MORIBUND ISSELE-UKU GARMENT FACTORY: Hope Rising for Reactivation of Facility As DeltaBridge Consortium Moves In

The abandoned Delta State-owned multi – trade entrepreneurship centre, otherwise known as the Issele-Uku Garment Factory, in Aniocha North Local Government Area, will soon come back to life, courtesy of the state government’s concession plan.

According to our reporter who visited the centre recently, the Concessioneer, DeltaBridge Ltd, has commenced the clearing of the overgrown weeds in the premises and has engaged the services of some artisans to fix the distrepaired facilities in the Administrative Block, where serious cleaning work was going on at the time of the visit.

The General Manager of DeltaBridge, Nnamdi Samuel, who conducted newsmen round the moribund factory, said the Consortium was happy to take over the running of the centre, and was currently focusing on making the environment habitable to be able to have a clearer view of the level of damage done to the facility and ascertain to what extent the Administrative Block could be fixed, pending its official handing over.

Asked what the facility was like before they moved in, the GM said, “Basically the facility from the time we started bidding for it and when we saw it after the concession was done was a milestone of retrogression. It was a hugely dilapidated structure with everything that was in it almost gone.

“I can say clearly that there is no single electrical wiring in this place; no single electrical accessory, no air conditioner, no office chairs and tables. Most of the machines are gone. Most of the glasses, refrigerators and freezers are gone. In the garment section all the sewing and weaving machines are gone. The bakery, garri processing machines, generators, transformers and virtually every other thing at the centre have been completely vandalized.

“It’s almost like saying that we are building the place from scratch. The only thing left is block and roof. But the truth is that the vision is clear. Even if they give us an empty floor we will still come up with something because the goal is simple: Ensure that this facility comes back to life. And bringing it back to life is something that will help Delta State to create jobs, especially in the local environment, and boost internally generated revenue.

“There is a global market awaiting what we will be producing here. Once we start running, Akwa Ocha, royal beeds and accessories, luxury leather works and shoes, jackets and belts will be byproducts of this facility and they are export commodities. So we are looking at a bigger picture. 

“It is painful that we have to go lower than where we ought to be to start off instead of standing on an already existing platform. This has only taken us aback from our projection, but the truth is that we are not deterred, we are not perplexed, it is not derailing us from the goal of ensuring that the facility is up and running, that lives are changed and that the MORE agenda of the Oborevwori administration is felt in ailing industries in the state”.

He explained that the revitalization of the centre would be done in phases, pointing out that the Consortium and its enterprise groups would only pull their strength and might to get the place running after taking over.

Mr Nnamdi revealed that Brijtopnet would be handling the garment section of the factory, Dyskon Smart Ltd, the ICT section; Sunset Bakery and Equipment, the bakery section; Awolor Bespoke, the shoe and leather works section, while PharmaChoice would be responsible for the juice and food processing section.

While saying that he would not apportion blame on anyone for the running aground of the centre, Mr Nnamdi emphasized that the success of the venture was supposed to have been a collective responsibility, assuring that the Consortium would do everything possible to avoid the pitfalls that led to the present state of the facility.