The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has called on the Federal Government to make Innoson Motors a national brand.
Innoson Motors is the first indigenous (Nigerian) automobile and bus manufacturing company founded by Innocent Chukwuma and runs a plant in Nnewi in the state of Anambra.
According to the press statement made available to Lanre News and signed by the President-General of the group, Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem, the group said; ” The chairman/CEO of Innoson Motors, Chief (DR) Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma has provided employment for our teeming youths, women, men and has enhanced Nigeria’s earnings through his establishment.”
The statement in full;
We call on the federal government to make vehicles and cars manufactured by Innoson motors a national official brand that will be used by all government offices, agencies, corporate bodies, industries and parastatals in the country.
Having succeeded in manufacturing Jeeps, cars and vehicles that can compete favourably at the international market, we believe is time to support and encourage our own made in Nigeria cars in order to reduce excessive importation of cars and vehicles from other countries that has caused the country unfavourable balance of payment.
As we all know, excessive importation of goods and services into the country destroys the economy of our nation as local firms will be out of business and the resultant effect will be unemployment of Nigerian citizens and economic depression.
But when we encourage local manufacturers and entrepreneurs, we have a robust economy that will create more employment opportunities for Nigerian citizens.
The chairman/CEO of Innoson Motors, Chief (DR) Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma has provided employment for our teeming youths, women, men and has enhanced Nigeria’s earnings through his establishment. He has solved the country’s myriad of problems by providing jobs and employment for its citizens.
His business has greatly reduced crime in the society as youths who would have been induced in crime because of lack of job are gainfully employed in his establishment.
To promote products of Innoson motors is the promotion of made in Nigeria goods which is one of next level agenda of this administration.
If we must fix the economy, the federal government must support and strengthen local investors and manufacturers to stand and compete favourably in the international market.
We cannot be using cars and vehicles manufactured by other countries, pay taxes and excise duties for buying those vehicles and expect the economy to grow.
The balance of payment will be unfavourable when we buy more from other countries without also exporting enough goods and services to other countries.
Nigerians who left the country to South Africa and were being killed and humiliated, left because the country’s economy is in a bad shape. They had to leave for greener pastures outside the country.
We should learn from the Ghana experience of an economic downturn in the 1980s and how the country reinvigorated its economy. They did the magic by paying and patronising what is produced in their own country.
With the serious commitment of the federal government and its citizens to encourage local manufacturers and investors, we are confident that the economy will bounce back.
Sole dependant on only oil as our major source of revenue is very dangerous to the economy and it must be discouraged. Now that a Nigerian company has succeeded to manufacturing Jeeps and other vehicles that can compete favourably in the international market, he should be encouraged in other to yield more revenue to the federal and state governments.
We commend the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for purchasing large number of vehicles from Innoson Motors for security agencies in Enugu state. What the governor did is commendable and we call on other governors to emulate him.
The Anambra State House of Assembly members who insisted to use Jeeps manufactured by Innoson motors as their official cars are quite commendable.
We, therefore, call on the federal government to look into adopting Vehicles manufactured by Innoson motors critically in order to save the economy from balance of payment deficit in the future.
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