Akpabio: N’Assembly Will Give Tinubu Legislative Support to Resuscitate  Moribund Firms

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has assured Nigerians that with the cooperation of the National Assembly, the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government will implement policies that will promote the speedy resuscitation of moribund industries across the nation. 

Akpabio, who is representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, gave the assurance when he visited his predecessor in office, Senator Chris Ekpenyong.

The nation’s industrial sector has not fared well in the last few decades because most, if not all the firms, had gone moribund. 

Some of the moribund firms are the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill, Textile Industries, Nigeria Paper Mill, Nigeria Sugar Company and many others that had the capacity to engage more than two million youths.

The development had in turn brought about increased unemployment, leaving the youth vulnerable to criminal elements who are available to recruit them to fester vices including insecurity.

But Akpabio said the 10th Senate, as currently constituted, would be ready to do all within its powers to support the resuscitation of these industries. 

He said: “With the way the president has been exercising his mandate in the last 20 days, I am very confident that hitherto moribund and abandoned industries across the country would be given due attention.

“We should be able to revamp them so as to provide jobs and business opportunities for our teeming youths.

“We would pass the relevant laws that would make the industries come alive for the benefit of the unemployed youth and the economic growth of our country.”

The chairman of the National Assembly, during the visit, was reacting to demands by the former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State that urgent actions be taken on the several abandoned industries in the country.

Akpabio also used the occasion to  thank Ekpeyong for his contributions and support during his campaign which led to his emergence as the President of the 10th Senate.

He said: “I am here today to thank you on behalf of the Stability Group for the support you gave to us during our consultations for the office of the President of the 10th Senate. 

“Not minding the fact that you are a Peoples Democratic Party member, you rose in support of my aspiration despite our political differences.

“Your support went a long way into ensuring victory for us. Politics is over, we have put behind us all our differences and this is the time to work for the people.

“I am an apostle of politics without bitterness. I have put behind me all that happened in the past because we need to run an all inclusive administration where the interest of Nigerians would be paramount in whatever actions we take.”

Ekpenyong commended the Senate President and his colleagues for the visit.

He said: “I am a fulfilled and happy man today because the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district has produced the number three citizen of this country. Let us put behind our political differences  and work for our people and Nigeria. 

” I congratulate you on your well deserved victory. It is a dream come true and I am happy this is happening in my life time.”

Ekpenyong called on the government to ensure that industries like the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, and Oku Iboku Paper Mill in Akwa Ibom State, among numerous others, are revamped and put into use for national economic growth. 

A former governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, noted that with the leadership of Senator Akpabio in the 10th Senate, Nigeria would be stabilized economically.