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Tag: lagos

  • Military assures Lagos residents of adequate security

    Military assures Lagos residents of adequate security

    The military authorities on Sunday assured Lagos residents of improved security in the city.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Ibok  Ibas, gave the assurance at the  regimental dinner of the Nigerian Air Force in Lagos.

    Ibas cited the recent aborted attempt by suspected Boko Haram members to simultaneously bomb 16 designated landmarks in Lagos as a clear indication of the military’s efforts to be on top of security challenges.

    Ibas, who was also the special guest of honour at the event, assured that the military would always be on alert to  prevent such occurrences.

    The regimental dinner was hosted by the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, AVM. Aminu Adamu.

    Ibas noted that but for intelligence report gathered by security agencies, including the State Security Service,  the sect had attempted to plant terrorists cells in the South West with Lagos as its headquarters.

    He said the recent failed attempt to bomb Lagos was a sad reminder that evil men do not rest.

    “Evil men do not rest, so we must always be at an alert in protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

    “True, Nigeria is faced with diverse challenges which challenges its autonomy.

    “Therefore, there is hardly an arm of the armed forces that is not contributing to this effort.

    “It is also glad to note that the armed forces and sister services are working together in inter-agency cooperation, information gathering and sharing.”

    Commending the efforts of officers and men of the force, he stressed that the Air Force was committed to ensuring that the activities of evil men were curtailed to the barest minimum.

    The highlight of the dinner was the ritual toast to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The lights were put off first before the toast in line with military tradition.

  • Lagos inaugurates rural water scheme

    WITH the inauguration of a new 180,000-litre per day micro-water scheme, Governor Babatunde Fashola has restated his administration’s commitment to providing potable water across Lagos State.

    Speaking through Finance Commissioner Adetokunbo Abiru at the inauguration of the Igborosun Micro-Water Scheme in Badagry Local Government Area of the state, the governor said the facility, which was installed to produce 60,000 litres of water per run, was to complement the efforts of the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) in suburbs, where the LSWC’s services don’t reach.

    Fashola said that so far, in the last six years, the state had provided 445 types of water projects of various designs in the rural and semi-urban settlements, depending on their population and topography in the last six years.

    He also said he had approved additional 28 water projects in the semi-urban areas of the state to complement the existing ones.

    These projects, according to him, consist of 10 solar-powered modified Type A, 13 modified Type A and 5 Type A.

    Commissioner for Rural Development, Cornelius Ojelabi, said Igborosun was picked for the project to transform the lives of residents of the community and its environs, including Pota and Ikoga Zebe.

    Ojelabi noted that the scheme would boost the residents’ healthcare as they would no longer waste time and dissipate energy in search of water.

    The commissioner enjoined the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to complement the efforts with regular power supply to maximise the full capacity of the water projects for people’s benefits.

  • Road accident shuts down Lagos

    Road accident shuts down Lagos

    It was a six-hour traumatic moment in parts of Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve-centre, yesterday. Agonised motorists and commuters gnashed their teeth in helplessness, following an auto accident on the Ikeja axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

    A trailer carrying two loaded containers, which fell on an Eko Meat Van marked XY433AAA, wreaked the havoc, killing the van’s driver and one bystander. Three other occupants of the vehicle were injured.

    The accident, which occurred directly opposite the Muslim Praying Ground at Ile Zik bus stop, caused a long queue of vehicles from Ikeja/Iyana-Ipaja route, spreading all the way to Mushin and its environs.

    Thousands of people trekked to their destinations. Train services from both directions were temporarily suspended, while security agencies had it herculean controlling the mammoth crowd at the scene.

    Horrified, many took pictures of the scene with their mobile phones; others simply took pictures of themselves at the scene for keeps.

    The cause of the accident was laid sorely at the feet of the police. It was learnt from eyewitnesses that at about 9:30 am, a police van on patrol along the expressway sighted a commercial motorcyclist popularly called okada, apparently flouting the Lagos traffic law banning bikes from the highways, and gave it a chase.

