Develop your land in Industrial estates before December or lose it, Okowa warns

By Atevure Princess,

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Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has given industrialists with landed property at the state industrial estates till December to develop their property or get such revoked.

Governor Okowa, who frowned at situations where people acquire industrial land and leave such to fallow with the hope of bequeathing them to their children, emphasized that he will revoke Certificates of Occupancy of plots of land allocated by government at industrial estates that have not been developed to specifications.

The Governor gave this warning on Wednesday during the maiden annual interactive session between him and Delta State business community, the event which also featured an award/dinner took place in Asaba.

“We are going to start a proper head count on the businesses that are genuine in the industrial parks and those who have acquired land for the purpose of handing over the land to their children will not be tolerated, so, in 2019, I will be coming in personally to take account of industrialists that have developed their land and any land that is not developed, their C of O will be taken away and given to those with the capability to develop them because, I am aware that there are a lot of lands that are owned by people who believe that those lands will, be handed over to their children and it is not supposed to be so,” he said.

The governor added, “the Ministry of Commerce and Industry should between now and December ensure that those who are actual industrialists are given the opportunity to develop and those who acquired land fraudulently should be fished out.”

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He also disclosed that agro-industrial parks are being developed in different parts of the state, “to serve as epicenters driven by an anchor private investor devoted to agricultural value chain development activities including agro-processing, commercial farming, out-grower schemes, market linkages and farm support services.”

“We are also working hard in partnership with the private sector to develop a Gas-industrial Park in Ndokwa West, while collaborating with the Federal Government on the Gas Revolution Park at Ogidigben,” the governor stated, observing that the business community is key to creating job opportunities to the teeming number of the unemployed as government is already stretched with salary burden and overhead cost.

Representatives of different groups including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, DACCIMA, NASSI, Cooperative Societies and others while listing their challenges, lauded the giant strides recorded by Governor Okowa’s administration in making the state conducive for business to thrive.

Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Mary Iyasere had in an address, said the event was to create a forum for businessmen to have unhindered interaction with the governor.