By Theo Rays
As Nigerians in all parts of the country continue to face unhealthy economic situations with the cost of living skyrocketing beyond the poor masses, living staff workers/shareholders of the General Cotton Mill (GCM) a large scale textile industry located in the commercial Center of Onitsha have put up a clarion call to the 5 SouthEastern State Governors to bring the textile industry back to life as part of measures to develop and strengthen the economy of the Southeast region
The staff workers who also are shareholders of the industry told journalists during their General Meeting in Onitsha that the industry owned by the 5 States of the SouthEast with not lesser than 4, 000 workers was abruptly closed in 2016 during the administration of former Governor Peter Obi with the property belonging to the industry looted by highly placed people and part of the land habouring the industry( GCM) used to establish the brewery known for producing Hero brand of beer.
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The GCM workers who converge under the umbrella of GCM Trust Fund/GCM Employees Share Trust fund lamented that the unfair closure of GCM did not just brought untold hardship to teaming staff and others like distributors and retail customers but also impacted and is impacting negatively on the economy of the SouthEast indirectly masterminded by Peter Obi’s Administration because according the disgruntled workers who spoke through their Attorney Hon (Mrs) Grace Anaekwe JP popularly know as “Madam Black” that the people of the SouthEast since the process of triangulation of the GCM began,have been heavily patronizing other textile products imported from other parts of Nigeria and foreign countries.
Explaining further, the Madam Black who is Human Rights gladiator and the Attorney of the Staff workers/shareholders stated that the industry was abruptly closed in 2016 without the knowledge of the staff workers/minority share holders who are the life wire of the industry adding that the workers who were also shareholders supposed to have been informed/invited for an Annual General Meeting (AGM) before such decision was taken but nobody invited them for AGM.
Going further Madam Black who was also a director representing Anambra State in GCM added “I was a director in GCM. I emerged as a director after 25 years of doing business with the industry. So I am an insider. The staff workers of the industry were elevated as shareholders in the industry by the founder Mr Loger Lee as a reward for hardwork.
“Unfortunately they couldn’t enjoy the benefit of that reward because they wake up overnight and discovered that the industry was shut down without due process and the liquidation commenced immediately hence, the illegality is being challenged and resisted by staff workers.
“Is it not a big shame that a very large industry and the only established economic hub managed by the 5 States of the Southeast was abruptly shut down? She asked! So we are here for a meeting and following our discussion, we have decided to draw the attention of the sitting Southeast governors to consider taking a bold step to bring the industry back to life particularly at this point when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.
When asked if the land to accommodate the return of the industry has not been taken over completely by the brewery company, Madam Black said that there is still enough land space to accommodate the industry adding that the staff workers/shareholders have written to Governor of Anambra State Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo over the issue and are putting up a clarion call to the rest of the Southeast Governors.
She added that GCM has landed property worth billions including the property demolished by the Lagos State Government wherein Mr Peter Obi condemned as “brazen” and “rascality” the action of the Lagos State Government.
Hon. Grace also called on the Southeast Governors to investigate the Startex International,a foreign company not registered in Nigeria but one of the Shareholders in the GCM that supported the killing of the Company.The drivers and operators of that foreign company based in Pakistan and other places outside Nigeria should be uncovered.
Madam Black also acknowledged the good works of Governor Soludo and prayed for more wisdom and determination to address the injustice which has occupied the Anambra land during the past administrations without redress.
Hon.Mrs. Grace who is also the BOT Chairperson of the Christian Community Welfare Association in Anambra state called on President Tinubu to intervene in the matter for the restoration of the GCM so that the thousands of Nigerian citizens who had been rendered jobless would be restored.
She called on all women and Nigerians, generally to pray for the restoration of peace in Nigeria.
According to Hon Mrs Grace JP , “justice delayed is justice denied” hence quick actions should be taken by the government to minimize the death of many GCM workers who have been rendered jobless for a very long time by the opponents of the textile industry in Eastern Nigeria.
