Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has urged youths in Bayelsa State communities to shun hostile activities that will scare away investors if the state must be developed.
Jonathan advised them to always work in collaboration with the traditional institutions of their various communities, rather than becoming obstacles to the development brought to them by investors.
He made the plea during the groundbreaking ceremony of the ERASKON Integrated manufacturing complex and lubricant product launch, in Gbarain Community of Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
Jonathan, who commended the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for creating the enabling environment for investors to invest massively in the state, said, “I remember when we first started, this part of Bayelsa was the rural part of the whole Rivers State, and see what we have today, for the state to grow we need to attract investors”
“The short time I was governor, I spoke with a lot of Nigerian investors to come invest in the state, and even offer some inducement to them if they can come and invest in the state, because the only way you can create jobs for citizens of the state is to industrialise. They all refused after given reasons on how they won’t get their returns.
“I knew that one day, they will come and invest to open up the state, and that is what we are witnessing today. Diri is a lucky person.
“And also Engr. Wabote, thank you. I am pleased with what is happening today.
In his remark, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board,
Engr. SIMBI WABOTE, stated that the groundbreaking was another very important milestone in the push of NCDMB to deepen local content and reduce importation of products we could produce locally.
He emphasised that Nigeria currently consumes about 250million liters of engine oils per annum and this consumption grows at more than 5% every year due to the addition of new vehicles and machineries.
“The in-country blending capacity has remained constant at about 150 million liters showing a shortage of about 100million liters. This shortfall is met by importation of finished lube oil products with the attendant loss of revenue and job opportunities.”
