* Gov Ikpeazu and purported team of 30 Shoemakers


The shoemakers hub in Aba, Abia State appears completely out of the picture despite pronouncements by the State Governor  Okezie Ikpeazu that he is bent on revolutionary overhaul of Made in Aba goods, and he has a project to better their lot.

 Gov Ikpeazu recently took first batch of 30 shoemakers from Abia State to China to learn the Chinese technology in shoe making. However,  shoemakers at (Powerline in Ariaria), the major hub in their reaction dismissed the whole affair as another political charade.

 Journalists were at Ariaria International Market  find out if the people who traveled to China were actually the real shoemakers. Here is what transpired.

 When asked, the secretary of the shoemakers association had this to say “as it stands now, this office does not have any representative and we don’t know about the trip. The entire Powerline  does not have any representative on that trip and Powerline is the mother of all shoe making industries in this city.  If there’s anyone going, just know that the person is going based on being close to some government officials not that he was nominated  from this office. For instance, the only person going on that China trip that we know is the treasurer and he’s not going through this office but was delegated by an official in the government.”

 He also said “it is good to let the Governor know that those people going to China are not shoemakers, he may be expecting that the shoe industry will improves when they return, but will be disappointed because those people are not real shoemakers”.
“For instance, I’m the secretary of Shoemakers Association here, and I do not know anything about it. Take me to anywhere, I do not know anything about it. If it is what will cause my death, then so be it because I know that I’ve tried on this planet earth. I will not lie because of anything, those people are not shoemakers, it’s good to let the Governor know”.

 He went on “the only shoemaker that I’ve heard that is among is the former vice chairman of Bakassi and the treasurer, that is the only real shoemaker among them. They made everything secret, I was among the people who had a meeting with the Governor at the Government house. The Governor said that he doesn’t want to monopolize it, that all the States in the South East are delegating people to China. That he wants our people to go there and learn the Chinese technology and bring it back home in order to help us. He said he’s doing it for our own good and we appreciate that but this time around, we don’t know the motive for their selection.” He concluded.
When our reporter called the commissioner of information, Hon. John Okiyi Kalu, he maintained that all the delegates to China were shoemakers. He went further to say that Powerline (though the major shoe hub in Abia state) in Ariaria international market is not the only shoe hub in Aba, Abia State. The commissioner released the names of the 30 trainees who made the first batch to Abia facts Newspaper.

 Credit: Abiafacts newspaper