Imo reviving moribund industries to create 300,000 jobs — Uzodinma

. . . Identifies unemployment, refusal by politicians to accept defeat as major causes of insecurity in Nigeria

Imo State government says it has started the process of revamping moribund industries that would create job opportunities for over 300,000 youths in the state.

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, said the measure was to tackle the twin problems of Unemployment, and by extension, insecurity, in the state.

Senator Uzodimma who spoke when he received members of the Course 30 of the National Defence College, Abuja, on study tour of the State, paid him a working visit at the Government House, Owerri, on Thursday, identified unemployment and political gang-up as two key elements fueling insecurity in the country.

According to the Governor, both factors, which are also linked to poverty, can be dealt with if concerted efforts were made at providing employment for the teeming unemployed youth and if politicians accept defeat in good faith after election.

Addressing the team led by Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies, Major-Gen. Emeka Victor Onumajuru, at the new Executive Chamber of Government House, Owerri, Governor Uzodimma informed his guests that his administration was making modest efforts to revive moribund industries in the state to engage the teeming, jobless youths.

He told his visitors that government has trained and empowered over 20,000 Imo youths, paid debt of over N1.3 billion to recover Imo Standard Shoes Industries abandoned for many years, preparatory to resuscitating the industry as major employment tool.

Also, he announced that government has recovered the Imo State Ceramic Industry, the Nsu Tiles and has entered into partnership over Adapalm to shore up its activities as a value chain with the hope of generating over 300,000 jobs. “No doubt, these are the only way the State can engage young men and women in paid employment,” he said.

Governor Uzodinma said because Imo boasts of the largest oil palm plantation in the country: the Adapalm, his administration resolved to boost human capital development and within a short period, established two Universities: University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo and Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University in Ideato South Local Government Area.

“The University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences is established to harness the several agricultural potentials of the State into industrial hub that will employ the youths of Imo State and at the same time provide them with skills and technical knowhow in agriculture,” Governor Uzodinma said.

He added that when all the businesses, industries and firms are harnessed, many of the youths would be gainfully employed while others would be assisted to start their own businesses and even employ others. “This will make the issues of insecurity to be a thing of the past,” the Governor said.

On the issues that led to insecurity in Imo, the Governor said that “the causes are a combination of activities of bandits and political gang-ups, masterminded by politicians who ruled the State in the past and refused to accept defeat from 2019 election.”

He regretted that politicians have learnt to take advantage of the vulnerability of unemployed young men and women, most of who are impoverished, to cause diverse problems of which, lately, insecurity was one, not just in Imo State, but the society at large.

For Imo State in particular, he said the climax of insecurity was the recent infiltration of Owerri Correctional Centre by bandits who forcefully set free over 1,800 inmates that found their way into the street to continue with their nefarious criminal activities.

Senator Uzodinma thanked the participants for their choice of Imo for the study; and for deeming it fit to show solidarity with his government despite insinuations of large-scale insecurity in the State.

The Governor assured his guests that Imo State was now peaceful and lauded the role and resilience of security agencies in dealing with insecurity, especially those who paid the supreme price in the process of securing the state.

He stressed that the fight against insecurity requires joint and concerted efforts by all the States in the country and the Federal Government, emphasizing that “insecurity in one State or Zone will, no doubt, snowball into insecurity in other States and Zones.”

Giving a brief history of the creation of Imo State in 1976, the landmarks, population and resource base, the Governor noted that palm oil has remained a major source of livelihood as “it is produced in virtually all communities in Imo State.”

Earlier in his speech, Major-Gen. Onumajuru, said the visit was part of the Participants’ Study Tour and that the essence was for the participants to “understand the socio-political conditions and environment of the entire country, Nigeria.”

He said to achieve the above, the Course participants would cover the entire country in six States where each of the six teams would make a presentation of what they observed, experienced and gathered from the different parts of the country at the end of the tour.

Major- Gen. Onumajuru told the audience that the theme of their tour is: “Countering Insecurity: The Whole of the Society Approach to Enhancing Human Security.”

He expressed gratitude that what the Governor told them would enhance their knowledge and impact on the research they have come to carry out during their tour, particularly as it concerns Imo State.

He said from what they have heard, Governor Uzodimma has committed a lot to secure the state and was still not relenting in ensuring adequate security of lives and property of the people of Imo State.

However, for further improvement on the gains recorded, the participants suggested the need to engage more stakeholders, faith-based organizations, Civil Society Organisations, as well as good-spirited individuals to contribute their quota for a peaceful Imo State and Nigeria, in general.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, revealed that Major-Gen. Onumajuru was accompanied on the visit by the Team Leader, Brig-Gen A. B. Mohammad and other Principal Military Officers of the National Defence College.

Also present were the Commandants of the Armed Forces of the Army, Navy and Air force in Imo Sate.

Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku; Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Paul Emeziem; the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Cosmas Iwu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, and other members of the Executive Council joined Governor Uzodimma to receive the guests.