Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised to assist the tenants and shop owners at Circle Mall in Lekki to enable them to bounce back to business following recent looting and burning of the mall by hoodlums who hijack the EndSARS protests.
Speaking on Sunday during a condolence visit and meeting with tenants and shop owners at the Mall in Lekki, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State Government will give tax break and some financial assistance to all the business owners affected by the ugly incident.
It would be recalled that some hoodlums went on rampage on Wednesday October 21, after the EndSARS protests were hijacked and looted property worth billions of naira at Circle Mall and also set parts of the building ablaze.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration will not leave the people to bear the pains alone, noting that the Government will assist them to return to their respective businesses.
He said the state government will give all business owners in the burnt Circle Mall tax break of PAYE and will also appeal to the Federal Government to ensure that they get tax relief from the Federal Internal Revenue Services (FIRS).
Sanwo-Olu also promised financial support to victims of the Circle mall, which will be in the form of grants or loans to cushion the effect of the looting and destruction of their respective shops and stores.
He stated that the grant support is a non-refundable financial support to the victims. The affected businesses are not expected to pay back while the lending support would be in the form of a loan, adding that he is already discussing with some financial institutions to assist people with zero interest loans.
Sanwo-Olu also asked the shop owners to reach out to the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and urged them to make use of the opportunities being provided by the agency in assisting people who are in business, especially small scale businesses.
The Governor further implored people on reorientation of the value system and civil responsibility for everybody to be an agent of positive change in their community and anywhere they found themselves.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to security of lives and property in the state, Sanwo-Olu said that Lagos State will no longer tolerate hoodlums looting and destroying government and private businesses and properties.
He said though Lagos State Government cannot stop people from coming into the state, the Governor warned people with criminal intentions to go elsewhere before being smoked out by the Government.
The Governor said his Government is ready to encourage people who are in Lagos for business and would go the extra mile to protect businesses in the state.
