To facilitate their oversight duties, new Roxettes Utility Pick-up vans have been given to each of the 24 members of the Abia State House of Assembly.

While handing over the vehicles to the lawmakers through the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, Governor Alex Otti, said he did so in fulfillment of his promise of providing operational vehicles to the lawmakers.

He said that the vehicles were produced in Abia State by an indigene of Umunneochi, whose factory is in Obuaku, Ukwa West Council, adding that the road leading to the factory would soon be completed.

He said: “I promised that I was going to make an operational truck available to each of you for your oversight functions. I have a policy of patronising indigenous manufacturers of anything if they are available. It’s only when we don’t have things produced here that we need, that we go elsewhere for them.”

Otti said this is in line with his administration’s commitment to patronise indigenous products. He maintained that indigenous manufacturers should upscale the quality of their products to encourage local patronage.

The governor added that efforts are being made to boost the confidence of indigenous manufacturers.

“These vehicles were assembled in Abia by Roxettes with a workshop already in place in Ohiya, in Umuahia, while the factory is in Ukwa.

“We see a lot of improvement in indigenous products, particularly in Aba. What we are doing with them now is encouraging them to be bold enough to write their names on them instead of branding them with foreign names.