Tom Chiahemen
By Barbara Kalu –
Ahead of the the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra state, PRIME BUSINESS AFRICA has organised a platform for the leading candidates to address relevant socio-economic issues and defend their unique plans for peace, security and prosperity, especially in view of the rising political tension in the South-East State.
The debate is part of a special edition of the Socio-economic and Entrepreneurship Development Series (SEEDS Special), which is a monthly webinar organised by the news medium to provide insights on resolving major economic, political, security, technological and financial challenges in Africa and the rest of the world.
The last edition of the programme was held on October 26, 2021, with the theme: COVID-19: Business and Economic Recovery in Africa, with former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, as Keynote speaker.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Newstide Publications and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Prime Business Africa, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, “as the people of Anambra elect a new governor on November 6, it has become imperative to bring the governorship candidates together and address relevant socio-economic issues as candidates defend their unique plans for peace, security and prosperity, especially in view of the rising political tension in Anambra State.”
He noted that the Southeast has, in recent months, experienced flashes of unrest as separatist movements threatened to disrupt the elections and continue to protest the arrest of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Mbamalu hinted that eight governorship candidates were contacted to take part in the two-hour interactive debate scheduled to begin live on ZOOM at 7 pm (West African time) on Saturday, October 30.
They include Chief Ben Etiaba of the Action Alliance (AA); Chief Akachukwu Nwakpo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Senator Andy Uba of the All-Progressives Congress (APC); Professor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA); Dr Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Dr Obinna Uzoh of the Social Democratic Party (SDP);
Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party (YPP); and Dr Obiora Okonkwo of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The event will be anchored by a senior fellow of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Business School, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, mni, who is a Public Communications and Business Strategy consultant, a Life coach and a public speaker of immense repute.
Dr Ikechukwu was Head of Communications, Federal Ministry of Education between August 2006 and July 2007 and has served in the editorial boards of some of Nigeria’s leading news publications. He was also a Special Assistant in the Federal Ministry of Transport, and Chief of Staff in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture between September 2003 and April 2005.
Joining Dr Ikechukwu to anchor the debate on Saturday is Prof. Nduka Otiono, a writer, Associate Professor of African Studies and English, and Graduate Program Supervisor at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University.
Prof. Otiono is the author and co-editor of several books of creative writing and academic research. Prior to turning to the academia, he was, for many years, a journalist in Nigeria, General Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors, founding member of the Nigerian chapter of UNESCO’s Committee on Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage, and founding member of the Board of the $100,000 annual Nigerian Prize for Literature.
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