By Ifeanyi Olannye
The Stallion Auto-Keke company has lauded the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s led administration for its support and peaceful disposition that had encouraged private investments in Delta.
The investor gave the commendation on Friday when the Delta State Investment Development Agency (DIDA) took a monitoring tour on the project site to ascertain their level of completion and readiness for inauguration.
The DIDA team led by its Senior Investment Analysts, Mr Peter Okolie, visited the Delfraco Industries Limited; Stallion Auto-Keke Ltd; Real Homes Property Development Company Ltd and Jamlor Property Ltd, all in the state capital territory.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the above investors among others were attracted though the ingenuity of the DIDA Director General, Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Omoru and the Chairman, Mr Paul Nmah under the Gov. Okowa led government.
According to the Regional Head, Stallion Auto-Keke Ltd, Mr Jayesh Shinde, the partnership with Delta Government to assemble tricycles (Keke) in Asaba was made possible by DIDA.
Shinde said that the choice of Delta as investment destination was informed by its peaceful disposition and that as an upcoming economy, the support from the state government through DIDA was great.
He said that the project was 98 per cent complete, adding that the site was ready for take off and that the machines needed were been expected in two weeks time from Lagos.
“We are in partnership with DIDA and we plan to open up a tricycle assembly plant in Asaba. Stallion group is a conglomerate in Nigeria for more than 50 years.
“We are a sole distributor for Bajaj Auto India, we have assembly plant in Badagry, Lagos and now we plan to open another assembly plant here in Asaba.”
He said that the plant would create employment for youths as tricycle has become a means of transportation and to also generate more revenues for the state government.
” In our partnership with the government, we believe that we will be able with this plant to create significant employment.
“We plan to sell more than 3,000 Keke over a period of time in this region,.
“Delta is peaceful and we want to thank DIDA for given us this opportunity to put up this assembly plant.
“It is a very constructive and productive partnership and the results we will be seeing soon,” Shinde said.
On his part, DIDA Senior Investment Analysts, Mr Peter Okolie, said that the achievement was made possible by the Agency’s Managing Director, Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Omoru and the Chairman, Mr Paul Nmah.
He noted that the interface that brought Stallion Auto-Keke to the state took about two year to actualise.
“What DIDA is actually doing is to find ways to make the business environment conducive for them to thrive and for them to remain here with us.
“The state government has also made 10 hectares of land available for Stallion Auto-Keke at the Rex Park, Umunede, as a permanent site to enable them assemble their cars, Keke and all their products in the state.
“If you know about Stallion, the employment generation will be heavy and the revenue accruing to the state and the business community,” he said.
Okolie said that Stallion within the period had trained a number of youths ahead of the assembly plant take off any moment from now.(NAN)