Covid-19: Address glaring poor health facilities now, Finance expert charges FG, NASS

* admits Our industrialists deserve more patronage, recognition

*as they reduce anti-social conducts through employment

From Chuks Collins , Awka

The National/State Assemblies, the Federal and State Governments have been charged to pursue the law on patronage of Nigerian-made goods/services with added vigour so as to encourage local manufacturers and industrialists to do more and better.

This advice was given at Nnewi yesterday by a frontline governorship aspirant in the coming Anambra 2021 election, Mr TobeOlisa Olih during the celebration of the award of honourary doctorate degrees on three outstanding Anambra born-industrialists- Chief Cletus Ibeto of Ibeto Group, Dr Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson Motors)and Chief Daniel Chukwudozie(Dozzy Oil Group) “for their years of immense contribution to the growth of the nation’s economy and unbridled widespread philanthropy” that have received commendation from many quarters across the country.

Mr Olih also called on the federal and state governments to tackle certain important health infrastructures that the currently ravaging Coronavirus pandemic has exposed were lacking in the country. He said he was personally disturbed that a nation of nearly 200 million citizens lack adequate referral infectious diseases hospital or capacity to tackle the challenge in record space of time.

He therefore appealed to the relevant agencies to immediately begin to put these facilities in place, admitting that there is the will and resources, but that what appeared to the problem was wrong priorities. “This was apparently because the leaders easily go overseas to take care of their health needs, leaving the citizens in pains”, Mr Olih added.

On the issue of poor patronage of locally made products, the Anambra governorship hopeful pointed out that no other nation or nationals will do it for us. He pointed out that in the United Kingdom no official of state was allowed the use of any other car brand other than British made cars. “So why should Nigerian governments at all levels patronize any other vehicle brand when we have Innoson vehicle ranges. We cannot import cement when we have Ibeto and Dangote cement, and grades of oil lubricants manufactured by Dozzy Oil, AZ and Jezco”, he asked rhetorically.

Olih who is a Lagos-based Finance expert and business executive, described Ibeto, Chukwuma and Chukwudozie as giant pacesetters in local manufacturing whose products have individually and collectively put the nation on enviable position on the world map.

He had in an exclusive interview yesterday at Nnewi while celebrating the harvest of doctorate degrees on Chiefs Chukwuma and Chukwudozie by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University(UNIZIK) and the Ebonyi State University on Chief Ibeto said it was honour well deserved.

These three industrialists and other local manufacturers spread across Nigeria have immensely contributed to the nation’s economy, provided millions of direct and indirect employment and livelihood to citizens. They have also donated to educational and health institutions, governments, given out scholarships, built roads, intervened in dire social and economic situations in parts of the nation. These efforts, he admitted were even when the operational terrain had remained harsh and insecure.

Ibeto had disclosed that his cement factory at Nkalagu, Ebonyi state which would roll off soon would provide more than one hundred thousand direct and indirect jobs to citizens. They have endowed academic research chairs in various universities across Nigeria, including the Unizik, Univeristy of Nigeria, Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

Olih has vowed to make education, patronage of local products and harnessing of creativity/talent a priority when he becomes the governor of the state.