The General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, has disclosed that workers would only vote candidates committed to industrial development and revival of industries in 2019 general elections.
Aremu, who is also the Labour Party governorship candidate in Kwara state, said this in Lagos during a rally to mark the 40th anniversary of the union.
The labour leader reiterated that Industry is a key driver of sustainable jobs and development for national economies and the foundation of good living standards.
“It does not matter whether it is first industrial revolution, (Industry 1.0), Second Industrial Revolution (2.0) Third Industrial Revolution (Industry 3.0) or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), Nigerians must make what we wear such as clothes and textile, create jobs, save foreign exchange on imports.
“Nigeria must stop exporting raw cottons, crude oil, mineral resources, gold and diamond only to be importing finished goods from China, Europe and America.
“Nigeria has as many as 200 million population.
Millions of youths join the labour market annually without jobs making them voluntary slaves to Europe and America after three hundred years Africa put an end to forced slavery.” According to Aremu, “only industry can provide sustainable jobs and living wages and necessary revenues for government to provide the needed infrastructure for development.” Speaking further, Aremu who is a National Executive Council member of NLC, said Nigeria must work hard to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation.
“Nigeria must innovate and industrialise, Nigeria must copy China’s industrialisation drive which has, within 20 years, moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing and industrialisation.
“We commend the Federal Government of Nigeria for launching the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
Together with the existing National Industrial Revolution Plan, the Plan can promote revival of industries and creation of mass decent jobs.”
