Governor Ortom pledges to revive Taraku Mills, others

Governor Samuel Ortom, yesterday assured that he would revive Taraku Oil Mills, Otukpo Burnt Bricks, and Ikwe Wildlife Park.

Speaking while inspecting the facilities at the moribund companies, he noted that the collapse of all industries in the state indicated that it was under an evil spell.

In Taraku, Gwer local government area, Governor Ortom said “this is my first time of coming into the oil mill and from what we have seen, Benue is under a spell.

“There is no reason for this factory to be lying fallow, this factory is a gold mine, greater than Benue Cement.

“The raw materials are here and when the factory starts working, farmers, our mothers, and the youths will smile,” he stated.

“I want to pay tribute to our legend, the late Governor Aper Aku who had the foresight to establish this factory and I promise to build on his legacies.”

“We will create the enabling environment to ensure that our industries function again”, Ortom promised, stressing that he had directed that water supply from the Otobi water works be extended to the factory.

When operational, the factory has the capacity of providing over 600 jobs and creating massive wealth to Benue farmers, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Growrich Resorts Limited, managers of the mills on lease, Mr. Ernest Jor said.

According to him, the company lacked water, power supply as well as insufficient funds to maintain uninterrupted production.

He appealed for approval to construct an earth dam to address the water challenge in the factory.

The factory was built at the capacity of 72,000 tons of soya beans, 120,000 tons of maize and 172,300 tons of animal feeds annually.

It was built to produce vegetable and groundnut oils, maize flour, cake, maize grit, livestock feeds, concentrate and diet mix among others.

At Otukpo Burnt Bricks Governor Ortom said although the installed equipment had become obsolete possibilities of utilizing the existing structures to exploit the clay deposit in the area were being explored and appealed that they be protected.

He made a similar plea to residents of Ikwe to safeguard the remaining structures and television equipment at the park.