By Olufemi Oni,

Ilorin The Managing Director of Vishvas KOZ Tractors Ltd, Mr. Kayode Oyin-Zubair, has expressed the readiness of his company to support and partner government at all levels towards boosting food security in Nigeria thereby banishing hunger from various households. The Managing Director stated this at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his company and SEAP Holdings in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. Oyin-Zubair, who disclosed that Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu is the Chairman of the new company, said SEAP has been a strategic partner in most of his endeavours both in private and public pursuits, adding that “since our paths crossed, we have worked together to support the ordinary man on the street of Nigeria”. He said: “We have given no less than 200 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs through our various joint ventures. I am not surprised that we are about to begin another journey today. “This day, we are signing a MoU that allows a subsidiary of SEAP, known as Debby Mega Automotive, to offer after-sales service such as sales of spare parts and service of engines of our tractors when our operation fully starts. “We are concerned about the maintenance of this machinery, we are looking at zero down time for the users.” He added: “We are willing to support and partner government at all levels to boost food production in Nigeria thereby banishing hunger from our land.” Responding, the Chairman of ZEAP Holdings, Pastor (Dr.) Olatunde Oladokun, who lauded the monumental initiative of Mr. Oyin-Zubair, frowned at the ‘japa’ syndrome that has engulfed the country, wondering what those people fleeing abroad cannot achieve or become in Nigeria if they can only be patient. determined and committed. He said: “We don’t have to believe in this crazy ‘japa’ syndrome. Why ‘japa’? It is because government is usually not doing the right thing, but the question is: are we, as individuals or groups, also doing the right thing and what is expected? The answer is capital NO. It is a sad commentary that most of us are not honest. So, we need to check ourselves and make a retreat to do that which is right in order to move the country forward.” On the MoU, the ZEAP Chairman called for faithfulness and sincerity of purpose on the parts of the two organisations involved in the partnership, promising that “we (ZEAP) that will be bringing in the spare parts, will be sincere and faithful in ensuring that genuine spare parts are imported for the tractors”. While urging the new company not to cut corners and ensure that they bring into the country tractors that can stand the test of time on Nigerian soil, Pastor Oladokun stressed the need for the staff of the fledgling company to be faithful and sincere by taking ownership of the company and seeing it as their own. He said: “I appeal to the staff to grow the new company, take ownership of it and see it as your own. You need to be humble, honest and patient, knowing full well that if you want to smile at the end, you need to pass through a lot of stress. Nothing good comes easy, that’s the honest truth.”