    The motorcyclist, unwilling to forfeit his bike to the police, decided to make a run for it but in the process, it lost control and fell, throwing its two passengers on the ground. The Eko Meat Van was said to have been forced to a screeching halt. The loaded articulated lorry marked AKD 964 XB, was also making its way towards Iyana-Ipaja.

    The trailer, it was said, hit the van from behind, causing it to spin around. The driver did his best to avoid a collision. It swerved to the right, but lost control and veered into the pavement.

    Four bystanders managed to escape thorough the drainage channel, but one was unlucky. As he attempted to run towards the rail line, he was crushed to death by a fallen container. He was identified as Gbenga, a manager at Slot a computer and phone company.

    When the policemen saw the carnage that occurred, they allegedly shot tear gas into the air to scare off the public and paved the way for their escape. No one got the identities of the policemen and their vehicle’s registration number.

    An eyewitness who works at Anifowoshe Primary School, opposite the scene of the accident, said: “I sat down here when it happened. I saw the trailer hit the man and the container dropped on him; he died instantly. Also, the police van that caused the accident ran away.”

    Another eyewitness, Kehinde Bereola, told The Nation: “The policemen passed by my car right here. They were chasing the bike man and the trailer was trying to avoid the van and the okada. That was how this accident happened. While running away, the policemen shot tear gas in the air and escaped. I saw everything that happened.”

    The Nation learnt that it took almost 20 minutes before emergency operators arrived at the scene. Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were said to be the first to get there, but could do very little to save the situation.

    According to the South West Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Iyiola Akande, rescue operations were delayed by the late arrival of the crane.

    “The crane could not get here on time because of the traffic; so, we tried to use our own cutters to cut the scrap. The two containers were loaded; it was not an easy job, but since the crane arrived, we have had more progress and there is hope.”

    Other emergency management agencies at the scene included: Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Marine Navy and the Nigeria Police, led by Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Emma Ngwu.

    Commuters recounted their agonies.

    “I walked from Cappa in Ilupeju to Ikeja. I am almost crippled now and I cannot go any further; that is why I have decided to stay in this van. Today is finished; if I can get out of here, I’m going home,” Sola Richards said.

    A motorist, Adebayo Olusoji, said he got to the accident site at 10 am and had remained stuck in the traffic for five hours. He said: “I think the police overreacted in the issue of ban on okada. People now label okada as “police ATM.” There is no sense in chasing bikes. Now, see what it has caused. My lost revenue today cannot be compared with the lives that were lost.”

    Soji Babatunde, a commercial driver, also lamented his wasted day. “I did morning shift from Sango to Oshodi. I was coming from my second trip when I got into this misfortune. Now, if this traffic clears, I am not working again. I have not been able to meet up my payment for today,” he said.

    But as many were moaning their losses, others were rejoicing. Small-scale entrepreneurs and road-side sellers cashed in on the opportunity to do brisk businesses.

    Chinoso Mbamoh said he had sold more than six cartons of Gala sausage rolls, an increase of almost 50 percent of his usual sale.

    Some commercial bus drivers also made the best use of the situation by declaring a party in the middle of the road. Loud fuji music tunes blasting from their buses, dry gin passed from one hand to the other and road-side food sellers became emergency caterers as they made quick gains from providing refreshment for the impromptu party.

    “We don’t have a choice; we don’t know when we will leave here. The day is already spoilt, so we should just enjoy ourselves,” said Olalekan Amujo, one of the stranded drivers.

    The trailer and the van were removed from the scene at 3.30 pm, while the injured were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

    The driver of the meat van was said to have died at the hospital, while the whereabouts of the bike rider was unknown. “He ran through the gutter, you can still see his footprint here,” a NEMA official said.

    The state police spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Ngozi Braide, could not be reached for comment on the incident.

