‘End to insecurity in Nigeria would boost travel, tourism’

Managing Director/CEO, Pleasure Travels Ltd, Dr Paul Ubwa, has urged the Federal Government to tackle insecurity in the country. He stated that this would boost travel and tourism business in the country.

Ubwa, who is also the President, Benue Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (BECCIMA) and governorship contender for 2023, stated this in Makurdi while interacting with newsmen.

“I feel the Federal Government needs to do more in the area of tackling insecurity, which is the primary mandate of every government. Today, people are afraid to travel because of insecurity and I am sure the Federal Government knows the exact equipment and personnel to use to monitor the situation,” he said.

On his intention to become the next governor of the state, the transportation guru said his driving force into the governorship race is that Benue needs a manager to manage her abundant human and material resources, stating, ‘ I am a manager, trained as a manager and gifted as a manager.”

“I want to see a united Benue, provide security and industrialise the state. First and foremost, let there be unity among the people of Benue State. We need to see each other as potential successor. Nobody should be my enemy and nobody is my enemy.

“So, I will ensure we are united in Benue State. Second, I will provide security, which is the mandate of the government to everybody. Thirdly, I will work on development. If we are together, we have good security and can provide development.”

“By the time we do these (mechanise agriculture), we can feed this country. We can feed the world. Again, there is the need to engage in dry season farming for the state to be able to export. We have the advantage of hosting one of the biggest rivers here that is not properly used. And we all know, Benue’s land is the best in the world as any seed that drops on the soil produces well,” Ubwa stated.

He expressed disgust at the rate of unemployment in the state.

On how Covid-19 pandemic affected the economy, he said the year “2020 was a very tough one for business concerns. He maintained that globally, many lives were lost but thank God that in Africa and in Nigeria, the impact was not as devastating as it was elsewhere.

“There was a loss of jobs. The Federal Government did not get it right in providing palliatives for people to retain their jobs. The procedure for provision of palliatives was not fair if there was any procedure at all. Businesses died, some died completely because they couldn’t restart even as the pandemic has continued to affect the society. Elsewhere, measures were put in place to enable businesses to bounce back,” he lamented.