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STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT:
I met with the World Bank Group’s Small and Medium Enterprise Department in 2002 to muster support for Imo state small scale industrialists. That effort was born out of my belief that if a state wants to achieve economic sustainability it must reduce over-dependence and over-consumption of foreign finished products, by its people making fundamental changes in their way of life through well-thought-out economic strategy. That fundamental change is to encourage local industries, especially micro, small and medium entrepreneurs. The state must encourage equal and open participation of various umbrella business organizations, such as the chamber of commerce, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, National Association of Imo State Students, youth and women organizations. This is our state, we must do this together. Equal participation includes an open-bid process for state contracts. Things that can be done in the state should be done in the state to encourage local industries. Our local businesses cannot achieve perfection without practice.
EDUCATION
Children’s learning is a critical open society issue, as poorly educated children typically become marginalized adult citizens who face a lifetime of limited income and employment opportunities and, in turn, constrict their own children’s opportunities for success in life. For such children, poverty becomes a cycle.
Teachers Welfare
I strongly believe that teaching is an honorable, and perhaps the most important profession. In developed economies, no one toys with teachers’ welfare, our governments shouldn’t either. Teachers must be motivated and encouraged to maximize their efforts. Teachers should not only be paid on time, but also receive various work incentives including regular salary reviews, training and development opportunities.
Primary Education:
Primary education is a right and not a privilege. What a child absorbs in her/ his early years of development goes a long way to detect her/ his future. We must invest in primary schools with more beautiful environments (play grounds, beautifully flowered premises, etc) and better teaching facilities (roofed classrooms, teaching aids, free children books). We must provide incentives to encourage local authors to get into children books, teaching aids, cartoon books, Afro-centric story books, etc. Every primary school must have a fully equipped physical education facility. We cannot afford to look down on the physical and mental development of our children.
Secondary Education:
Our focus in secondary education should be on equipping students with the necessary practical and technical skills that can help them make a descent living even if they don’t make it through a post-secondary education. The emphases, unequivocally, should be on hands-on computer education, and technical training. We will also create a sate scholarship program to benefit our secondary school students.
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