FG must keep off issues that stall business development in states - Ikpeazu

March 7, 2018  

By Ijendu Iheaka

 

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has called on the federal government to remove its hands from the things that impede businesses at the sub-national levels to enable the states drive the country's economy.

Ikpeazu made the call during the South East Stakeholders Regional Forum on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

He said that federal government's overwhelming influence in business environment has deprived states of the opportunity to make impacts that could improve business development and the economy.

He said that the central government should give states the opportunity to chose which businesses or organizations to patronise depending on the quality of their goods, services or cost.

"Nobody should enslave us or tie us to any contract. We should be allowed to exercise our freewill. It is in our Constitution and even in the Bible.

" Give us the ability at all times to respond to market forces because business is business. Enabling business is enabling the public.

"You cannot hold down the variables that can enable the public and say that you are enabling business", he said.

The  Secretary to Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, (PEBEC) Dr Jumoke Oduwole said the South East was replete with Small, Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) needing to be supported.

She said that the enterprises need to be made to know how to play by developing bankable businesses hence the need for the Council's support.

She promised that the federal government would continue to provide enabling business environments that would help grow Nigerian businesses.

Oduwole who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment noted that collaboration of states with federal government had increasingly improved the ease of doing business in Nigeria and asked for more collaborations.

Mark Atasie, Special Adviser to Governor Ikpeazu on Ease of Doing business said that the state had provided institutional reforms, tax reforms and tax payment platforms to enable ease in doing business.

According to him, Abia state has improved in ease of doing business in Ikpeazu's regime because the governor had invested in infrastructure including internet supported by its own Backbone.

The theme of the forum was "Ease of doing business: Reforms and Implications for SMEs".