|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The first fully automated made-in-Aba shoe will hit the market before the end of the first quarter of 2019, says Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.
Ikpeazu, who is seeking re-election to Abia Government House, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made this claim on Thursday, in Aba, at the presentation of his manifesto to the Aba business community.
He explained that the promotion of Aba-made-goods is yielding fruit, as the Export and Import Bank (NEXIM) recently sponsored five shoemakers on exhibition to Cairo, Egypt.
According to him, “If NEXIM can come to Nigeria and Aba to select shoemakers for exhibition in Cairo, it is a function of the marketing that we have done in Aba.
To ensure constant power supply in Aba and environs, Ikpeazu, explained that his administration has attracted an investment of $136 million, to enable Geometric Power Limited, promoters of the independent power plant at Osisioma, Aba to function.
“Consequently, sooner than later, Geometric Power Limited will come on stream and Aba will have constant power supply.
“Today, I will say that under my watch the military ordered 50,000 pairs of shoes from Ariaria shoe cluster. If one pair of shoes is N10,000, which is N500 million in the hands of shoemakers in that cluster”.
Through marketing also, he explained that his administration was able to bring the incumbent vice president, Yomi Osinbajo, to Aba on three occasions, to see artisans in Ariaria, stressing that the Federal Government’s decision to build a dedicated power plant in Ariaria is to support locally produced goods in that business corridor.
“And after one of the visits, the Vice President, gave an executive order, asking every person that is doing procurement in Nigeria to first make sure that they patronise made-in-Nigeria and what he meant by that is for them to patronise made-in-Aba goods.
Ikpeazu, who is impressed with the skill and enterprise of Aba artisans, stated that his dream is for shoemakers in Aba to produce shoes for the military of some countries in West Africa and other African countries.
Andy Uba Obasi, president Aba Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) earlier in his address, urged the Governor to ensure adequate power supply in Aba, noting that inadequate power supply is the bane of industries in the area.
He also urged him to resolve the imbroglio between Geometric Power Limited and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to enhance the development of the State.
The ACCIMA president, who was impressed with Ikpeazu’s Aba renewal policy, however appealed to him to quicken the maintenance of roads and drainages in Aba.
GODFREY OFURUM, Aba
