Governor Okowa of Delta State

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta says government will revoke any undeveloped plot at the Asaba Industrial Park.

He, however, affirmed his support to real industrialists in the state

Okowa said this at an Interactive and award dinner in Asaba between the state government and the business community organised by the state Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Asaba.

Members of the business community are the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), National Association of Small Scale Industrialists and Delta Cooperative Federation(DCF).

Others are Delta State Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture DACCIMA) and Market Women Association.

The governor said government would address most of the challenges hindering investors at the Asaba park in 2019.

He said that issues of roads and other facilities would also be addressed to enable them engage youths and create wealth in the state.

He said government would not allow any individual who owned a plot at the park to build residential house for transfer as inheritance to his children, adding that the park would remain an industrial park.

Okowa said government would also address the issue of road network, do head count of industrialists at the park as well as revoke certificates of occupancy on all undeveloped plots.

“We shall improve security in the park and support the real industrialists to enable them engage our youths to produce and create wealth in the state, but for all undeveloped plots, we shall revoke their certificates of occupancy,” he said.

He said that the state government planned to develop gas plants in Kwale to encourage investors, particularly the small industrialists working towards building industrial park at Ogwashi-Ukwu.

Okowa said government was also supporting the Federal Government in the realisation of the multi-billion naira gas revolution at Ogidigben to turn around the economy of the country.

He, however, said that the Warri Industrial Park had some challenges in completing due to litigations, adding that until those issues were addressed, government would not do more.

The governor charged industrialists to remain focused in spite of their challenges, assuring them that things would soon return to normal.

He said the tax system in the state was being addressed to ensure that businesses were not double taxed.

“As a state government, we shall continue to provide infrastructure to support the small scale industrialists and our intervention through the youths training and empowerment programme.

“I want to thank all the industrialists in the state that have engaged our youths because by engaging them you are helping to build peace in the state,” he said.

The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Mary Iyasere, in her welcome address, said the roundtable became necessary for business owners to interact with government and present their challenges directly to him.

“Many of these business owners have asked to see the governor, today is an opportunity for them to speak and present their challenges.

“We also have some among the industrialist that will receive award for engaging our youths and for their impact on the people of the state,” she said.

NAN reports some representatives of the associations blamed poor road networks, lack of funding, poor electricity supply and double taxation for the current state of Delta.

Those wh spoke included Mr Paul Okpue of MAN, Larry Onyeje of DCF, Mrs Patience Akonma of NASSI.

They, however, called on government to look into ways of partnering the private sector to ensure that they remained in business.

Okpue lauded the state government for revamping Asaba airport and for the variuos youths development programmes.

He said that a strong private sector would boost the state economy and take the youths off the streets.

“If we have the Asaba industrial park working, we the industrialists operating there have the capacity to take many of our youths off the streets.

“If we put things together, Delta can become an industrial hub,” Opkue said.

NAN reports that part of the progrmme was the presentation of plagues to some of the industrialists including a market woman who sells groundnuts.