Governor Ayade Expresses Satisfaction With Quality Of Work At Garment Factory

By Our Correspondent

The Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade has expressed satisfaction with the quality of job at the garment factory, even as he urged the contractor to step up the pace in order to meet the expected target.

Ayade stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to the factory site shortly after his arrival from an international tour he embarked on to scout for investors for the development of the state.

Affirming that the factory remains the biggest in the whole of Africa, the governor disclosed that it was designed to start with a huge market which is the Carnival Calabar where all the costumes required by the various bands would be produced.

He argued that the delay was understandable as a result of the heavy down pour experienced this year, pointing out that there was need to speed up the process by combining the various construction aspects so as to meet up the proposed commissioning deadline.

“All the equipment for the factory is on ground to run the factory as soon as work on the physical structure is completed” Ayade asserted, adding that “we would be creating approximately 2000 jobs, exclusive of support services like restaurants, transport and security”.

The governor stressed the need to stimulate a national discourse for the factory to become the sole producer of military and para-military uniforms for the country, assuring that the state will partner with Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Director-General of NYSC as well as other relevant stakeholders to achieve the feat.

Commenting, the Project Manager, Mr. George Duke hinted that work on the factory which is measured by 135 meter length by 35 meter wide has reached advanced stage, pointing out that it has a large car park with a restaurant that is designed to sit 200 persons at a time.

It will be recalled that the garment factory was one of the places that was expected to generate the 1000 jobs the governor promised within his first 100 days in office. But the heavy rains in Calabar have been given as reason for the delay in completion of work before the prior date of resumption.