Delta businessmen urged to go beyond investing in hotels, gas stations, event centres

Investors and business entrepreneurs in Delta State have been admonished to venture into core industrial areas that will create many employable jobs with a direct and indirect multiplier effect on the indigenes.

The admonition is coming on the heels of investors in Delta who rather focus on the hospitality industry, such as shopping malls, business and event centres, gas stations and petty trading, among others which can only employ a few hands.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sunny Onuesoke, who gave the admonition, described as embarrassing the magnitude with which investors and entrepreneurs in the state focus on such ventures that cannot reduce employment significantly.

“Isn’t it funny that we don’t even have private manufacturing and production factories in Delta State?

“Must it be government and the politicians that we should be looking on to for employable ventures?” he queried.

The former governorship aspirant pointed out that if investors invested in industries like glass factory, breweries, steel and refineries, among others, as it was in the late and early 80s in the state, it will create a multiplier effect in terms of large scale job employment, production of goods and provision of other services for the social-economical development of the state.

Onuesoke stated that if this was done, it would minimize the crime rate and youth restiveness.

“If you go to Lagos or Ogun state, industries or manufacturing companies are sited everywhere which create job opportunities for youths.

“There are different kinds of breweries, manufacturing firms, food industries and mini oil industries. In that case, people hardly depend on politicians or state government to provide jobs for them.

“Unfortunately, in Delta State, people look on to politicians to either become personal assistants, thugs or work in the civil service, at the best.

“If that is not available, they think of working in petrol stations, shops or other miniature jobs that will not create a better living condition for them and their families,” he lamented.

He recalled, with nostalgia, the booming days of moribund Delta Steel Company and the Nigeria Ports Authority in the 70 and 80s which made Warri an industrial hub with large scale employments and improved standard of living, calling for a paradigm shift among investors in the state.

“I think Delta State businessmen who have fund can still re-enact such investment scenario if they want to instead of littering the state with petrol stations, hotels and event centres that are of minimal advantage to the people,” he admonished.

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