I’ll bring back modern textile, ceramics industries in Abia — Alex Otti

Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Dr Alex Otti, has promised to bring back the Aba textile mills and the ceramics industries in Aba and Umuahia, respectively if he emerges Governor of the state in 2023.

Otti, who stated this in Umuahia while addressing a group of Abia Professionals in Umuahia, disclosed that he is committed to pursuing an industrialization policy that will create employment for the youths and improve the economy of the state.

He explained that the Aba Textile Mills in Aba and the Modern ceramics, in Umuahia, were the highest employers of labour in their days and would be revived to provide jobs for youths.

Otti further disclosed that he commissioned a study which discovered the various solid minerals deposited in all the local government areas of the state and vowed to exploit them for the development of the state.

“While I was growing up, Aba Textile was there. It was one of the highest employers of labour at that time. Today, where is Aba Textile Mills? It is gone. The cotton, textile and garment industries account for 30 million jobs in India. 67% of the GDP of Bangladesh is accounted for by the textile industry. Pakistan is about 80%. There were at least 200 textile mills in Nigeria, but there are only about 28 now. How do you create jobs? I know how to do it. I will bring back more modern Aba textile mills. We used to have modern ceramics in Umuahia. We have the raw materials for ceramics at Ohiya in Umuahia South LGA and people are mining it. We had Lever Brothers, PZ, Bata, Lennards, International Equitable Association, International Glass Industry, metallurgical complex and others. They are all gone.

“Responsible governments support businesses and industries even if they use government money. This is what my administration will do to create jobs for the youth and improve the economy of the state.

“We commissioned a study and found that Ikwuano has lignite (brown coal) in commercial quantities. It is the purest and cleanest type of coal. It is used to fire turbines for electricity from Umuahia to Arochukwu. We have phosphate for fertilizer. We can have a fertilizer industry in Bende. In Umunneochi LGA; you have a bed of solid minerals in Leru and Lekwesi areas.

“We will also ensure we exploit these raw materials to set up these industries. We are not going to export anything in its crude form, we are going to finish them and export the final products. Industrialization is key in our agenda,” he said.