Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on New Media, Mr. Leo Ekene Oketa, has faulted claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate that Ebonyi State lacks laws and regulations protecting investors and investments.
Oketa, in a statement issued, described the claim as inaccurate, urging political actors and other stakeholders to properly research issues before making public assertions about the state.
According to him, Ebonyi State has a legal framework specifically designed to promote investment, protect investors and regulate concessions.
He cited the Ebonyi State Investment Promotion, Investors’ Protection, Concession and Regulatory Commission Law, No. 002 of 2019, which he said provides a statutory framework for investment promotion, investor protection, concessions and regulation in the state.
The law is listed among the state’s official laws and public records. Ebonyi State’s published records also include an Investment Approval Process, a guide on access to credit, right-of-way procedures and grievance-redress mechanisms for businesses and investors.
Oketa also referred to the Ebonyi State Law No. 002 of 2022, which, according to him, provides for the protection of certain estates and investments in the state and the management of critical and strategic government infrastructure by the private sector.
He noted that the two pieces of legislation predated the present administration, stressing that they were enacted when Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru was Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
“These are not campaign promises. They are laws of Ebonyi State,” Oketa said, arguing that the existence of the laws contradicts the claim that investors have no legal protection in the state.
Beyond the legal framework, Oketa pointed to ongoing production activities as evidence of industrial investment in Ebonyi.
He cited Ebonyi State Pipes Production Limited, saying government budget records show investments in PVC pipe production, including the procurement of extrusion lines, pipe-production machinery and other equipment. The state’s published budget documents contain specific allocations for the company and its production equipment.
The 2025 budget records, for instance, list investments in a 162mm PVC pipe extrusion line, a polypropylene random pipe (PPR) extrusion line and HDPE production machinery for Ebonyi State Pipes Production Limited.
Oketa further mentioned the Ebonyi State Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited, as well as other building-material and small- and medium-scale industrial initiatives, as part of the state’s efforts to expand local production.
He argued that government infrastructure projects could also provide markets for locally manufactured materials, creating a link between public investment and industrial production.
According to Oketa, the investment story in Ebonyi extends beyond government-owned enterprises, noting that private businesses established by indigenes of the state, including media organisations and other enterprises, are also operating within the state.
He therefore maintained that the debate should focus not only on the existence of laws but also on how government, private investors and indigenous entrepreneurs can work together to expand industrial activity, create jobs and grow the state’s economy.
“If someone genuinely believes Ebonyi has enormous investment potential but has stayed away because of an alleged absence of investment-protection laws, then the record shows that those laws existed even before the present administration came into office,” he said.
Oketa urged Ebonyians and other prospective investors to consider the opportunities available in the state, rather than allowing political disagreements to obscure what he described as the state’s existing legal and investment framework.
He said the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru would continue to promote an environment where public infrastructure, private capital and indigenous enterprise could contribute to economic development.
On the 2027 elections, Oketa expressed support for Governor Nwifuru’s bid for a second term, saying he expected Ebonyians to support the governor and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
