RE: STOP BOASTING OVER THE “INDUSTRIAL PARK” PROJECT – PUTTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and baseless publication on the Facebook page of one Bala Sani claiming that the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park located at Dadinkowa in Gombe state is a Federal Government Project under the Special Economic Zones..
We would ordinarily not have bothered to respond to such imaginary concocted misinterpretation of facts but the need to set the records straight to keep all Gombawa and well-meaning Nigerians abreast of the facts surrounding the Gombe Industrial Park.
The Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park is a well thought out idea of our visionary, forward looking and focused Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya who during an official visit to Russia with Mr. President in 2019 made the first public declaration to establish the Muhammadu Buhari Park. The park is a 1000 hectare freehold land located within the proximity of the 40 megawatts Dadinkowa dam and on the Gombe- Biu highway.
This pronouncement was followed with the commissioning of a team of reputable consultants to conduct a feasibility, draw out a plan and bills of quantities for the project as well as an Environmental Impact assessment. Having concluded their job and submitted to Government their report, the Gombe State Government compensated the landowners and thereafter began a transparent bid process with adverts in newspapers requesting for companies to bid for various projects within the Phase one of the park.
This processes culminated in the submission of the winning bids to the State executive council. The Gombe state executive council having satisfied itself that due process was followed approved the award of contract for the provision of infrastructure in Phase 1 of the park in the sum of N16.4bn. Funds for the project are expected to be sourced by the state owned company, the Gombe revenue optimization company limited (GROCOL).
It is also pertinent to note that the state is in talks with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to part finance the project. Discussions are also at advanced stage with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry to designate the park an Export Free zone.
Having made these clarifications, let it be known that the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya administration will not be discouraged but will be happy with any Gombe indigene who is willing to assist the state in attracting Federal government or even private investments into the state.
Credit must however be given to our Governor of many firsts for conceiving, initiating, birthing and implementing the first ever Industrial Park in the Northeast without any input or funding from any Federal or Multilateral institution.
For emphasis, the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park is Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s Initiative and is 100 percent Gombe State Government Project.
Bala Sani and his pay masters who have lost relevance and resorted to sponsoring this campaign of calumny, claiming that the project is part of the Federal Government’s Special Economic Zones had better go look for where the SEZ is located and tell us where those funds were paid into as the Gombe State Government is not aware of any such SEZ Funding let alone a N3bn payment.
Ismaila Uba Misilli
Director-General
(Press Affairs)
Government House
Gombe
