Why Gov Emmanuel Deserves Applause on Coconut Refinery- NLC Chairman
…Demands Transparent, Fair Recruitment
The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Sunny James has said that Governor Udom Emmanuel is deserving of commendation over the initiative to put in place a coconut refinery in the State.
The Akwa Ibom State government on Friday, inaugurated St. Gabriel Coconut Oil Factory with the capacity to process one million nuts a day.
The NLC Chairman who stated this recently while filing questions from newsmen explained that the reason for his position stemmed from the fact that the investment will not only contribute in diversifying the State economy but will attract huge foreign exchange and stand in the gap to replace the “out of favour” crude oil.
He stated “The price of the coconut in the international market is seven times more than crude oil. Besides, it is an investment not just for today but for the future considering how crude oil is going extinct.
“With the volatility of crude oil and its diminishing revenue, strategic reason implies that we should be able to diversify to something else that is tangible and reliable. Another interesting aspect of the investment is that It will also bring foreign exchange”
Comrade James who applauded the Governor over the quality of the refinery added that he is also impressed by the choice of location especially as the refinery is sited in an area reputable as coconut domain.
While calling on the government to ensure the operations at the refinery kickstart immediately for maximum return on investment, he demanded for the recruitment process to be transparent and fair.
” Looking at the project, conceptual issues are quite in order. I wish that the project should take its root. Everyone who wants to work there should work with every sense of responsibility and sincerity.
“Recruitment process should be done transparently and fairly. We are not ignorant of the local content law which will imply that Mkpat Enin people must be given a premium. Opportunities for other technical and skilled manpower should be distributed equitably to all Akwa Ibomites.”
Responding to sustainability questions after Governor Udom Emmanuel’s departure as Governor, the Chairman noted that he is optimistic about the sustainability project since any Governor would not want to neglect an investment that the State benefits from.
While admitting that his only concern is where a million coconut will be taken to feed the plant per day, Comrade James advised that Akwa Ibom people should see the concern as an opportunity to invest in coconut cultivation hence become major suppliers of the coconut to the refinery.