By Godfrey Ofurum
Ibeto Cement plant, shut down by government for many years, holds within it thousands of jobs for the people of the South East and Iyke Uzukwu, an Nnewi based concerned analyst wants the federal government to reopen the cement manufacturer to release these jobs to the people of the geopolitical zone.
Speaking in Nnewi, Anambra State, he also called on the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo to add its voice to the issue of Ibeto Cement factory.
He said: “If President Buhari could, without further delay, order the reopening of Ibeto Cement factory to begin operations, the impression that Igbo are being hated and marginalised will be erased.
“President Buhari is the father of all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic nationalities. I and, indeed, Ndigbo plead with him to reopen the factory that has remained closed for a long time now.
“An average Igboman is worried, because we know that the factory would have before now created jobs for over 50,000 Nigerians, including the Igbo, if it had remained open.
“Ohaneze should not only dissipate its energy on Igbo political repositioning in Nigeria without looking inwards to talk about a matter like that of reopening of Ibeto Cement factory,” he said.
Uzukwu further urged Ohaneze Ndigbo to explain to President Buhari the importance of immediately reopening the factory, just as he called for an enabling environment for industries in the South East to thrive.
“South East industrialists should be helped to have access to industrial gas as an alternative to power supply for ease of manufacturing and functionality of Nnewi industrial cluster, as well as other factories scattered across the South-East zone.
“Boosting the products of the Eleme Petrochemical industry will in turn help the industrial clusters in the South East,” he added.
He praised President Muhamadu Buhari’s effort in constructing and completing the second Niger Bridge on record time, which he said past governments failed to achieve.
He also commended the minister for works, Babatunde Fashiola, for being instrumental in the construction of the bridge, stressing that the singular achievement had proved wrong insinuation in certain quarters that Buhari hated the Igbo.
