…Asks BUA to fulfill promise to build a word class hospital for Okpella community.
By Sawa Francis
Limestone rich community of the Niger Delta in Edo State, Okpella, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinunu to order cement giants operating in the state to commence the construction and expansion of Okpella -Benin expressway under Federal Government tax credit scheme.
This is even as the community called on BUA Cement to commence construction of a health facility in the community as part of an initial agreement reached.
A leader of the community and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Godwin Eshieshi, who made the call on behalf of the community during a chat with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasised the crucial role of the private sector in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
Eshieshi argued that the current gap in infrastructure can only be effectively bridged through increased private sector involvement in developmental projects and incentives from the government.
He explained that the country’s yearly funding for road projects is clearly not enough to handle the growing need for improved roads due to abandoned road projects littered across the country as well as its fast-growing population.
According to Hon. Eshieshi, the BUA Cement and Dangote Cement Company operate in Edo State and utilise the roads in the state which are very strategic for their business and daily operations.
He said: “These companies rely heavily on the state’s road network, which connects not only various parts of Edo but also extends to the South East, North Central, and other regions, including the South West.
“Considering to the tax breaks they receive from the government, the companies have a responsibility to address the poor condition of the roads, which causes hardship for both travelers and local businesses within and beyond the affected communities.
“Investing in infrastructure projects like road repairs would not only benefit the state but also enhance the companies’ public image, especially in areas that are economicly disadvantaged.
Similarly, the APC chieftain has called on BUA Cement to begin the construction of multi billion naira hospital in Okpella community even though it wasn’t part of agreements signed with the host community, BUA should please fulfill his promise of building a world class hospital 🏥.
He said this was necessary due to the massive environmental and health hazards caused by cement production in the community.
“The production process has both economic and environmental impacts on our people as toxic waste material are released back into the natural environment daily.
“Apart from the threats to our people’s health, we have witnessed poor crop yields in our farms as a result of cement manufacturing. This situation has brought untold hardship to them in terms of income from agriculture which used to be the mainstay of the entire Okpella community.
