By Amos Aar
BENUE STATE governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia on Tuesday announced the introduction of motorcycle hire purchase scheme which he said will empower youths in the state.
Governor Alia, who unveiled the scheme at the premises of the Benue Investment and Property Company Ltd (BIPC) located at Tse-Ayu in Makurdi, the state capital, also commissioned BIPC bakery, water factory, emperor fertilizer and Novus Micro Finance Bank situated at the Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Makurdi.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Commence and Industry, Mr Manasseh Alumo Orpin, explained that the products will be sold to Benue citizens at affordable rates to cushion their suffering and will be accessible.
National Record found that a loaf of BIPC bread was sold for one thousand, one hundred naira (N1,100) only while a bag of sachet water was sold for two hundred naira (N200) only during the commissioning ceremony.
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Governor Alia also announced “tax holiday” for those who want to invest or do business in Benue, adding that moribund industries in the state will be handed over to BIPC with adequate support for proper management.
“Am aware that BIPC needs liquidity of not less than N7 billion to stabilise and drive the industrial revolution, that, we are currently working on to revamp and build a minimum of 10 industries within the first four years of this administration.
“Towards this end, I am pleased to announce the handing over of some moribund industries of the state to Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) to achieve the mandate for which the companies were established to drive the economic development of the state.
“Furthermore, my government will also support BIPC with an equity stake to float the state’s Brewery and establish a juice factory in the state”, Alia said.
Earlier in his address, Director of BIPC, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, said the BIPC bakery and water factory are short-term initiatives designed to provide high quality products that meet the needs of Benue people, create employment opportunities for the youth and contribute to the overall growth of the state’s economy.
According to him, the BIPC bread is “freshly baked daily, using only the finest most wholesome ingredients, while our BIPC water undergoes rigorous filtration to ensure purity and freshness”.
