will enable them undertake expansion of their businesses in the state. Interview response to the question 'How do you intend to address youth unemployment in the state?' Agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of crude oil. From 1970 to late 2000s, the sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export earnings steadily declined because the country’s focus shifted to petroleum exploration. The recent fall in crude oil prices has triggered debates around the role of agriculture in economic diversification. Ebonyi State land mass is nearly 100 per cent arable and the state enjoys an all-year rainfall. The state is among the highest producers of rice, palm oil and cassava. My economic blueprint has plans to mechanize agriculture and introduce profitable and convenient modern farming techniques like the cultivation of yam in sacks and modify same for other essential crops. Strong collaborations will be established with Central Bank to enable Ebonyi farmers leverage the bank’s most important agricultural initiatives – the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing Model for Agricultural Financing (NIRSAL), the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), the Real Sector Support Fund (RSSF), and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, all of which unlock low interest finance. In line with its value chain approach, this Economic Development Master plan will ensure that Ebonyi State attracts domestic and foreign manufacturers to invest in the state and to create the following value addition across the most profitable segments. Interview response to the question 'Ebonyi State has done well in the area of agriculture, particularly, rice production. What plans do you have to leverage on wat has been achieved and build on it? ' External links Category:Politicians from Nigeria Category:1975 births Category:Living people