Skip to main content

Residents protest asset-stripping at Oku Iboku Paper Mill

Etim Ekpimah, Uyo
INDIGENES of Oku Iboku community in Akwa Ibom State have protested against what they perceive as asset-stripping of Oku Iboku Pulp and Paper Mill by Negris Group, an indigenous engineering company servicing the energy and industrial sectors.
The people, who took the protest to Itu Paramount Ruler palace, claimed that since the Negris Group took over the mill, the firm had resorted to asset-stripping instead of adding value to the mill.
One of the protesters and community leader, Dr. Demson Ekong, on Monday, listed the items that had been sold out as 22 Isuzu logging trucks, caterpillar; D7, D8, grader, bucker loader, mountain loggers, shredder and excavator.
Other items, according to the aggrieved community member, are central air-conditioner; tower crane; mobile wielding machines; 500KVA Cummins generator.
Ekong said, “The company that bought the Oku Iboku Pulp and Paper Mill for many years has not done anything about the company other than resort to asset-stripping.
“Negris has sold out dozens of equipment and it keeps on promising us that the following month, the mill will be reactivated for operation. This keeps going on like that and nothing has happened.
“Many families and workers that depended on the paper mill have died. The government is insensitive; insensitive in the sense that liquidation does not imply asset-stripping, insensitive in the sense that the FG gave Negris Group order to reactivate and operate the mill within five years.”
He said the community had given Negris or the FG two months to reactivate the mill or face the risk of a shutdown of the mill while the entire estate would be turned to a farmland by the community.
The engineering consultant to the organisation, Mr. Imo Ekaette, said the community had a right to protest following the delay in reactivating the mill.
He, however, denied the asset-stripping allegation, adding that he had an inventory of the entire equipment of the company.
Ekaette explained that some assets were already obsolete, adding that assets replacement by the group should not be seen as stripping.
“I have told the community that there are no asset-stripping in the company. Some of the assets Negris acquired are obsolete. Some manufacturers of these assets have folded up and spare parts are not even available for them.
“If replacement is the asset-stripping, I don’t understand it. I have inventory of all the assets in the mill. The community has a right to protest because of the delay in reactivating the mill, even I, myself; I am affected.
“The mill was supposed to generate employment for the teeming youths in the area, I sympathise with them,” the engineering consultant to Negris added.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nollywood actress, Omoge Campus, is dead

Aisha Abimbola, a.k.a Omoge Campus Nollywood actress, Aisha Abimbola, popularly known as Omoge Campus, has died. She reportedly died in a Canadian hospital. The cause of death was still speculative as at he time of filing this report. Her colleague, Bisola Badmus, broke the news of her death on her Instagram page; while ace actor, Saheed Balogun, also confirmed it to our correspondent on the phone on Wednesday morning. See Bisola Badmus’ IG post announcing the death: Other colleagues of the deceased like Ronke Odusanya, Biodun Okeowo, and Odunlade Adekola, have expressed shock over the loss of their colleague. See their posts below: Abimbola who studied Catering and Hotel Management at the Lagos State Polytechnic first featured in TV series, Papa Ajasco. She came into limelight on the back of a Bola Igida movie, Omoge Campus. The title of the movie stuck to her and became her stage name. The movie was produced in 2001. She produced her own m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arepo: IG deploys policemen, helicopter to flush out vandals

Adelani Adepegba The acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has deployed the Tactical Operation Unit, comprising of the Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Air Surveillance Team to flush out vandals and other criminal elements operating in Arepo and Ibafo areas of Ogun State. Idris said the deployment of the unit in the areas on Thursday was to ensure that normalcy returns to them in record time. A statement on Friday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, quoted the IG as saying that the Nigeria Police Force would not watch any criminal group(s) take law into their hands, adding that he had authorised the team to deal decisively with anyone who constitutes himself as an enemy of the state. He also asked residents of the areas who had fled to return home and go about their normal businesses as the police would deal with the criminals. In another development, the police have arrested one Aloysius Ebiniko, said to be the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gunmen kill four in Kaduna village attack

Gunmen Godwin Isenyo, Kadu na Unknown gunmen on Monday evening  invaded   Gurguzu village, near  Maguzawa, an outskirts of  Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State,  killing four persons while many persons sustained varying degrees of injuries. An eyewitness put the number of those injured at six while another source said the figure was higher than six. The incident, it was learnt, took place some minutes after 6pm on Monday, when unknown gunmen rode on bikes invaded  a farm in the village and shot the farmers. Four died on the spot. Our correspondent also gathered that the injured victims were rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment. Presently, it was gathered that more than 500 people from Gurguzu village were displaced and taking refuge at a primary school in Rigasa. Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has sued for peace, urging residents to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses. It said i...
Post a Comment
Read more