BY: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
As the 2023 general elections draws nearer, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic party (SDP), Comrade Effiom Okokon, has said that his administration shall overhaul the state’s tourism policies to boost its economy and create jobs in the state.
He stated this while addressing newsmen at the NUJ press center during a press conference to announce his entrant into the gubernatorial race.
According to him, “my administration will focus on education, agriculture, health, security and tourism development”.
On tourism, he promised to develop all tourist sites in the state to attract more internally generated revenue. We will harness all these sites to ensure that things are happening in the state all round the cloak not waiting till December.
By so doing, he noted, both small and large scale of businesses will grow in the state as a result of tourism.
“Tourists will fly in from far and near to boost our economy. Airlines will increase their flights here and this will create employment for the teeming youths of Cross River State”.
He declared ”I have the experience and capacity to run the state as governor under the Social Democratic Party (SDP)”.
“We are going to work with everybody in the state to ensure that we recover it from its present state back to its glorious days”.
According to Okokon “I have experience in the private sector. I have worked in the banking sector too. I have experience in both private and public sector. I have a foundation which I am running. This qualifies me to run the state as a civil minded person and not like a personal estate.
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He added, “we are going to run the state together. We will introduce policy oriented government as well as an all inclusive government.We will introduce policies that will ensure that people are on board to support us in our manifesto”.
He said “if elected governor in the 2023 general elections, i will reduce taxes from companies and put more money on the people. The tax burden in the state has made many companies in the state to leave.
“Government, he pointed out should not use taxes as major source of revenue generation. We need new money to come to the state through new investment and friendly tax policies. We will look at the tax regime and reduce company taxes for people to have value for their money”.
“SDP is a movement that is greater than a political party that is out to restore Cross River State.We have people across board. Our ideology will center on revamping our tourism, education, rural development, social Infrastructure,and security”.
