The Chairman of National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON) Ondo State chapter, Elder Damola Odekunle has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other relevant stakeholders to focus on steady power supply as his administration started in earnest.
While speaking with the Democrat News Magazine in his office in Akure recently, Elder Odekunle pointed out that the major challenge that members of NABMON are facing is electricity which he said usually run cost them.
“If power supply is stable we wouldn’t have been complaining. We expect that BEDC should give us light for minimum of 7 hours daily instead of running on fuel for the whole day.
“In addition, our members need soft loans from government to enable them expand the scope of their business. And to continue to support economy development of the country.
Odekunle who is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Damola Block Industry along Fiwasaye/ Oba-Ile said that all the members of his association have been contributing to the country in the area of payment of taxes and employment of youths and young adults which he described as indirect way of reducing crime.
He said the membership of the association is over 3000 across the 18 Local Government Area of the State have been of tremendous help with the production standard blocks which he said was the reason Ondo State has not witnessed building collapse.
While pointing out the official prices of blocks he said #350 per 6 inches and #450 each per 9 inches and that any price lower than the approved prices by the leadership of the association maybe a substandard product.
Calling on members of the association to always embracing quality production because their business deal with life of people and that their taskforce are always at work if anyone among the members of the association is found guilty such will be handed over to SON for prosecution.
Speaking on his achievements in the association in the last two years, Odekunle noted that the association had signed MoU with cement factories in Nigeria and Tipper Union to buy sand and cement at reduced prices.
“In the past two years we have been able to procure two vehicles for easy running the activities of our association. We also have association secretariat along Adegbemile area .
” We are praying and hoping that Dangote, Elephant and will fulfill what they promised us in the area of providing wheel barrow and other safety kits.
Odekunle said that as part of efforts to ensure security of the job, association has raised bio data of all operators working in the industry across Ondo State and that any director who refused to make the bio data form available in his office will be penalized.
The Chairman of NABMON, therefore called on Ondo State Government to patronize member of his association staying that most of the projects handled by contractors are executed without using blocks made by their members rather they brought machine and produce blocks that are not to the standard.