  • Lagos partners private sector on LPG consumption

    Lagos partners private sector on LPG consumption

    The Lagos State Government in partnership with some private sector firms, including Oando and Banner Gas will unveil a programme aimed at deepening the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) also called cooking gas. The programme is tagged ‘Eko Gas.’

    The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Taofeeq Ajibade Tijani, told reporters at a briefing on the project in his Lagos office that the programme is expected to enable about one million people who use firewood and kerosene to switch over to LPG in the next five years.

    Tijani said the launch of the programme will take place in Lagos on Tuesday and would be kicked off by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.

    He explained that the programme has imperative in view of cleanliness and affordability of the LPG. Besides, he said Nigeria is Africa’s biggest producer of LPG, yet the least consumer of the product in the continent.

    Tijani said Governor Fashola has approved incentives to prospective investors that would build the storage and refilling facilities to create easy accessibility of the product to consumers.

    He also said about 20 per cent of the cost of cylinder would be eased by the government, in order to encourage Lagos residents use LPG.

    The Chairman, LPG group of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Omo’ ba Bambo Ademiluyi, said since the partnership is being done with registered companies with integrity, the quality of LPG and cylinders that would supplied consumers is guaranteed.

    Meanwhile, the state is also seeking the assistance of the Scottish Development International to develop and attract investors in its energy and solid mineral sector.

    Tijani spoke while hosting the Scottish Development International team lead by the International Senior Executive on Trade and Investment Scotland, Mr Andrew Monaghan.

    The Commissioner, while briefing the delegation on the activities of her Ministry, said Lagos was ready to collaborate with reputable Scottish firms with expertise on solid minerals, renewable power, oil and gas development.

    The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Iyabo Obasa, said the creation of the Ministry in 2011 by the administration was an attempt to accomplish the policy direction of attending to the power need of residents and explore the hydrocarbon, oil and gas potential as well as other mineral resources of the state.

  • Lagos Govt, ACN: Labaran Maku is misinformation minister

    The Lagos State Government yesterday condemned a statement credited to the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, that Governor Babatunde Fashola has done nothing in the state.

    In a statement yesterday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, said: “We read with a sense of pity the story of Maku’s denial of Fashola’s verifiable achievements. On one hand, we feel great pity that Mr. Maku has, within a short time, lost touch with the ethics of journalism, which emphasise accuracy, objectivity and facts.

    “On the other hand, we pity the country, if the man with the status of Hon. Minister of Information can descend so low as to misinform the world with such impunity.

    “Although his reason for such inflammatory remarks is still hard to discern, he would have done himself and the nation much good by limiting himself to his brief, rather than dabbling into issues he knows next to nothing about.

    “In an assignment such as ministerial briefing, which the Lagos State Government just did to mark Fashola’s sixth anniversary, all Maku would have done was to concentrate more on the achievements of the Federal Government, if there is any, and if there was nothing to report (as is clear from his vituperation), he could have done himself a world of good by keeping quiet (as journalism dictates), instead of exposing himself to ridicule through the unguarded statement credited to him.

    “One is, however, not perturbed by his behaviour, since it has become his stock in trade, going by the way of his earlier outburst about the National Assembly, for which he later had to apologise when the House cautioned him.

    “We believe that if Maku had taken time to research Fashola’s performance in power, agriculture, transportation, housing, health, education, sport, etc, for which the government has received many accolades, even from PDP leaders, his submission would have been better moderated as a communicator.

    “The issue of Environmental Sanitation raised by him betrays his understanding of the pedestal for good governance in any society. It becomes apparent that the Hon. Minister was befuddled by the state of development in Lagos, the nation’s former capital, which had been left to rot away, but which the BRF administration is taking to higher heights.

    “That the BRT buses run on Federal Government roads is quite laughable. One may wish to ask that since the capital moved to Abuja, who has been maintaining most of the infrastructure left behind by the Federal Government?

    “The questions are: Why has the Lagos-Ibadan road become daunting to the Federal Government? Why has the Federal Government failed to replicate the BRT system in Abuja or all over the country?

