Rivers Professionals for Wike (RIVPROW) in Rivers State has attributed conducive the business environment and hitch-free business in the state to the efficient land administration system by Governor Nyesom Wike.
The coordinator of the group, Hon. Nemi George Alabo, said this over the weekend, while declaring open a workshop on land reforms in Port Harcourt.
Nemi, a member of the State House of Assembly, said Rivers State under Governor Wike has taken a lot of bold steps in reforming land administration system, adding that the system has encouraged business to thrive in the state.
According to him, the theme of the workshop “Ease of Doing Business in Rivers State: Land, Tax and Legal Reforms” was prepared to seek to dig deep into governments activities in reforming the state’s land administration system.
“Without a doubt, an efficient land administration system creates a more comfortable business environment and hitch-free business processes.
“Land administration systems must be periodically reviewed to be in tune with modern realities and to seamless to allow the public, and especially business interest and concerns to effectively leverage them.
“However, Governor Wike led administration has taken a lot of bold steps in reforming our land administration system and the benefits have been really evident and have principally contributed to ease of doing business too”, Alabo explained.
He said RIVPROW was an amalgamation of professionals in Rivers State, who subscribed to the vision of Governor Wike to ensure a purposeful leadership, transparent governance, fiscal responsibility and professionalism in the state.
Speaking on land reforms, the guest speaker, Dr Anugbum Promise Omuoha, said over 2,300 certificates of occupancy (CofO) were so far issued to land owners in the state, a percentage that was never achieved by any past governments in the state.
Onuaha, a special adviser to Governor Wike on land reforms, said before Governor Wike took over the memttle of leadership in 2015, it was only five percent of C of O that were issued out of 100 percent applications.
He said the administration met only 800 Cs of O signed and issued when Governor Wike came on board, saying that the administration was still working to ensure that land reforms in the state eased business activities.
Onuaha warned traders and land owners to shun illegal trading and trespass of government land to avoid severe consequences.