Fraud tales trail Gov Udom Emmanuel’s fertilizer Blending Plant
An alleged tale of scam has continued to trail the recently commissioned Fertilizer blending plant in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Gov Udom Emmanuel had invited his predecessor, Sen. Godswill Akpabio (PDP, Akwa Ibom) to commission the Greenwell Technologies Fertilizer Blending Plant located in Abak Local Government Area. The much-publicized commissioning was for the following purposes:
- to officially commence the production of fertilizer products by a Public Private Partnership between Greenwell Technologies and the Akwa Ibom State Government.
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to register as a milestone in the implementation of Udom Emmanuel’s industrialization policy while standing as Nigeria’s best (400,000 metric tons per year) fertilizer producing facility.
- to unfold as one of major events celebrating the third anniversary of Udom Emmanuel’s government.
The Alleged Scam
It is now irrefutable that Udom Emmanuel takes Akwa Ibom people as illiterate (he actually said that some Akwa Ibomites are illiterate) fools who can be sold snake oil put in any deceptive package. There is no fertilizer manufacturing or blending operations by Greenwell Technologies. Rather than for the above stated purposes, the commissioning ceremony spun to expose the underbelly of a desperate and dysfunctional government scamming invited guests and other Akwa Ibomites into believing a phantom industrialization project. There are neither raw materials nor blending machines for the production of different types of fertilizer as claimed by the Udom Emmanuel government. There is a simple bagging machine (see picture below) for the repackaging of bulk fertilizer products supplied from elsewhere. For the sake of emphasis, let me repeat that there is no fertilizer manufacturing or blending taking place at the Greenwell Technologies facility in Abak. Rather, what was commissioned is a dilapidating warehouse for the repackaging of bulk and finished fertilizer products. Greenwell Technologies has no staff list because no one is yet been employed. It is also shocking to discover that the company has neither filed for approval from the National Security Adviser (NSA) to manufacture fertilizer products nor file for Standards Organization (SON) certification. Both certifications are required so that explosives and other illegal items are not manufactured using raw materials for fertilizer production.
Is Sen Akpabio in support of Gov Udom’s project?
Though Sen. Godswill Akpabio had been invited for the commissioning of the project but his sources say the former governor’s aides are unhappy that he was deceived into commissioning a mere fertilizer repackging warehouse. As expected in many situations, Akpabio was denied due honour, respect and standard practice of citing his name on the official plaque. However, Gov Udom Emmanuel’s name was engraved on the marble plaque as the official who commissioned the warehouse facility. Sen. Akpabio must have been thoroughly embarrassed, knowing how meticulous he is with details and his knack for excellence. When he commissioned roads constructed by Gov. Nyesom Wike in Rivers State (see picture below), his name was properly cited. But, in Udom Emmanuel’s Akwa Ibom State, Sen. Akpabio was set up to be deliberately embarrassed and disrespected.
About the blending and bagging warehouse
The Greenwell Technolgies fertilizer repackaging warehouse sits on where the abandoned PAMIL Nigeria Limited. PAMIL, a South Eastern State owned palm oil trading company established about fifty years was sold to the late Chief Ime Umanah, but the land and facilities bought over by Akwa Ibom State government during the Godswill Akpabio administration. Neither Greenwell Technologies nor Akwa Ibom State has done any major site rehabilitation work since the little that was done by the late Chief Ime Umanah (see pictures below). Even the German flooring is as incomplete as it was left decades ago. Yet, Udom Emmanuel continues to embarrass Akwa Ibomites with wanton lies about his phantom industrialization of Akwa Ibom State.
Fertilizer blending plant or fertilizer baggaging plant?
There is much difference between repackaging bulk and already blended fertilizer products blending before packaging of fertilizer. The governor had consistently noted that the set up of industries has become a signpost of his administration and that industrialization begets a manufacturing economy. However, in Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel’s industrialization policy implementation plan begets mere products packaging operations:
The Pencil and Toothpick packaging warehouse in Ekom Oman, near Uyo, was presented as an industrial facility. In reality, pencil parts are imported from China and assembled in the operationally epileptic cottage facility. There are just a few low level employees packing pencils and toothpick in a warehouse that struggles to pay its rent.
The electric meter solutions facility in Onna was presented as an electric meters manufacturing facility. In reality, it is an assembly line for meter parts manufactured in China.
The controversial Jubilee Syringe factory in Onna was presented as manufacturing facility. In reality, all needle and plastic components are imported and assembled into syringes in the facility.
- The Ibaka Deep Seaport project, the grandfather scam project of the Udom Emmanuel government, is 75% documents ready. In reality, what should have been the industrialization anchor has been craftily abandoned in Udom’s web of lies mixed with leadership incompetence.