An industrialist, Mr Innocent Chukwuma, says unless the nation embarks on aggressive industrialisation, unemployment rate will continue to increase.

Chukwuma, Chief Executive of Innoson Group of Companies, said this on Friday in Enugu when Assembly Committee on Commerce and Industry paid him a courtesy visit as part of their oversight function.

He decried the use of youths as political thugs, praise singers and hangers-on and urged politicians to rather advise them to learn a trade to become self-reliant. He said the desire to empower and develop the youths motivated him to establish industries against building residential estates, petrol stations or hotels.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Assembly Committee, Mr Mathew Ugwueze, said they were in the industry to familiarise themselves with him, know his problems and seek areas of mutual relationship.

Ugwueze commended him for the achievements recorded so far and gave the assurance that as lawmakers they would not make any law that would jeopardise his operation in the state.

Minister of Trade & Investment, Olusegun Aganga

The Leader of the Assembly, Mr Sunday Ude-Okoye, described the industrialist as ‘a good investor’ who had provided employment opportunity for youths in the state.

He urged other industrialists to invest in the South-East to create employment for the unemployed and avoid the “pull him down syndrome.” Ude-Okoye noted that time had come when legislative business should be conducted in local languages as part of efforts to revive local languages.