Since coming on board as Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has not hidden his desire to turn Edo State into a business hub of the nation. He has taken numerous steps by coming up with policies and programmes that will make Edo State the safest and most attractive business destination in the country.
First, shortly after he was sworn-in, the Edo State Government approved 50 per cent waiver for tax defaulters in the state. The Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in giving his approval said”the moratorium had its terms and conditions. Part of which is that to benefit from the government gesture, all the outstanding tax liabilities up to December 1, 2016 must be paid within 90 days, adding that debts were running into billions of naira.”
This was at a meeting between the state government and other stakeholders such as the Edo State Inland Revenue service (EIRS) and some major tax payers in the state.
Obaseki’s gesture from all indications is meant to encourage investors on the one hand and tax defaulters to join the pool of 10 per cent of those captured in the states’ tax net who pay taxes in the state in addition to tidying up the tax system on the other. The move was a result of the fact that 90 per cent of taxable adults and individuals were not paying their taxes when the government took over power. Citizens were either evading tax or the dragnet was not spread to include them. Quite remarkable was the fact that the governor promised during his governorship campaign that the tax administration in the state would be reviewed to check the perceived abuses and arbitrariness in tax assessment in the state. That promise has been kept.
Secondly, the governor, working in tandem with the revered Benin Monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11 announced the abolition of Community Development Association (CDA), a platform used by unemployed but deadly youths to unleash mayhem on developers in the state. They were responsible for chasing out of business men and women who want to invest in the state. Aside the official ban, the government followed with a law proscribing all such organisations and criminalizing the activities of such groups.
It went ahead to set up a committee head by Retired Inspector-General of Police to manage all cases arising from the activities of the proscribed groups across the length and breadth of the state, particularly, Edo South.
Thirdly, the Governor dealt with the issue of human trafficking which had given the state a bad name in the country and in the comity of nations. Again, the Governor working in collaboration with Oba Ewuare 11 dealt a devastating blow to the social vice of human trafficking. Through a new law passed by the State House of Assembly, the government criminalized all human trafficking offences. The traditional institution also placed deadly curses on all those from the state both at home and in Diaspora involved in human trafficking.
Also, Governor Obaseki embarked on a special trips to China, USA, Europe and a host others with a sole aim of wooing investors to the state. In China, he reportedly held several meetings with potential investors and told them to come and co-invest in the state in the area of building industrial and agricultural parks in line with the vision of his administration in creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youths of the state.
Aside getting Investors to invest in building Industrial and agricultural parks in the state, Governor Obaseki also wooed some other investors to see how they can come to co-invest with the state in the area of power plant in Gelegele where he establishing a sea port that would open the state up for import and export businesses.
It obvious to all Edos that Obaseki is clear-headed as to where he wants to take Edo State to in the next 4-8 years.
To give teeth to his latest efforts, the Governor last week inaugurated two Committees. One of them is the Agriculture ad-hoc Committee set up to kick-start reforms in the agricultural sector of the state before a full committee would be formed and this is coming under the government’s Agriculture Empowerment Initiative which aims at revamping the agricultural sector of the state.
These efforts have yielded very positive results as a couple of investors are already operating in the state, while the result of other efforts are at various stages of progress. Many Edo youths are getting employment daily from the companies and industries streaming into Edo.
Last week pontification by Obaseki was the icing in the cake, as the Governor slashed to a minimum of N50,000 the cost for processing Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) in Edo State, assuring a 30-day turnaround for processing land titles.
Obaseki, who disclosed this during an inspection of ongoing work at the Edo Geographic Information Service (EDO GIS) office in Benin City, said that the development is made possible as a result of the deployment of Geographic Information Service (GIS) technology by the state government in processing land titles.
From what has happened, Edo will be one of the foremost states in Nigeria where you can come in, buy land and within 30 days, you have all the documents and titles to the land. This effort deserves accolades from all Edo sons and daughters and even the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
From all indications, there are clear actions by the government to industrialize Edo State. It is promoting agricultural development across the three senatorial districts, it is promoting trade and commerce as well as creating massive employment opportunities for young school graduates. The government is building infrastructure and much more developing the Gelegele sea port and Edo State in general. The Government is making it very easy to do business in the state. It is, therefore important that all Edo sons and daughters both at home and in Diaspora join efforts with Governor Obaseki to bring this who idea to fruition for the benefit of everyone in the state.
Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State.
