Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi
…Urges Other States to follow
By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON has commended the Executive Governors of Ekiti State, Gov. Fayemi Kayode and his Imo state counterpart, Sent. Hope Uzodinma for the implementation of the approved right of way price from a very exorbitant price to an industry and investment friendly price of N145 per liner meter approved by the Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Executive Secretary of the association, the group commended the duo for taking the pragmatic step through the issuance of Executive Orders in their respective states.
Governor Fayemi of Ekiti State and Senator Hope Uzodinma, Imo State Governor recently signed Executive Orders into law in their respective states in agreement with their State Hoses of Assembly for the implementation of the approved right of way price from a very exorbitant price to an industry and investment friendly price of N145 per liner meter approved by the Federal Government.
Their action was sequel to the letter written by ATCON in January.
In the letter, the association informed all the 36 state governors that telecom and ICT infrastructure must be seen and treated as a component of development in their respective states, considering their huge benefits in socioeconomic development of the states and the nation at large.
The statement reads in part: “ATCON is pleased to commend the recent pragmatic Executive Orders issued by Dr Kayode Fayemi, Executive Governor, Ekiti State and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma, Executive Governor, Imo State and their respective State House of Assemblies for the implementation of the approved right of way price from a very exorbitant price to an industry and investment friendly price of N145 per liner meter approved by the Federal Government.
“ATCON also appreciates these states for considering its letter which was sent to them in the beginning of the year recommending that telecom and ICT infrastructure must be seen and treated as a component of development in their respective states.
“These States are set to enjoy and maximize the opportunity that pervasive broadband penetration can offer as the people of these States can now leverage on uninterrupted telecommunications services which they have not been enjoying before now.
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“The reason for this is that telecom infrastructure would give them the opportunity to express their gifts and talents.
“The direct multiplier effect of this pragmatic executive order is that these States will experience a noticeable development both in the private and public sector which is expected to push the revenue of these states forward and it will also make companies that do not have presence in these states to consider opening a branch in the state which will lead to employment generation thereby reducing rural-urban migration.”
With this move by the governors, ATCON said that “their leadership have attested to the fact that the socio-economic development of their respective state is not mutually exclusive to broadband and ICT infrastructure development which has been one of the basis of our advocacy initiatives.”
It listed some of the benefits that are accruable to states that adopted and implemented the harmonized Right-of-Way price are as: unlocking of the inherent digital potential of these states and uninterrupted telecom services and
Fast paced of development enabled by robust Telecom and ICT Infrastructure.
The association therefore advised those States that have not implemented the approved the harmonized Right-of-Way price of N145 per liner meter to take a clue from these States so that together telecom and ICT infrastructure will speed up the needed development in Nigeria.
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