Etigwe Uwa



A leading governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressive Grand Alliance  APGA, Mr Etigwe Uwa, SAN, says he is  canvassing to become governor of  Abia State in order to liberate the State from long years of maladministration and usher in growth and progress in all ramifications

" Abia requires redemption, Abia requires restoration and it is something that cut across the State. Abia has been held down by long years of maladministration, and the status cannot continue the way they are", he argued over the weekend while interacting with journalists in Umuahia.

The legal luminary asserted that  going forward, he had enlisted in the 'Restored, Better Abia Movement', stressing that Abia belongs to all of us and the people have the power to determine who leads them. He queried the leadership selection process obtainable in the State and averred that the practice exists because the people allowed same.

"If we say enough is enough, things will change. Society progresses when people commit all they have for a better society.

Ndi Abia are hardworking and industrious, what they need is an enabling environment that makes the State to flourish and that it is doable. Today is the day to dream of a new Abia", he asserted. He paints the picture of the new Abia in brilliant colours of well equiped health centres, properly equiped schools, a State that is the World's capital of Renewable Energy with  an economy that is number one in the Country.

The eminent legal practitioner revealed that his governorship ambition was the product of deep and consistent personal reflection and meditation over the state of affairs in Abia: 'a desire which metamorphosed into a passion, and is now a consuming passion'.  He added that he also consulted far and wide across the State with critical stakeholders and thought leaders before his final decision to  purchase the  Nomination and Expression of Interest forms to run for the office of the Governor in  2023 under  APGA.

Barr. Uwa in response to his gameplan for the State, explained that he has a blueprint for the repositioning of  Aba, Abia's commercial nerve centre. Amongst others, he envisages a metropolis with improved transportation system serviced by access road network. He also envisions  city with adequate power supply that would be able to service both  the big and small scale industries as well as other commercial .

He added that for Abia to be financially self-reliant, the  leather and footwear industries in Aba, must be encouraged to produce good products for export that will guarantee inflow of foreign exchange for the benefit of the  overall economy.

He further  revealed that he will set up a system that allows Aba to export their products to the world market, explaining  that Aba is now producing for the Nigerian market which he said adds insignificant value to the economy

He said his vision as  governor of the State, would be to set up clusters in Aba and turn the place to a free export processing  zone so that whatever that are produce there will be for export and exempted from custom duties. 

He further added that the existence of cheap labour in Aba could be exploited to set up production and manufacturing cluster, especially for solar power panels  and products from other emerging technologies 

Uwa  who hails from Ohafia Local Government Area is the Managing Partner in Stream Sowers and Kohn, a leading law firm in Nigeria and also chairman of several companies including Mara Phone Company, Trustworth Mortgage Bank and several other companies