Otti poised to industrialize Abia as he receives investors from USA, China and Brazil

From Henrietta Ashikodi, Umuahia…

The Governor of Abia state, Dr Alex Otti says all his government is doing is to make the environment conducive for new investments as well as to bring back investments that left the state in the past.

Governor Otti stated this while receiving in audience a delegation of investors from USA, China and Brazil led by the CEO of Comfort Stevens, Dr John Nwankwo who came to introduce to the Governor, their large scale industrial footwear project which is slated to be commissioned in Owerrinta in Isialangwa south by December.

The Governor who assured that his government will support the company in realizing its objectives of completing its footwear production company in Owerrinta, said he will always allign with projects geared towards meeting his agenda of providing job opportunities for the teaming unemployed Abia populace.

“I want to congratulate you for not giving up and I’m happy that you have gotten to this level that you are hopeful of commissioning by December”

“If there’s anything that we can do to support you to make that December a reality, please don’t hesitate to ask”

The Governor while underscoring the importance of local manufacturing, noted that no country has ever developed on the back of consumption of imported products without production.

The Abia state Chief Executive disclosed that one of the major things his government was doing was to attract new investors through favourable policies ,adding that supporting the Geometric power company to come on stream and the dualization of the Imo River-Umuikaa-Umuene road were all geared towards industrialization of the state.

The Governor expressed joy that one of the company’s plans was to train and up-skill existing local shoe manufacturers in Aba and promised the readiness of the
Government to partner the company in that regard.

“The major problem a lot of them have is finishing. Alot of them are impatient a lot of them don’t have the right tools, alot of them don’t have the right skills so it would be interesting you have Comfort Stevens double as not just products but also as a training and finishing school for our young ones because there are alot of them”

“Go to shoe plaza and see what the young men and women are doing there with bare hands you’ll understand that if you introduce them to technology, they will give much more” Otti said.

Earlier in his presentation, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer of Comfort Stevens, Dr John Nwankwo who said they are setting up a fifteen thousand daily footwear production capacity factory in Owerrinta, announced that the factory will be ready for commissiong December this year.

He said that the mission of the company with its partners from US,China and Brazil is to produce quality footwears that can compete favourably in the global market, adding that machines for the production of quality footwears and its components have arrived it’s site in Owerrinta for installation by next month.

Dr Nwankwo congratulated Governor Alex Otti for his impactful one year in office and the unimaginable progress that has taken place under his watch which is an eloquent testimony of the Governor’s sincerity of purpose and passion towards the industrialization of the state.

The visit of the team was facilitated by the Speaker Abia House of Assembly Rt Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa while the Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and industry Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu , Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and industry Chief Nwaka Inem among other government functionaries were present during the visit.