By Alaba-Olusola Oke
Akure – The Ondo State Government has condemned poor handling of its property by some individuals.
Mr Olatunji Ifabiyi, the Special Adviser (SA) on Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services to the state governor, stated this during his inspection visit to Onyearugbulem Industrial Park on Tuesday in Akure.
Ifabiyi said that indiscriminate usage of the industrial park by entrepreneurs doing business at the park was worrisome.
“This place is not a dumping ground but put in place for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by the state government.
“But the way it is now, it has become an eyesore and I am completely devastated because most of the structures here are not maintained.
“Some structures put here by individuals are not supposed to be here,” he stated.
The SA said it would not be business as usual as government would not fold its arms while some people used the industrial park as their personal property.
He frowned at situations where some allottees would lock up their shops and travel overseas for years, depriving other intending business people from enjoying the facilities.
Ifabiyi also stressed that the government would not tolerate such acts henceforth, adding that the park was meant for business transactions not to be put under locks and keys for years without the desired economic impact.
“Maintain this park as your own for it belongs to all of us. For whatever we put in place today, our children will also benefit tomorrow,” he stated.
According to him, all occupants doing business at the park whose environment is not kept clean will be sanctioned.
He directed that the bushes in the paths of the park should be cleared so that the environment could look neat and attractive.
The SA stated that the management of the ministry would meet with all occupants of the park to deliberate on how to make the place a standard industrial park, where business owners could operate in conformity with set standards of industrial parks around the world.
Similarly, Mrs Omorinola Olanipekun, the Special Assistant on Cooperatives to the state governor, described the park as deteriorating, saying it was nothing to write home about.
Olanipekun stressed that all hands must be on deck to make the park impactful.
In his remarks, Mr Oluwasina Raji, the Special Assistant on Market Matters to the state governor, expressed his displeasure, saying no individual would allow his belongings to decay.
Raji added that the shops that were abandoned were not paid for thereby making the government to lose millions of naira that would have accrued over the years.
According to him, the present administration in the state is working tirelessly to boost SMEs and industrialisation.
The team also visited Trade Fair Complex on Igbatoro Road where the Special Adviser pledged that government would do everything humanly possible to turn around the situation of the place.