The Synergy and Alliance of Unions in Toto LGA for Development (SYAUTD), Nasarawa State, has pledged cooperation and security of investment over a planned Sugar Company in the area.
The CEO Maijigida Youth Development Foundation (MYDF) and Chairman, SYAUTD, TPL Musa A. Usman, said on Friday in Abuja that the recent signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nasarawa State government and Flour Mills Nigeria for the establishment of a Sugar Company in Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area is a welcome development.
He recalled that during the signing of the MoU, the Managing Director/CEO of the company, Omoboyede Olusanya, said that the company would make an initial $300m investment of the Sugar factory that will be sited on 2,450 hectares of land in Umaisha, Toto LGA of the state.
“We are pleased with the development given the bright promises the epoch-making event holds for the area and its people. We have always known that Toto LGA which is blessed with many high valued natural resources only requires serious investors to step in and take advantage of them for mutual benefits.
“Being naturally welcoming and industrious people, the company will not only find a hospitable people that to guarantee its unhindered operations but a readily qualified manpower to feed its workforce,” Usman said.
He also commended Governor Abdullahi A. Sule led government in turning the area into an Agro Allied hub of the state.
He said, “We thank the administration for finding the area suitable for such developmental stride. The policy being pursuit by the Administration in Area will further etch and endear the people centred state government in the minds of the people.
“As a reciprocity, we urge all the interest groups and the entire people of the area to remain steadfast in their support for the state government by remaining law abiding and good hosts to the big visitors.”
He, however, noted that the proposed 30 percent of the total hectares set aside for the farming natives which is to be equipped with modern farming implements to engender favourable competition with the company is rather small and appealed for the reconsideration of that aspect of the MoU for fairer and better deal for the people.
He said, “In keeping with the global best practices, the failure of the MoU to allocate certain percentage of shares to the host community is unhelpful and at best a recipe for future mistrust and lack of sense of ownership by the locals.
“In this wise, we task the state government to protect its citizens by ensuring that the avoidable gaffe is corrected before the journey gets too far. We clarify that the import of highlighting this gaffe is not meant to cast slur on the positive development but to ensure that whatever understanding reached by the people at the onset will be respected and carried on by their offspring even after they pass.
“We appeal to the state government and the Company to take a second look at these identified shortcomings of the MoU with a view to getting them addressed as there is still time.
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