The Group Managing Director/Chief
Executive Officer of SCOA Nigeria Plc, Dr. Massad Boulos has commended Unity
Bank Plc and other banks for facilitating a credit facility of N15.5 billion
for the importation and supply of 33 MAN Platform Trucks and equipment to
construction giant, Julius Berger Plc.
The equipment is to be deployed for
the construction of the 380km Abuja-Kaduna-Kano roads.
“I commend Unity Bank, their MD and the
members of the Executive Management; and the entire team of banks who have worked
closely with us on this project,” he said.
Unity Bank advanced the largest
sum of N4.24 billion for SCOA Equipment, which is a portion of the N17 billion
total line of credit that the Bank extended to both SCOA Motors and SCOA
Equipment.
The other seven Banks – Heritage,
Zenith, Providus, Wema, UBA, Union and Coronation Merchant Banks – pulled the
total sum to facilitate the equipment supply deal to be deployed for the construction
of roads across the country.
Of the 33 trucks that the total
sum covered, 16 trucks were delivered during the first phase and handed over to
Julius Berger. The second phase, which will see to the delivery of the
remaining 17 trucks will be executed next month.
Commenting during the official
handover ceremony of the equipment to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the Managing
Director/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Somefun stated that the involvement
of Unity Bank in the project financing deal was in line with the Bank’s
strategic business objective to redistribute resources and channel funds to
critical sectors of the economy.
“We looked at the strategic
importance of this project and how such infrastructure could contribute to
stimulating economic activity and decided that Unity Bank must play its part.
Unity Bank will continue to provide support to such projects as we have been
doing in other critical sectors of the economy such as agriculture,” said
Somefun who was represented at the ceremony by Mr. Wale Ogunride, Directorate Head,
Lagos and South West Zone., Unity Bank Plc.
Speaking further, Boulos stated
at the handing over event that the partnership with Unity Bank and the other
banks “is like no other considering the parties involved especially SCOA Nigeria
and Julius Berger”.