By Uche Usim
With imported lubricants and greases dominating the Nigerian petroleum products subsector, the coming of AMMASCO International Limited in 1997 was a soothing development, at least to cut back on huge foreign exchange spent on items that could be produced locally.
The chairman of the company, Alhaji Mustapha Ado Muhammad from Katsina State, is a businessman with profound acumen and an investor in human beings. He is deeply concerned about youth unemployment, making him to always canvass for more oil refineries and other companies needed to solve the nightmare.
He also believes that more oil refineries on stream means uninterrupted supply of raw materials for lubricant makers.
In June this year, Muhammad empowered over 130 members of National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) in Kano state with mechanical tools worth N23 million.
The tools distributed were 130 boxes of complete mechanic tools, each worth about N150,000 given to the beneficiaries selected across the 44 local government areas of the state. The company also donated the sum of N3 million to the association.The distribution, ac- cording to Muhammad, was part of the company’s efforts at appreciating the union’s patronage. He said:
“Ammasco is proud of Nigerian technicians and that is why we are donating these tools, plus a N3 million cash grant to them.
“We will soon also commence distribution of cars, motorcycles, television and phones to lucky technicians.
“Ammasco Group of companies, which is into lubricants, petroleum, gas and transportation, started with only one manufacturing plant in Kano, but now we are planning on commissioning the third one due to increased patronage of our products.
“The company produces 20,000 cartons daily and Ammasco is now a household name in many neighbouring African countries and even beyond.”
The President of NATA, Mr Magaji Muhamad Sani, described AMMASCO Oil as one of the best in the country.
The AMMASCO boss, at different fora, has pushed for strengthen- ing local products manufacturers, so as to drastically reduce the importa- tion of lubricants which amounts to mortgaging jobs meant for skilled workers in the country.
He contends that some of import- ed lubricants are recycled oil with little or no addictive fortification.
Consequently, these lubes come with undervalued invoicing and sold at cheaper rates than locally- produced ones. This has created unfavourable conditions for the local lubricants, which pass through manufacturing processes, and which make them to sell at higher prices than foreign ones.
For his contribution to the de- velopment of the country, The Sun confers an award on him.
