- As NIMASA cries out: Beware Of 419, We Are Not Recruiting
The New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) may have entered into a partnership with a Turkish firm meant to generate $15 mn needed to reactivate the collapsed Kaduna Textile company.
The Group Managing Director, Dr. Ahmed Musa highlighted this to newsmen shortly after a closed-door meeting with the Turkish business delegation at the NNDC’s head office in Kaduna.
The delegation had earlier inspected the site of the firm and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, both at the Kakuri Industrial Layout in Kaduna.
The GMD said the NNDC and the Turkish firm, Sur International Textile, would invest the amount in revitalising the Kaduna Textile.
According to the proposal, the Turkish firm will provide 35 per cent of the amount, the Federal Government 45 per cent and KTL will give 20 per cent of the funds.
Musa said in a short term, the KTL would produce uniform needs for the Nigerian Armed Forces as well as the Police and other paramilitary agencies in the country, and across the West Africa sub-region.
He said revamping the KTL would boost the economy of Kaduna state and create employment opportunities to the unemployed youths within and outside the state.
“We held a private meeting with a team of delegation from Turkey.
”They want to invest in Kaduna Textile and turn it around.
”In summary, they want to start producing military and paramilitary uniforms for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” Musa said, noting that the project is a big and laudable one that will boost the economy of Kaduna State, by increasing its revenue drive and create massive employment.
”We have been able to attract investors into the state,” he added.
The NNDC’s Executive Director, Investments, Alhaji Abdullahi Ali-Gombe, said the agreement would revamp the collapsed Textile firm, owned by the 19 Northern States.
Besides boosting the ailing economy, Ali-Gombe explained that when operational, the firm would essentially go into production of military and paramilitary garments.
”Ali-Gombe, who is also the Chairman, Restructuring Committee of the KTL, said “we cannot say tentatively when this will take off. We are hoping very soon.
The Kaduna Textile Limited, established in 1957, operated a large integrated textile mill, producing various kinds of garments.
The company, currently in a state of comatose, started operation in November 1957, spinning country’s cotton and later in January 1958, went into full production of unbleached grey bafts.
In 1961, it began the production of finished garments.
The firm was financed by the Northern Nigeria regional Marketing Board and the region’s development corporation and was managed by an expatriate firm, David Whitehead & Sons.
It was closed down in 2000 following various financial crises and inadequate power supply.
DG NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside
In the meantime, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday debunked a misinformation to the effect that the agency was into a recruitment exercise, cautioning the stakeholders to beware of 419iers prowling for who to dupe.
The NIMASA image maker, Deputy Director Isichei Osamgbi made the clarification on Sunday, blaming the misinformation on some online platforms (Not Maritime First),
“It is imperative to state, in the interest of the unsuspecting public, that the Agency has not launched a recruitment campaign of any kind at the moment; and that NIMASA is not associated with any of the adverts being peddled on various social media platforms to defraud unsuspecting citizens seeking legitimate employment in the organisation.
“This clarification is necessitated by the recruitment advert supposedly floated by the Agency and circulated on various social media platforms, with the intention of misleading and defrauding Nigerians”, Osamgbi stated, describing the gesture as inimical and spurious.
“As inimical as the spurious advert may be to the lives of unsuspecting and desperate job seekers in the country, the Agency’s Management under the leadership of Dr. Dakuku Peterside would continue to operate within the tenets of its core values of commitment, Accountability, Discipline and Transparency in dealing with its stakeholders, including Nigerians who may wish to contribute to the development of the country through employment in NIMASA.
“The most common tactics of the scam involved: twitter and/or text messages, e-mails, as well as letters inviting gullible and desperate job seekers for fake job interviews at different locations across the country claiming to be consultants to NIMASA.
“The Agency has informed appropriate authorities of the activities of these unscrupulous elements who are going about peddling false information to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians and we appeal to members of the public, particularly job seekers, to treat any of such adverts as fake, as the Agency is currently not in the process of employing. Anyone who entertains such invitations does so at his or her own risk.
“For the umpteen time, NIMASA as a responsible corporate citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has not commissioned or contracted any individual or group to engage in recruitment of anybody on behalf of the Agency. At the appropriate time, NIMASA would advertise for available vacancies for qualified Nigerians to apply”, the image-maker concluded.