    “Perhaps Mr. Maku should have taken a trip to Lagos to see the ongoing transformation in the state through the expansion of the Lagos–Badagry expressway into 10 lanes, with light rail and BRT lanes; the 39km Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe expressway, the recently inaugurated cable-stayed bridge linking Lekki and Ikoyi; the ongoing expansion of the Mile 12-Ikorodu road; the greater attention to water transportation; the infrastructural facilities being provided all over Lagos and several other people-oriented programmes, before concluding erroneously that Fashola has not done anything in Lagos.

    “Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan and former United States (US) President Bill Clinton were hosted at the inauguration of the Eko Atlantic City, where President Jonathan pledged that the Federal Government would replicate the project in other parts of the country, and yet Fashola has done nothing.

    “The Hon. Minister should know that democracy is not about playing politics with facts. Also, journalism does not approve of people giving judgment based on personal interests.

    “The fact that we did not allow Maku to take credit for our projects in Lagos in the name of ‘Good Governance Tour’ does not give him the latitude to attempt to discredit a performing governor, who has continued to receive accolades from across the nation and internationally. Fashola is working, Lagos is working.”

    Also yesterday, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state accused Maku of trying to blackmail Fashola because the governor refused to host his “good governance tour”.

    It described Maku as “a disoriented wayfarer, who has ridiculed the Information Ministry with his attempt to waste the resources of states through his phantom good governance tour, even though he has done nothing to lift the Ministry of Information above the staid position of purveyors of infantile propaganda”.

    ACN was reacting to Maku’s statement that Fashola is not doing anything in Lagos.

    In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, ACN said: “It is ridiculous for an Information Minister to demonstrate this low opinion about a globally lauded administration, just because Lagos refused to entertain the kind of banality Maku and his ilk have employed to waste states’ resources in the name of good governance jamborees.

    “The Lagos State Government exists for the people of Lagos, who know and appreciate the value of good governance, and not pay-for-hire jobbers like Maku.

    “Ordinarily, we would not be drawn to join issues with Maku because he does not know what good governance is and will never recognise one if he comes in contact with it. We know Maku is a professional jobber, who said he employed student unionism to live like a king.

    “This says a lot about the character of a man, who is no more than a jester and praise singer in a government that has failed in every facet of governance.

    “We know Maku is merely vending sour grapes because the Lagos State government saw through his folly of organising a programmed revelry in the name of good governance tour when he had done nothing to uplift his ministry.

    “One would have expected a parodist like Maku to come to Lagos to unveil the new Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the new Lagos-Abeokuta Expresway, the new Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the new Airport Road, the new Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, state-of-the-art schools, hospitals, railway, etc, which the Federal Government has fixed with the whopping 52 per cent monthly allocation it corners monthly.

    “But here we are; Maku jumped through the death traps, which the so-called federal roads have become, to come and play pedestrian Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politics in Lagos.

    “If Maku, in his voluntary blindness, saw only progress in the environmental sector in Lagos, can he tell us even one sector where the PDP-led Federal Government has made a mark in its 14 years of waste laying in Nigeria?

    “Can he show us what he has done in the Federal Ministry of Information since he became minister? Can Maku tell us any thing the PDP governments he patronised during his tour of folly have done better than the Lagos State government?

    “We challenge Maku to tell Lagosians and Nigerians the so-called structures his government built in Lagos, on which he claimed the state government is collecting tolls.

    “It is a pity that someone that occupies such a position as Maku has reduced it to this low level by his infantile desire to take liberty with the truth because the Lagos State government refused to be part of his wasteful mission.

    “One would have thought that once the Lagos State government disallowed his frivolous jamboree of good governance tour, Maku would have come to Lagos to show us what the government he serves as a chief propagandist has done in the health, education, security, science and technology sectors and indeed every other sector, especially as they relate to Lagos.

