At the Gmelina Concession Agreement signing ceremony between the Cross River State Forestry Commission and Okipp Ltd, held at the Channel View Hotel, Calabar, Ojeifo referred to the event as a milestone in the “quest to revive the moribund pulp and paper industry in our dear country”. He was particular that the entire process will bring “real development into the communities of Awi, Nsan, Obom Itiat (Akamkpa LGA) and Edondon (Obubra LGA) in particular and CRS in general through value addition to the raw materials located there”. The Group which recently acquired the assets of the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company, Oku-Iboku, Akwa Ibom State, emphasised that it plans to “draw up a strategic plan for the re-development and utilization of the (Gmelina) plantation resources”.
Earlier at the occasion, Chairman of the CRS Forestry Commission, Odigha Odigha, in his address, told the large gathering that the tripartite arrangement will ensure that the Group will make use of the gmelina resources in a mutually beneficial way. He was also quick to point out that the Group must ensure it makes adequate use of the Calabar Port in her operations.
