By Our Correspondent
Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has enlisted the partnership of General Electric (GE) in the area of lighting up the entire communities in Cross River.
Governor Ayade who made this request when a team of General Electric (GE), Nigeria, led by its Chief Operating Officer in Nigeria, Ahmad Zakari paid him a courtesy call in Calabar, during the week, specifically appealed to the company to manufacture 30 megawatt gas turbines for the state electrification projects.
The governor, while commending the company for the commitment towards its corporate social responsibility, reaffirmed the commitment of the government and people of Cross River to ensure a peaceful and conducive business climate for GE to operate in.
Ayade who described GE as a class ‘A’ global company also requested the company to partner with the state in the training of students of Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), Ugep.
The governor stressed the need for the company to focus on the production of high standard electrical appliances, long lasting inverters as well as the production of hospital equipment for the state specialist hospital.
Earlier in his remark, the Chief Operating Officer, GE Nigeria and head of the team congratulated Governor Ayade on the visit of President Mohammadu Buhari to carry out the ground breaking ceremony of the superhighway, noting that the projects being executed by the Cross River Government were a clear indication of the state’s ambition to continue to be in the forefront of development in the country.
Mr. Zakari who said that GE had enjoyed great support from the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Liyel Imoke, disclosed that the company’s 250 million dollars facility in Cross River would be completed in 2018, adding that it was the determination of the company which he said has given employment and training to some Cross Riverians to maintain the same cordial relationship with Governor Ayade’s government.
He further disclosed that GE was committed to expanding the earlier MoU to accommodate the aspect of training Cross Riverians who will take over and manage the facilities/equipment that will be installed at the Calabar Technical College being upgraded by the company.
He emphasised that the company which has net worth of 150 Billion dollars globally was committed to the development of Cross River State and Nigeria.