The last time I checked, the Imo State Government led by Governor Rochas Okorocha had successfully launched a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) policy. It suffices to say that the two sectors involved now have a business understanding among themselves apparently for the good of the state.
The initiative, which was launched on Friday, 27th April 2018, took place at the Imo Trade and Investment Centre situated in Owerri, the state’s capital territory. The historic outing, which unveiled the blueprint of the policy, was graced by countless top government functionaries and several captains of industries cum potential investors.
In his speech, Governor Okorocha stated that the Imo government was ready to enter into viable business partnership with any serious-minded prospective investor in the state towards ensuring that the ongoing societal menace like unemployment becomes a thing of the past in the Eastern Heartland.
According to the number one citizen, the government would exempt payment of tax, for up to twenty years or thereabouts, from anyone who has invested in any part of the state and could boast of a minimum of one hundred employees of Imo origin who are not relative of the investors.
He said, apart from tax exemption, hectares of land shall be provided for any individual or group that has decided to establish any factory in the state. He, however, disclosed that such largesse could not be provided unconditionally.
The governor hence stated that such privileges shall be granted to the prospective investors on the condition that the factory, when established, must be functional for at least two years without being obstructed. This implies that, the government would be willing to offer any of the aforementioned grants provided the investor(s) is/are determined to do business in the Eastern Heartland.
He went further to inform that even those willing to invest in housing estate shall equally receive the same treatment from the state’s government. He stated “If you want to go into real estate, we will show you about one kilometer of road and ask you to dualize and tar it. Or, we will mandate you to put street lights on the road. Then after your compliance, we will offer you any space of land of your choice for the proposed estate.”
Having taking note of all these, or the policy’s blueprint, as outlined by the Executive Governor, I have some pertinent questions to ask the number one citizen. I wish I could meet His Excellency one-on-one and deliberate the matters arising with him. Well, whichever way I deployed, the fact remains that my interest is targeted towards the good of the citizens and the state in general.
I wanted to enquire from the governor
how he intends to ascertain the genuineness of the self acclaimed prospective
investor. From his mission statement, it seems anyone who comes from anywhere
and indicates interest of investing in the state, or verbally assures the
government of adequate employment of jobless Imolites, would outrightly be
lavished with hectares of land coupled with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
If this is what the government intends
to do, then every dick and harry would definitely come in disguise as potential
investor just for the sole aim of defrauding the state of our common patrimony.
Hence, the governor needs to disclose to us how he intends to find out if the
interested investor is for good or bad. Or, the plan of the Rescue Mission
Administration towards ensuring that even if the investor eventually
established the proposed factory, the firm won’t die on arrival.
Aside ascertaining the genuineness of
the intending investor’s background or antecedents, there’s also need to ensure
that the business wouldn’t go into extinction within a very short time it came
into existence. We must have an avenue of ensuring that the intending
beneficiary really means business, and not just out for a kangaroo deal.
Similarly, how realistic is it to
exempt up to twenty years tax from the corporate body if eventually established
and becomes functional? Implementing such proposed offer is really far-fetched.
If we exempt them from paying tax for a whole twenty years, how does the state
intend to benefit from the firms as regards Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)?
Or,
do we intend to grant all the privileges to them just for the interest of
ensuring that our citizens are employed in the long run? We must take into
cognizance that the prospective employees are going to work for the firms
towards ensuring productivity; so I see no reason we should offer them
overwhelming largesse to ensure that they establish in the state. The partnership
or bilateral relation shouldn’t be initiated in such a way that the private
sector would take advantage of the government’s magnanimity.
Same question is applicable to that of the
housing estate. If they electrify our streets via installation of street
lights, how do we intend to ensure sustenance of the project? Or, does our
concern only lies in ensuring installation of the lights without guaranteeing
continuity in the long run? A strict measure must equally be implemented with a
view to ensuring that the private investor sustains their own part of the deal,
or does not violate any clause that’s enshrined thereof.
Besides, isn’t it justifiable to sell
such a critical and sensitive policy to the state’s legislators? Whenever such
initiative came on board, it is essential to involve the lawmakers to ensure
that it is duly given a legal backing thereafter. Failure to domesticate such a
policy would surely warrant its abuse by successive governments in the
future.
So, if truly the Rescue Mission
government sees it as a laudable programme and one that really means well for
the state, it shouldn’t hesitate in extending it to the Imo House of Assembly
to enable the legislators do the needful if need be.
The Igbo people would invariably say
“Ihe emeziri amaa, ana akpoya nwa nma” meaning literally, whatever that’s done
well is called the child of beauty. The adage is actually trying to educate us
that if anything is done the way it ought to, it would look nice in the eyes of
every onlooker. In other words, we are encouraged to take our time to bring the
best out of anything we are into or involved, so that, our teeming followers
will live to celebrate us.
The Okorocha-led government might mean
well for the Eastern Heartland by initiating the PPP policy, but it’s highly
consequential to involve every measure or approach that would ensure that only
the needful is adhered to as long as the initiative lasts. Think about it!
Comrade Fred Nwaozor
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers
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