The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has signed an Executive Order for the establishment of an investment agency that will coordinate the inquiries about businesses following investors interest in the state.
Governor Fubara signed the Executive Order No. 002 of 2024 for the establishment of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency when it was presented to him by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma, SAN, at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The Governor explained that the move became imperative following the resolution reached at the Rivers State Economic and Investment Summit in May.
He said the summit served as a veritable platform to open up the state for economic advancement, adding that the Investment Promotion Agency would be a one-stop-shop to handle all related activities seamlessly in the state.
Fubara said: “What we just did today is in line with one of the recommendations of the special committee that handled the Rivers State Economic and Investment Summit that was held in May this year.
“As a fallout of that summit, we all agreed that the windows and the big doors for economic advancement of the state has been opened. But, it will be very important for us to have a one-stop-shop.
“This will enable investors when they come in; they won’t need to run around, and maybe, fall into wrong hands or associations that will want to rip them off their investment stakes.
“With this, they will have an agency that they could go to, liaise with and the agency will have the required answers to whatever it is that they will need to address concerns before it.”
He pointed to the fact that beyond organising the summit, his administration was showing that it could live up to fulfilling its promise of making Rivers State great again, economically.
He added: “We are not going to end here. In a couple of days, the agency will be properly constituted. Now that we have the agency order signed, we are set to deliver to the good people of Rivers State and prospective investors; the other part of it will soon commence.”
“We are looking forward to robust business deals that will be coming into our state, more especially in the area of healthcare and agriculture.
“We understand what is happening in our country today. Half of the trouble is about the issue of feeding: the high cost of living. If we are able to reduce the cost of living, about 70 per cent of our problems would have been taken care of. And that is our dream and desire for Rivers people.”
Governor Fubara thanked the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, and other members who had assisted to make sure the recommendations in the committee’s report are implemented.