    “But he did neither of these because there is nothing Maku and the Federal Government can show for the trillions of Naira they spend yearly. But Maku, blinded by the fury of his unmet demand, came to Lagos to expose the ignorance that has made him a misinformation minister, who thrives in singing the praises of a bland and incompetent regime that has failed in all scores of governance.

    “Maku came to Lagos to play the blind PDP politics of denial of the great transformation going on in Lagos, even when his party’s governors loudly acclaim these achievements and have come to understudy some aspects of Lagos governance.

    “We wish Maku some luck in this ludicrous mission, but wonder how he can recognise what good governance is when the government whose praises he blares has become a huge joke and a piece or ribaldry among Nigerians.”

     

     

  • Lagos Assembly hails verdict

    Lagos Assembly hails verdict

    Lagos State House of Assembly has felicitated with the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over the Supreme Court judgment which upheld Fayemi’s victory against Engr. Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the dispute over the winner of the 2009 gubernatorial re-run election in Ekiti State.

    Speaking in his office at the Assembly complex yesterday, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Hon. Segun Olulade, lauded the judgement, describing it as a victory for democracy.

    Olulade maintained that the judgement marked the end of the various diversionary tactics orchestrated by the PDP to distract the attention of Fayemi from his core business of governance since the case was filed in the law court, adding that the Supreme Court judgment has finally laid the issue to rest.

    The lawmaker pointed out that the PDP is a hungry and embattled lion looking for whom to devour. He also described the PDP as a sinking ship that is trying to draw others down with it.

    Olulade enjoined Fayemi and other progressive governors in the country, including Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, to remain focused, urging them to concentrate on those life-transforming programmes that would alleviate poverty and improve the living standards of their people, saying that nobody, no matter how highly placed, can remove them from their respective positions once they are determined to achieve results.

    However, Olulade condemned alleged desperation of the PDP to capture power in its characteristic do or die manner, saying that the leaders of the PDP should address their minds to the huge failure of the party in stemming insecurity and translating the vast potentials of the nation to wealth, good jobs and social welfare.

    He therefore urged the PDP to concentrate more on how to fulfil its electoral promises to Nigerians during the 2011 electioneering process rather than looking for ways to blackmail the opposition or destabilise governments in states not under their control, adding that such intrigues can no longer work in Nigeria.

  • Lagos’ll allocate 4,219 mortgage homes before December, says Fashola

    Lagos’ll allocate 4,219 mortgage homes before December, says Fashola

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has said the allocation of houses under the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (HOMS) would begin before the end of the year.

    Fashola spoke on Wednesday during an interview on the Lagos Television Station to mark the 6th anniversary of his administration.

    He said over 4,219 housing units in 12 locations across the state would be ready for allocation before the year runs out.

    About 540 units are located in Sangotedo, 270 in Ogba, 36 in Shitta, 60 in Ilupeju, 73 in Mushin, 660 in Agbowa, 540 in Ajara, 720 in Ibeshe, 144 in Iponri, 168 in Oyingbo and 1,008 in Ijora Badia.

    The governor was interviewed by the former President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Gbenga Adefaye of the Vanguard; the Editor of The Sun, Mr. Steve Nwosu; Ms. Mauye Ogun of Channels and an activist, Mr. Mohammed Fawehinmi, first son of the late Lagos lawyer, Mr. Gani Fawehinmi.

    Fashola said: “I assure you that before this year ends, we will start the process of allocating the houses. The allocation would be done by public draw. We are almost done. We are trying to eliminate the need for anyone to be a relation or friend of any government official before he/she can get a house.

    “We have prepared forms and set up a Lagos Mortgage Board. We are recapitalising the Lagos Building and Investment Company (LBIC) to give mortgages. We have set up arbitration rules and gone through the mortgage documents. We have prepared the draw rules. Draws would be made in public.

    “We have set guidelines for those who would be eligible – those who pay their taxes – so it will not do to rush to go and pay the tax overnight because we built the houses with taxpayers’ money. It is only fair that those who have been paying faithfully get priority.

