Live and let live, Buhari tells Kaduna indigenes

Lauds state govt’s investment efforts
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Kaduna State indigenes to live in harmony, as development can only take place when energies are collectively channelled to building, instead of destruction of life and property.

Speaking at the virtual opening of the fifth Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (a.k.a. KADInvest 5.0) themed ‘Infrastructure, Industrialisation and Innovation’ yesterday, the President urged them to partner with government and security agencies to ensure peace in the state.

“We must live together as brothers and sisters because without peace, development cannot take place.

“I wish to commend the efforts of the Kaduna State government in establishing itself as one of the new investment destinations of choice in Nigeria. This is a further affirmation of the ranking of the state as number one for Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) by the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2018,” said the President.

Buhari called on the state government to keep up the laudable efforts and surpass the impressive results already attained.

He noted that the success of state governments in attracting investments, creating jobs and increasing Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) would be critical to the development of the country.

“I am impressed that the Kaduna State government has, from inception, used KADInvest as a serious platform for showcasing its investment potential. The state’s commitment to consistent implementation of the EoDB charter is exemplary, including its ability to increase its IGR to N44 billion in 2019 from N13 billion in 2015 without hiking tax rates. This is very laudable,” he added.

The President congratulated the state government for making KADInvest a regular fixture on its annual investment calendar since 2016.

His words: “It is a fitting statement of the resilience of the Kaduna government that it is able to host the 2020 edition amid the severe disruptions to the normal order caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This is the sort of determined focus that can help the country to navigate the challenging consequences of the pandemic.”