The Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, has commended the administration of Governor Liyel Imoke for creating a conducive business environment which has turned the state into investors’ haven.
The minister made the commendation in Calabar recently while commissioning ultra-modern integrated feedmills, Eastern Premier Feed Mills Company Limited, a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.
Aganga described Governor Imoke leadership as visionary, business friendly and proactive; such attributes, he said have encouraged investors to do business in the state.
“I commend Governor Liyel Imoke for operating a business friendly environment for investors.  In the last three years, they have always had something fantastic to say about the state and its people. I cannot thank you enough for creating such environment in the country”, he said.
“General Electric went round the country in search of where to establish its business but finally chose to invest in Calabar and I am happy they are investing more money in a technical school to train the young ones in line with it’s capacity needs to support its multi-billion dollars investment in the state”, Aganga added.
According to him, the country was witnessing tremendous growth under the present administration through its various policies and reforms to stimulate the industrial sector, adding that the industrial revolution plan was aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation, diversify its economy as well as increase revenue.
“We cannot only depend on oil because the nation has a large expanse where everything can grow and we cannot become rich if we must remain the eighth oil producing nation in the world, and we should not only produce raw materials but also be involved in production and processing”.
The minister also lauded Flour Mills for being one of the first to key into the industrial revolution plan by investing in various businesses to create employment in many parts of the country.
In his speech, Governor Imoke said the commissioning was a celebration of confidence which the investors have in the local economy which shows that Nigeria is not only safe and good to do business but has opportunities to do business.
“I am excited that Flour Mills will increase its investments in the state, and in few years, Cross River will become Chicken Republic.  I appreciate the President because what we are seeing today is a realisation of his transformation agenda to turn Nigeria into the largest economy in Africa”, he said.
The governor explained that the state, through its policy, has created the right environment to become investors’ haven to attain the status of a key destination through PPP, saying that “we do not only want to be investors’ haven but also the next industrial hub in Nigeria”.
The Chairman, Flour Mills Plc, Mr John G. Coumantaros, said that the mill is the largest in Sub-Sahara Africa with capacity to create 1000 direct and indirect jobs with the hope of turning Cross River into a “Chicken Republic”, adding that its products are intended to produce biggest, fattest, most tendering and delicious chickens in Nigeria.
He said the company intends to diversify into other agro-allied-based investments in the state to boost production.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

Cross section of pupils of various primary schools at the workshop on Safe Routes to school, child road safety initiative in Port Harcourt on Monday.