By Nudoiba Ojen
The Ogun State Government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have concluded plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the construction of the Olokola Deep Seaport located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said that the construction of the Olokola seaport would provide another opportunity for companies in the state to move their goods and equipment in addition to the Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport, which is almost on completion stage, and the planned Dry port to be located at Kajola, an outskirt of the state capital.
Abiodun, who spoke during a breakfast meeting with Chief Executive Officers of the OPS in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Wednesday said: “I want to share with you the fact that whilst we are talking about our road, rail and air transport, we will be signing very soon a Memorandum of Understanding with the private sector players for the construction of our seaport in Olokola.
“This is another giant step to ensure that we enable businesses to continue to thrive in our state.
“The governor said that his administration was working towards putting an end to the multiplicity of taxes in the state, adding that the reforms already put in place by the Ogun State Inland Revenue Service would definitely put pay to the issue.
He also urged businesses to patronize government whenever they were in need of land, saying that all land belonged to the government.
He said, “On the harmonization of taxes, we have put in a lot of reforms on our Inland Revenue Service. Be rest assured, be patient with me, slowly and surely, we will remove all these multiplicities of taxes.
“We are also concerned about our physical planning as well. The lands department and physical planning are now working collaboratively to ensure that all the problems we have had in the past are resolved.
“All lands belong to the government. My advice to you is that if you want to buy land, come to the state. We have ensured that any land to be sold to you is properly enumerated and compensated. So, please, I want to discourage all of us to desist from buying land from land speculators,” he said.
Abiodun said that his administration would be distributing 5,000 Certificates of Occupancy (CofO) this Friday.
According to him, the state is now at a vantage position to continue to issue out Certificate of Occupancy to subscribers with a newly acquired equipment that can sign 1000 CofOs daily.
Abiodun called on the OPS in the state to give back to their various host communities by either taking advantage of the state government adopt a school or primary health care center project.
The governor spoke on the importance of businesses imbibing the culture of technology transfer, which would further assist the country to move forward technologically.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure steady and uninterrupted power supply soon through the Ogun Light Up Project.
The governor noted that his administration deliberately laid a lot of emphasis on reconstructing roads that connect the Ogun with other states of the country, especially Lagos, the economic capital of the country.
While commending the OPS for joining hands with his administration at repositioning its security architecture through the rejigging of the Ogun State Security Trust Fund, Governor Abiodun added that his administration would continue to do all it can to make the state the safest place to live, work or play.
Earlier in his address, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Adebola Sofela, assured that the state government would continue to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
He said the present administration would continue to partner with industries in the state with a view of propelling the common interest of both the government and industries to greater heights
Also speaking, Ogun State Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief George Onafowokan, acknowledged the position of the state as the best place for industries to thrive.
He, however, called on the state government to continue to work towards ensuring that the enablers for businesses to thrive are readily made available in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the Agbara Cluster, the Director of African Industry Group, Chief Sohan Baghla, disclosed that they have been able to provide over 10,000 jobs for the people of the state, adding that a greater percentage of their investments are in steel production and processing, aluminium production and processing, glass, chemicals, steel rolling mills, all situated in the Agbara business cluster.
