PORT HARCOURT (Sundiata Post) – In a bid to create 3,000 direct and indirect jobs for the people of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike has stated that his administration would complete the new phase of the Integrated Medical Industries in Port Harcourt.
Wike made the statement on Friday after inspecting facilities at the Integrated Medical Industries (IMI), a company wholly owned by the state government.
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He said that the state government would apply to the Federal Government for the required sovereign guarantee for the European Bank loan to complete the project.
He directed the State Attorney-General, Commissioner for Finance and Commissioner for Health to liaise with the managers of IMI to conclude work on the application to the Federal Government for the required sovereign guarantee.
The governor expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the managers of the project to sustain it for the production of relevant medical consumables .
He said: “I am satisfied that this project will create 3,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state. We shall take appropriate measures to complete the company which will be the biggest in the country.
“My motivation to further invest in this project is the fact that it will conserve foreign exchange and stop the import of some key medical consumables”.
In a presentation, facilitator of the IMI, Dr Ikedife Uba, said that the project was 70 percent completed with all the relevant machines already fabricated by manufacturers in Europe.
He said that the new phase of the company would make i the biggest in the country, saying the company would produce one billion syringes and other critical consumables that would stem the tide of import and give Nigerians access to high standard products.
He said the total project cost is N69.8 billion, with the Rivers State Government already expending N35.7 billion, with N34.1billion left to be expended for the project to be completed and put to use.
Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme said the project was strategic to the nation’s health sector.