Crime reports scaring investors away from Anambra – Pool King CEO

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka

News reports of cultism, kidnapping, and killings from Anambra State has been fingered as one of the factors scaring investors from investing in the state.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pool King Estate, Hon Gabriel Chukwunwendu, disclosed this during his recent birthday celebration in Awka, Anambra State.

He said there is a high rate of negative reports bordering on crime and insecurity being churned out from Anambra state daily, adding that such reports are not even adequately debunked to save the people the fear of returning to their home state to invest.

Chukwunwendu, who marked his birthday amidst pomp and glamour in Awka, on Saturday, while addressing journalists, emphasized the need for a timely debunking of certain security reports for the sake of the image of the state and the curiosity of potential investors.

According to him, “Governor Soludo’s government should try to debunk stories of crime and insecurity that make people afraid of returning home from their abroad base. This would encourage we indigenous developers living outside the state to return home and invest in our dear state.”

The Nnewi-born businessman lauded Governor Chukwuma Soludo for “bringing modern infrastructure home.” According to him, Soludo’s road infrastructural projects have opened up communities making the value of lands in Awka increase.

“If you check three years back, nobody remembers Awka but since he came in, he has done many roads even ones leading to our sites, ” he said.

Hon Chukwunwendu urged the governor to review the tax system of the government to encourage investors to invest in the state.

He said “Government should have mercy on us that are developers because the tax we are paying is much and before we minus and, we have nothing left. We are begging the governor to help us. Some of us returned home because he (the governor) came to Abuja and told us to answer the call of the think-home initiative. Now that we are here, We want him to help us cope with the system.

The Estate merchant gave his view on the devaluation of the naira by the federal government, urging President Bola Tinubu to put more effort into finding out why the naira is losing its value every day.

He suggested that the federal government should control the level of people that are on the black market, stressing that it is the place where the devalued naira is being smuggled.

He said there are indications the federal government would reposition the economy and reminded that Tinubu only came on board when the country was at the slumping point.

“Nigeria is a work in progress because we were taught that before you rebuild, you demolish. So, Tinubu is in the process of demolishing. It is not up to three years since he took over power.
Let us patiently wait to see what he has for us, ” he submitted.