Aba’s automated shoe factory will address youth unemployment, says Ikpeazu

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia says the Abia Automated Shoe Factory in Aba will help to address the problem of unemployment and also boost the state’s internally generated revenue.

Ikpeazu said this on Monday when Mrs Bona Fasakin, the Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abia, paid him a visit at the Government House in Umuahia.

He said the automated shoe factory, which would be due for inauguration in December, would help shoe manufacturers in the state to achieve consistency in quality and quantity of their products.

He charged corps members to take their NYSC entrepreneurship programme at the orientation camp seriously.

The governor described trade and commerce as the mainstay of Abia economy, saying that he would be glad if entrepreneurship became part of every corps member in Abia.

He promised to rehabilitate the decaying infrastructure at the Umunna NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Bende Local Government Area of the state.

“I am optimistic that we will achieve top quality infrastructure to ensure that orientation activities are conducted in a conducive environment.

“Part of the money will be released to carryout intervention to check erosion menace, road construction and provide steady power supply,” he said.

Ikpeazu said that the state government would continue to partner NYSC to promote youth development in the state.

Earlier, Fasakin expressed delight over the cordial relationship between the state government and the organisation.

“There is need to constitute a state governing board,” she said, while asking for prompt and regular payment of subventions and state allowance to corps members.

“Erosion is ravaging the camp. There is no power supply in the camp. This might lead to withdrawal of the state’s hosting right,” she said.

Fasakin appealed to the state government to pay urgent attention to the numerous challenges facing the organisation.