Rusal, the Russian firm that took over the management of the multi-million naira Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom in 2007, says it has no plans to abandon the plant despite the current challenges which resulted in the stoppage of production.
The company, which is currently implementing “a range of social obligations” for the host communities including a scholarship scheme for 52 students and a water project, maintained that it was committed to keeping to all the existing contracts with the local communities as well as the provision of free electricity and healthcare services for the staff and indigenes of the area.
In an interview with BusinessDay in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Tatyana Smirmova, the company’s director of government relations, said the management was working towards the resumption of production, adding that the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the company and the state government was an indication of its commitment to restart the plant as soon as possible.
She said the focus would be to resolve the issue of inadequate gas supply and resolve the protracted legal tussle over the ownership of the plant with a view to restarting the smelter.
