Cement production will soon come alive in
Ebonyi State, it has been said.
A deed of understanding and terms of
settlement between NIGERCEM and
representatives of the four host
communities – Nkalagu, Nkalaha, Umuhuali,
Amaezu and the Ebonyi State Government
has been signed.
With the signing of the pact in Abakaliki, the
legal battles that had in the past affected the
reopening of the once foremost indigenous
cement production firm have been put to
rest.
The immediate past administration led by
Chief Martin Elechi, had consistently closed
the door for an out of court settlement,
against Dr. Cletus Ibeto, who re-acquired the
firm from Eastern Bulkcem and tried to
revamp the cement factory which was
popularly known as NIGERCEM.
In 2012, for instance, the Elechi
administration warned IBETO GROUP against
what it called illegal entry into the premises
of NigerCem premises, saying its ownership
was a subject of dispute in the courts.
But an elated Ebonyi State Governor, David
Umahi; Ibeto and the SSA to the Governor
on Cement Production, Prince Sunday
Ugwuocha, at the event described the
signing of the MoU as a milestone towards
the revitalisation of the company.
Governor Umahi, who said he had in line
with the popular demand of the host
communities promised to allow Ibeto
revamp the firm, noted that the journey to
its realisation was not an easy one.
He said, “When we were campaigning under
divine mandate platform, the only request
that the communities made was that Ibeto
should be allowed to come and revamp
NIGERCEM and we did promise them that
that was going to be done.”
Umahi, who thanked the Cement Production
Implementation Committee, set up by his
administration, for doing a good job,
assured Ebonyi people that their 10%
equity ownership of NIGERCEM was still
intact.
“Let me announce to Ebonyi people that our
10% equity with NIGERCEM is still alive,” he
assured as he described the land of Ebonyi
as a land made up of limestone, gold,
frankincense, silver, lead, zink, etc.
He added, “My prayers all the time is for the
land of Ebonyi to vomit all the limestone, the
gold, the frankincense, silver, the bauxite,
lead, zink that the land has swallowed, and it
has to started with Ibeto.
The core investor, Dr. Ibeto, praised Umahi’s
ruggedness, saying Ebonyians owed him
(governor) for ensuring that the journey to
revamp NigerCem started on a good
footing.
He thanked governor Umahi for creating
the enabling environment for the takeoff of
NIGERCEM.
The chairman, Cement Implementation
Committee, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, in his
opening remarks, had said the signing of
the deeds marked the realisation of an age
long struggle by the IBETO GROUP to
revamp NigerCem.

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