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Enugu state government has expressed its readiness to creating a sustainable industrial business environment in order to make the state a commercial hub of the south east.
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo made this known at the open membership forum organised by Enugu Chamber Of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA.
Declaring the forum open, Ogbu-Nwobodo, represented by a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Moses Otiji, commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for various policies and programmes aimed at empowering traders in the state.
In his welcome address, the President of ECCIMA, Emeka Udeze said the chamber is ready to add value to the advancement and growth of businesses in the state, noting that the forum was aimed at charting a way forward.
“The chamber has packaged this event, to offer another germane platform for robust networking, business information update and to draw from the expert knowledge of the presentations that would be made at the course of this forum”.
The Central Bank of Nigeria represented by the Branch Controller, Enugu, Emmanuel Okonjo who listed some of the economic benefits from the bank’s anchor borrower’s scheme, commended the state government for being one of the bank’s success stories and advised fresh graduates to key into the youth entrepreneurship development programme of the CBN.
According to him, “ the bank has development centres, and recently, we have created entrepreneurship development institutions which SME Enugu is on. People should come as a group, register with them and then come back to central bank to key into this initiative, which is the banker’s committee”.
A consultant in the Bank of Industry, Owunari Adaye-Orugbani, while responding to some questions after presentation on packaging SMEs for access to credit facility, said the bank funds the establishment of any agricultural business as it is the duty of the bank of agriculture to do so.
“Surprising, the accessible funds has been barely accessed. And this is because every financial institutions has preconditions that must be meant before you can access their funds”.
Speaking on power supply and customer service, the Strategy Officer, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Uttam Zalte, represented by EEDC Head of Communications, Chukwuemeka Eze, said the agency is committed to quality service delivery.
Eze, who dismissed the claims that EEDC sells metres to customers, advised people to stop giving anyone money for metres as they are supposed to have it free of charge.
He noted that “customers are not paying for repairs of electrical installations; all they owe us as customers owe us is payment of their electricity bills”.
Also speaking on good governance, business growth and development, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Emeka Ononamadu, represented by Head of Electoral Operations Department, INEC, Enugu state, Joseph Ineji, said the INEC is committed to ensuring hitch-free elections in the state, noting that the agency has no statutory powers to manipulate elections and to arrest or persecute anyone.
EnuguDaily.com reports that the open membership forum attracted representatives from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company as well as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Enugu state.
