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RSG Plans Industrial Park To Boost Business
The Rivers State Government has disclosed plans to build an industrial park as part of effort to encourage small and medium scale enterprises.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chukwuma Chinye stated this yesterday during the official opening of the 7th Port Harcourt International Trade Fair organised by the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), at the Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt.
The commissioner who represented the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi said the industrial park would be designed to house cluster of business enterprises, noting that small and medium scale ventures accounted for about 70 per cent of the state economy. He posited that government was ensuring that enabling environment was created to encourage investors, as well as positive incentives to boost investments in the state.
According to him, part of the incentives include the setting up of committee to harmonise all the multiple taxations and formalise the tax regime through enacting an enabling law.
He also assured to sustain the level of security in the state and improvement on steady power generation before the end of next year.
Earlier, in his address, the PHCCIMA President, Engr Vincent Adonye Furo, said that the 7th Port Harcourt Trade Fair, with the theme, “Advancing New Prospects for SME Growth and Economic Development in Rivers State,” would open up new vistas for potential businesses, contacts and investment opportunities with companies based in the state, while affording investors the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the open market.
According to him, “our projection for this year’s fair would be 400 exhibitors representing 30 per cent increase from last year’s fair and is expected to feature reputable international, national and local exhibitors, including the 23 local government areas of the state.”
In a goodwill message, President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), represented by Azuka Alagwu, appealed that governments at all levels should exercise fiscal discipline in implementing yearly budgets, with priority attention on infrastructural development and provision of incentives to support exports and business growth.
Also, Engr Maurice, the Managing Director of Total E & P, the major sponsor of the Trade Fair, said the synergy between Total and PHCCIMA is geared towards boosting business growth in the state, wishing participants to avail themselves of opportunity to showcase their products and promote the activities of the fair.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.