We’re Solidly Behind You, S’East PDP Youth Tell Ekweremmadu

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, in Abuja, pledged the commitment of his administration to restore the ‘good old days’ when the cotton and textile industry employed hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.

The president, according to his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement, made the pledge while receiving the Chief Executive Officer of Vlisco Group, David Suddens, at the Presidential Villa.

He also said Buhari welcomed the proposed investment of $200 million by the company in Nigeria, which, he said in turn, would create 700,000 jobs.

Adesina quoted Buhari as saying, “I am very much aware of your company’s effort especially your investments in the textile industry, and it is one area that we are trying to develop because it will create employment and boost agriculture.

‘’To get cotton to grow again in the country is like going back to the good old days when the textile industry used to employ more than hundreds of thousands of people.

‘’I am very excited about the prospects of reviving the industry because it will keep farmers busy, create employment which brings more security, help the economy, transfer of technology and of course we have a large market to absorb the products.”

Adesina also said the president reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to forging a stronger economic partnership with the Netherlands, assuring the Dutch investor that the Nigerian authorities would continue to do the utmost to keep smugglers at bay at borders.

Furthermore, he said Suddens in his remarks, told the president that the 172-year-old company had planned to use cotton grown in Nigeria for production.

‘’I want a new strategy that brings Vlisco manufacturing to Nigeria. I want to change the supply chain from Asia to Nigeria.

‘’For the total supply chain for cotton, textile and garment industry from weaving, spinning, printing to retail, we want to use Nigeria cotton and we have already started to encourage the creative industries in the country to find a voice and give them a platform across the world.

‘’I am convinced that it is time for the textile industry to move from Asia to Africa, ‘’ he quoted Suddens as saying.

In the same vein, the statement said the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Robert Petri, told Buhari that the company’s visit was a follow-up to his successful visit to the Netherlands in July, during which he met with Chief Executive Officers of Dutch companies.

The South East Youth Wing of the Peoples Democractic Party have strongly condemned the alleged assassination attempt on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, his wife and son, describing it as an attempted to silence leaders of the Igbo race.

Briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting of the states PDP Youth Leaders of the zone in Enugu, the South East PDP Youth Leader, Comrade Chidiebere Egwu said it was unacceptable the purported police report which attributed the invasion to burglary, lamenting that the Deputy Senate President had been victim of similar incidence since he emerged as the Deputy Senate President.

The Youths warned that if the President Muhammadu Buhari did not take practical steps to uncover the sinister motives behind the attack, they would assume that the assassins were sponsored by the federal government.

The Youth Leader urged the police and other security agencies to launch full scale investigation on the incident to avoid future occurrence, lamenting that it was worrisome how all the security operatives attached to residence of the Deputy Senate President were not on ground at the time of the incident.

Egwu said: “We, the South East PDP Youth wing unequivocally condemn in very strong terms the despicable, barbaric and cowardly assassination attempt on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, his wife and son by unscrupulous elements and their desperate sponsors.

“We therefore reject the purported police report which attributed the invasion to mere burglary. The attempt was a continuous political plot to silence Senate Ike Ekweremmadu since he emerged as Deputy Senate President.

“We further state without mincing words that the South East PDP Youths will not take it likely with the APC led government of Nigeria should our appeal to problem the assassination attempt with levity as we would assume that the assassins were sponsored the federal government”.

The Youths however raised the alarm to the International Community on the growing political tension in Nigeria, appealing that they should monitor political activities in the country ahead of the 2019 general election.