Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 -
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Business Traffic Law: Fashola tasks LCCI on new business plan for Okada riders lJyMONSUR OLOOWOPEJO
OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola 01 Lagos State has urged the lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCO) 10 urgently design a new busmess plan that would engage commercial motorcycle operators popularly called Okada riders who were recenll}' restricted
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from plytng 475 roads in the
state Fashola made the appeal at the weekend at celebration of the 2012 Lagos State day and the closing ceremony of the
From l eft: Sped itl Adliser 10 !h e J\lfnis ler of Slale l or Trade iwd Im'eslm enl, Mr. Sle!'e Amase.- Alinisl er o( Slide for Trade and Investm ent, Dr. SiUDu el Orl olD and Blue Diam ond Log/slies limited. roes /lis lttbisiogu during the m inister's 1'151110 Chinalnfern aliona}
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2012 Lagos Slate ltade Fair end Exhibition held at the Thfawa Balewa Square. rrnS).
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Fashola Said that thiS 1$ the only way the chamber can
Agriculture: FG woos Chinese investors 8y C IIIOMA OHINNA
s part of strategies lor A Nlgena to attain its projected growth by 2020 and tackle the high rate of youth's unemployment, the MinlSter of State for Trade and Investment, Dr Samuel Ortom. has called for stronger trade relations between Nigeria and China in the area of agncultural mvestment According to Ortom, China being one of the world's fastest gro\\o'Ulg economy Wlth
an estimated growth rate of about 10 percent in the pdSt 30 years. investing in the country's agriculture would proVlde Chinese investors the opportunily to tap from the potenllals vested In the nalion's agricultural sector, Speaking at the just~ concluded Cluna Thade Fau m Guangzhou City. Ortorn POSited that such investment, apart from boosting lood secunty in Nlgena. would also enhance the economy of both countries. "Investment, particularly, 111
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the areas of importation of IndUstrial raw matenals for Chma and the exportallon of same by Nigeria will enhance the economy of both countnes" Assuring Chinese investors of enabling environment, the Mimster noted that Nigena IS blessed Wlth a lot of investment opportunities. regretting that out of the 88m.illJon arable land in the country, only about hall is being utilised Ortom said the Federal and State governments were already working towards developmg a sector路specific
investment pol.Jcy that would provide .a level playing ground for genuine investors and necessary support and IIlcentive that would mftke their business succeed when they II1vesl On his part, ClUef Executive Officer of Blue Diftmond logistics limited, Festus Mbislogu. who was in China while lending his weight to the minister's request, urged the Federal Government to address some of the factors aUectmg investment climate in
Nlgena such as multiple taxation, epileptic power supply, lack of access roads and general IIllrastructural problem staring the nation in the face, Maintaining that Nigerians 111 diaspora were also ready to come home and invest m agnculture and other sectors of the economy, he opined that IIlvolvement of these Nigerians would ensure the attainment of the present administration's transformahon agenda and the VISion 20:2020
partner With the state government on the new road traffic law signed into law on August 2nd m the state According to the governor. who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope.Adefulire. "The reason why we seek the partnershIp of lCCI is that the present admmlStratlOn m lagos State knows the importance of the chamber as the umbrella body for busmess in the country, espeCially Lagos state, "And because of thlS, LCel is one body that 1$ In a better position to help the state government in developing a sustamable busmess plan that would accommodate all the okada operators who by vutue of the new law may not be able to engage in the busllless again "We need a sustaillable business plan for these residents of the state This is because okada is not a sustainable means 01 transportation for any state, especially Lagos State, which has a megaoty status," "Before the restnclion of okada in the state, the number of orphans, widows and Widowers was increaslllg daily, and hospitals in the state were being congested With victims or okada acodents The governor emphasised lhat since the restriction, the state has recorded a drastic reduchon III the number of acddents and rome across the state R
EFCC, ICPC to prosecute printing firms over fake documents 8 yONOlU RI! DANIA
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Economic and FinanCial Crtmes Commission (EFCq and the Independent Corrupt Practtces and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have said that as an effort to tackle corruption in the country, they are ready to prosecute any printmg finn in Nigeria which engages III product.ton of fake documents Both Anti-.graft agendes said they are g0ll19 to work hand in hand with the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers (CIPPON). which regulates pnntlllg tn the
country to Identity printers who are not reglStered and engage 1Il cnme. EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim lamorde, and hiS JCPC counterpart, Ekpo Nta, Said this at the Nigeria 52nd Independence Anlllversary Lecture organised by CIPPON and the Federal Mirustry of Informauon, wtuch was tagged, 'ltanslormalioD Agenda Fighting against Corruphon and Generating Employment through Prinlmg' Larmode. who was represented by Mr Osita Nwalah, srud the fight against fake documents printing
began with the raiding of the Oluwole market on September 1. 2005 where over 40,000 fake internallonal passports. 50,000 assorted bank cheque books, thousands of travelers' cheques and fake certificates, among others were seized He said that fraudsters destroy the country's image abroad; urging CIPPON to report to secunty agenCIes once it has reasonable suspicion about questionable prmt job orders "TIle EFCC is ready to work Wlth you In ensunng that the problem of fake documents IS ei.Jmlllated," he sald