“You deserve National Award” NASS tells LADOL chairman.

Segun Oladipupo

The Senate Committee on Trade, Industry and Investment has said that Chairman of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), Mr Ladi Jadesimi deserves a national award for the massive investment of the Base in Nigeria.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Fadahunsi stated this during their oversight visit to the facility, recently.

Kunle Kalejaye, Public Affairs division officer of LADOL, made this known to our correspondent in press release in Lagos at the weekend.

The release added that the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Agency (NEPZA) also commended the initiative of turning a disused swamp into a world class industrial Free Zone over the last twenty years.

Kalejaye maintained that the delegation was highly impressed by the LADOL Free Zone and confirmed their commitment to support and protect the significant investments and achievements of the Zone.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Fadahunsi gave the Committee’s assurance during their oversight visit recently.

“I am very happy to be here to see that things are really going on. At your age (speaking to LADOL Chairman, Mr. Ladi Jadesimi] you are still aware that Nigeria is your home, and you took the initiative to invest here even when you have options to invest in Dubia, Europe and America. By what you have done, you deserve a national award by Mr. President.”

“Whatever is being done in government owned free zones can be done here. The Senate Committee on Trade, Industry and Investment is happy with you, and we will use our legislative power to back you.

” If the Chairman of LADOL and NEPZA introduce backward integration into this place and continue to enlarge this place and bring in more investments into the land so that our youths that are unemployed will be gainfully employed and crime rate will reduce,” Senator Fadahunsi said.

Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo also commended LADOL’s investment initiative:

“I feel proud that an indigenous company like LADOL exists. It is not owned by some German, some Indians, or some Lebanese owning this strategic place.

” Sometimes I feel worried when I see these foreign investors in the name of investing take over our ports, nobody knows what they ship into our country.

“I am a member Senate Committee on Defence, a member Senate Committee on Interior and I am the vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Nigeria Navy.

“So, when you see jetties all over owned by foreign investors and we do not know what they bring from their ship and dock here, this gives us a lot of concerns security wise.”

“Seeing you investing in your country, we want to help you. If there are challenges, we in the Senate will speak with one voice, if you are having challenges, please let us know. Your case is not a case of question and answer. We are not going to question you. We are going to support you.”

The Managing Director of NEPZA, Professor Adesoji Adesugba reassured LADOL of the agency’s support saying “We will make sure that the business you want to do survives and nobody cheats you. You can count on the fact that Nigeria will support Nigerians any day. There is work in progress. We will make sure that businesses don’t go elsewhere, and we want businesses to come here.”