Okon Bassey in Uyo
The Promoter of the Akwa Ibom based Vehicle Assembly Plant, Chief Valentine Okorie has assured that the plant under construction will roll out its first set of commercial vehicles in the first quarter of 2022.
Okorie disclosed this when journalists visited the assembly plant sited at Ikot Ukap Itam, Itu local government area to ascertain the progress of work during a facility visit.
According to him, when the plant is completed, it will have the capacity to produce 1,000 commercial vehicles yearly.
Okorie, who is the chief executive officer, Nimshack transportation technologies limited lauded the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel for creating a conducive environment for private investors to come into the state.
He said the state government in keeping with its industralisation drive had acquired land for the sitting of the plant and also constructed a dedicated power line to feed the automobile plant.
However, he blamed the delay in the project completion to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and certain policies of the federal government.
He disclosed that the firm was working with an Israeli automobile manufacturer – Mervan, as its technical partner.
The partnership, he said, would assist in technology transfer and backward integration.
He called on the federal government to make more reforms in the area of ease of doing business in the country.
“The plant is about 90 percent completed. Everything you see here is prefabricated and brought for installation, as you can see the electrical, the production area and the spraying area have been completed. We have fixed the offices, and I can assure you that in the next six months, commercial vehicles from this plant will be in the market.
“Our target is to produce 1,000 vehicles in a year. We must commend the state government for looking at other ways of generating allocation for the state, not just the allocation, but, something that can generate jobs and employment for the people. The government has assisted us by providing this land free and we have a dedicated power line drawn to the factory, “Okorie said.
He tasked government at all levels to invest in the transportation sub sector, reasoning that the sector was capable of generating several thousands of jobs and other investment opportunities.
“This is the first vehicle assembly plant in the South-South region, what Innoson is doing as a private investor is commendable, but, we are coming to take the automobile industry to another level, because of the types of vehicles that would be assembled here. Other assembly plants like PAN, VON, and ANNAMCO came and gone, but, we are coming to stay.
“The government should invest in the transport sector, like this assembly plant now, it has the capacity to generate over 10,000 jobs and other business opportunities. By the time we are fully operational, think of people producing oil filters, fuel filters, car batteries, break-pads and even those supplying items to the company, not to talk of direct employment.” He added.
In her respond, the chairman, correspondents’ chapel of NUJ, Akwa Ibom State, Comrade Idongesit Ashameri applauded the investor for taking the challenge and the courage to venture into automobile assemblage and production in the state.
