NEPZA boss douses tension between firms

By Dada Ahmed

Abuja

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has advised the management of LADOL Free Trade zone and Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria Limited (SHIN), an enterprise in the zone to without delay shun years of attacks on each other’s entity.
Prof, Adesoji Adesugba, the Managing Director of NEPZA gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja following several unhealthy publications sponsored by the firms aimed at accusing each other of malfeasance in public space.
Adesugba said both organizations should also be mindful of the fact that continuing in the offensive against each other while the issues in dispute were pending before a court of competent jurisdiction amounted to “subjudice’’.
The NEPZA boss, who expressed dissatisfaction over the worrisome situation, explained that the Authority would no longer condone such unpopular displays aimed at ridiculing the country’s free trade zone scheme.
The managing director said it was incumbent on the management of both firms to respect the country’s laws by waiting for the court to decide on the case instead continuing in washing their dirty linens publicly.
In a statement by Martins Odeh, Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA made available to The Reporters,an online publication, Adesugba further said the Authority was only interested in an enabling business environment that promoted smooth operations in free zones corridors.
“I am urging both parties to eschew bitterness by quietly exploiting the legal action you have instituted. For us in NEPZA, we believe that all the issues could be resolved using the alternative conflict resolution approach.
“We do not want to manage zones where operators and enterprises are always on each other’s throat. We rather prefer zones where operators and enterprises genuinely help in the country’s industrialization process and create jobs for our teeming youth population,” the NEPZA Chief Executive said.