By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA– Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has asked the Nigerian Navy to patronize Igbo made products to boost the country’s poor economic situation, which had been relying on foreign goods.

Ikpeazu who made the call while receiving a delegation from both the Naval headquarters, Abuja, and the Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics College, Owerri-nta, Abia State, said that the drive for patronage of locally made products was aimed at increasing the desire of “Nigerians to buy Nigeria, enjoy Nigeria and live Nigeria.”

He said that most countries which had found themselves in serious economic situations always looked inwards for solutions adding that there was every need for Nigerians to patronize what they produced locally. He lamented that some people buy made in Aba products, take them overseas and bring them back as goods produced in Europe.

Ikpeazu introducing made-in-aba productions to a delegation of Nigerian Navy

Ikpeazu said, “Since the past one year, we have engaged ourselves in promoting both made in Aba and made in Nigeria products. As far as we are concerned, made in Aba has assumed a global dimension… It is not just about the geographical entity called Aba. Incidentally the leather, shoe and garment industry in this part of Nigeria had existed for so many years; so it did not start today.

“In fact it is on record that some people buy made in Nigeria goods; take them outside Nigeria and then bring them back as items produced in Europe. We do not want to short-change ourselves again. To the glory of God, since our campaign started about a year ago, you now notice that items produced in this environment are now proudly labelled Made in Nigeria.”

The governor commended the Nigerian Navy for its strategic partnership in the protection and economic development of the country, adding that if the Navy patronised made in Aba goods, it would go a long way to enhance the confidence of local producers engaged in producing such products.

Earlier, the Leader of the delegation, Navy Commodore Chris Obinta, had on behalf of the Naval authorities commended the Abia State government for inviting them to discuss partnership for the production of some of their equipment.

Obinta further said that the Naval headquarters sent members of a fact-finding tour of the facilities available and expressed hope that the move will not only achieve optimum operational capacity for the Navy but would also align the Navy’s focus in the right direction in terms of  government’s policy on local content.