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RSG Hails Indorama, Woos Investors
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described the new fertilizer plant of the Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (IEPCL) in Eleme Local Government Area, as a clear testimony that the state is a safe haven for multi-billion dollar investments.
Speaking at the Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited on Monday after a facility tour of the urea plant of the new subsidiary, Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Company Limited, Wike called on investors to seize the opportunities that abound in the state to do their business.
He said: “Rivers State is a safe place for investors to commit their funds for profits.
“For the company to develop the world’s largest single urea fertiliser plant, build an 83-kilometre gas pipeline and set in place a big manufacturing concern in three years, shows that this state is the business hub of the country”.
According to him, for the company to expend about $3 billion across five local government areas in the state to develop production facilities, proves that all the reports about insecurity are sponsored propaganda.
Promising that his administration will continue to provide the enabling environment for investors to thrive, the governor pointed out that the state government will partner with Indorama to build a sustainable small and medium scale enterprises hub for Rivers people to benefit.
He described the new Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Company Limited as, “a right investment in the right environment”.
The governor called on the company to improve on the employment of indigenes into management positions for more fruitful relationship with host communities.
He directed the state attorney-general and the special adviser on investment to work out details on the partnership structure between Indorama and the state government.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited, Mr Manish Mundra, said that the company was a success story of public private partnership (PPP).
He said that over the years, the company has paid $34 million to the Federal Government and $23 million to the Rivers State Government.
He added that with the presence of the company, Nigeria has saved $659 million that would have been used for importation.
Wike was accompanied on the inspection by some members of the State Executive Council, and other top government functionaries.
The Tide reports that the Federal Government, Rivers State Government and the Eleme community have equity stakes in the multi-billion dollar world-class petrochemicals facility, which has continued to report huge annual profits since its acquisition by Indorama Group in 2006.
It would be recalled that the facility, hitherto owned and managed by a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL), was initially moribund and abandoned before the Indorama Group acquired, refurbished and turned around the huge complex into a profitable PPP venture.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.