    “We will not ask you to pay cash once. You will deposit 30 per cent equity of the value of the house you choose and pay the rest over a minimum of 10 years.”

    On affordability, the governor said: “I have always said there is no low cost cement or low cost iron rod sold to the government. We borrow at the same interest rate. Our contractors charge us the import duties and all of the cost attendants of bringing in the raw materials to build the houses.”

    Fashola hailed the first civilian Governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, on his achievements in housing, regretting that he did not stay long enough to institutionalise the process.

  • Lagos backs LagosPhoto festival

    The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations has endorsed the 2013 LagosPhoto Festival organised yearly by the LagosPhoto Foundation.

    According to a statement by the foundation, the Director, LagosPhoto, Azu Nwagbogu, met with the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Fadipe Ashamu Sewanu, on May 8 to finalise the endorsement deal between the Lagos State government and LagosPhoto Foundation.

    “This is in line with the ministry’s set vision of encouraging private sector initiatives on tourism that drive in showcasing artistic excellence in Lagos State. This milestone will enable LagosPhoto Foundation to achieve the objectives of contributing to the education of youths in Lagos and beyond and creating a distinct approach to photography and art exhibitions that reflect and pay homage to African culture,” the statement added.

    LagosPhoto Festival with the theme The Megacity and the Non-City ,will hold for a month commencing  with a grand opening ceremony/exhibition on October 26, showcasing  images depicting this year’s theme. Indoor and outdoor spaces around Lagos will be used this year, making the festival accessible to the public.

  • Lagos traders protest ‘relocation plan’

    About 100 traders, under the aegis of Ifesowapo Market Association, have kicked against an alleged plan to relocate them from Pelewura Market on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos.

    The traders went to the House of Assembly on Monday and urged the lawmakers to intervene.

    In a letter to the Speaker, signed by the association’s Chairman, Joseph Olawuyi, and Secretary Bamidele Adeyemi, the traders said: “We have been at that location for over 20 years. Our market is an enclosure, so we neither sell by the road side nor cause traffic gridlock.

    “We pay our dues and taxes to the local and state government authorities, partake in environmental sanitation and observe government rules and regulations in markets. We are active participants in government activities and programmes.

    “So it came to us as a surprise that we shall be moved from our market to create space for a cable car station that is being proposed by a private company.

    “We are not against any laudable programme of the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration to develop the state, but removing us from our market without providing an alternative market for us on Lagos Island is like giving us a death sentence.

    “We are entrepreneurs and we engage many youths as workers and apprentices. Pelewura Market Annex is where we eke out our livelihood. How do we survive if we are removed without being given an alternative market space?

    “We all have children, families and other dependants; how do we take care of them and ourselves? Your urgent intervention in this matter will be a stitch in time to save nine.”

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry, Bisi Yusuf, thanked the traders for conducting themselves with decorum and assured them that the Assembly would look into the matter.

  • New waste water policy for Lagos

    THE Lagos State Government is to introduce a new waste water management policy, the Co-coordinator of the Lagos Waste Water Agency, Mr Lekan Shodeinde, has said.

    He said the new policy will ensure that before approval can be obtained for any new estate and individual houses, the owners must show evidence of integration of waste water management programme to check pollution.

    According to him, the government wants to treat used water from homes and put it into better use.

    Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Environment, Dr. Taofeek Folami, said the aim of the new government’s policy is to protect the environment from pollution by discharging waste water into canals, for agriculture and recycling others for domestic use, such as laundry, car wash and for plants.

    He said by so doing, the environment will not only be preserved, it will save money.

    He said the state was working on an urbanised sewage system to convey waste to a centralised place by invoking the town planning law that makes it compulsory for estates of over 50 residents to have ‘package plants’, which is a central waste water management plant.

    He said through a good sewage design there will be a free flow and smooth breakdown of waste.

    He encouraged private sector participation in the building of the plants, noting that it is a multi-billion dollar business that has high returns on investment.