BUA cries out for help against communal hostilities

The Managing Director of BUA Sugar Refinery in Lafiagi, kwara State, Ibrahim Yaro, has urged the federal government to curtail the alleged excesses of some host communities against indigenous and foreign investors in Nigeria towards the speedy recovery of the nation’s economy.

He believed that incessant hostilities of some of the host communities have put business activities on hold, saying that the development has also led to the loss of job opportunities among qualified Nigerians.

Yaro said this during an inspection visit by the Minister of State, for Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar, and her entourage to the factory.‎The BUA boss noted that the federal government’s intervention has become imperative because of the hostilities the sugar company suffered in their host community, Lafiagi, are severe, and ‎substantially disturbed the success of their project in the community.

Acording to him, “Perhaps, I need not to over stress the sufferings that engulfed BUA immediately after it has acquired LASUCO, the community hostility and the long process of post privatisation prolonged the full handover and takeover of ownership in late 2014. If not because of these circumstances, Hon Minister, we could have gone beyond the level we are now.”

Yaro therefore explained that, “Success depends on concerted action to confront the challenges of community‎ hostility and infrastructural development. We believe that government is determined to implement the National Sugar Master plan which it considers as one of the core components of its industrial revolution plan to accelerate economic growth.”

He noted that, “For the refineries to relentlessly implement their respective BIP projects, the Federal government might is needed to curtail the excesses of host communities’ hostilities.”

H‎e stressed that, “They should be made to understand that investors of our magnitude are coming to bring development to their areas and empower them economically. They should be prepared to cooperate ‎with us and protect the investments, not to use their youths to destroy them.”

Already, he said: “The 500 hectares earmarked for our nursery development has been developed. Similarly, what is ongoing is the land clearing and development preparation for additional 5000 hectares, which would take us through 2018.”

‎He stressed that, “We are focussed, determined and vigorously matching forward to meet our set targets. LASUCO is targeting the production of two million tonnes of sugarcane annually, and this segment alone could produce over 4,000 jobs, while thousands of employment ‎would be generated at the plant and at an indirect level.

“BUA is serious and is ever ready to surprise Nigeria and Nigerians in its current efforts of becoming a mega local sugar producer and first sugar exporter in the country as being done in Swaziland,” he stressed.

Responding after the tour, the minister commended the resilience of the company to survive against all odds, and urged the management to strive to meet its targets.Abubakar added that the federal government would not shirk in her responsibilities to provide the needed support.