ONICCIMA flays late passage of 2017 Appropriation Act

The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA), has deplored the late passage of the 2017 Appropriation Act, which they said will grossly impinge on the full implementation of the budget.

The outgoing president of the Chamber, Chief Uchenna Apakama (FPSN), who stated this during the 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Chamber, urged the various ministries and agencies charged with the responsibility of preparing Nigeria’s annual budget and the National Assembly to ensure early passage of our national budget.

He said failure to adhere to this advice will make Nigeria’s national budget a hollow annual ritual, bereft of any serious commitment for effective implementation.
Apakama decried the rising poverty in the country due to the current recession and rising macroeconomic challenges, which have continued to pose strong threats to Organized Private Sector (OPS).

Enumerating some of the indices that cause poverty such as high rate of inflation, which is almost 18 percent, the high exchange rate, soaring electricity tariff, increasing unemployment rate, insecurity occasioned by the activities of Fulani herdsmen, low oil price in international market among others, the president said, with all these, they do not need to search far to know why Nigeria’s business environment remained unfriendly.

He said, “the chamber therefore calls on the governments at all levels to continue taking proactive measures in order to reduce the high incidence of poverty in the land”.
The chamber also welcomed the initiative of the Federal Government in establishing Ease of doing Business Commission headed by the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo himself, which was recently signed as Executive Orders.

ONICCIMA condemned the delay in completing the second Niger Bridge and the take-off of Onitsha River Port Commissioned since 2012, saying “the stalling of these two essential infrastructural projects seems to us a clear case of marginalization and injustice.

The chamber is once again, calling on relevant authorities to give the people of the South East zone a sense of belonging by bringing the two projects into reality, without further delay. They also called on the Federal Government to fully rehabilitate the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway and include the South East in the national railway programme.

The Onitsha Chamber commended the licensing of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) but appealed that obtaining the bank’s facility, when it becomes operational should not be too cumbersome. The high point of the AGM was the election of new officers and the conferment of awards of excellence to some deserving people.

Donatus Ebubeogu, Managing Director of Tiger Foods Limited was elected as the 12thPresident of the Chamber, Sir Chris Ukachukwu, the Managing director of Rexton Industries Limited was elected first deputy president, while Chief Kelvin Obieri, Managing Partner of Ich Dien Audit, a firm of Chartered Accountants will serve as second deputy president.

The awardees were Chinedu Nwankwo, a pharmacist, Dr. Gaius Chuka Onwuasoigwe, Medical Director, Bethsaida Specialist Hospital and Maternity, Onitsha, Chief Theophilus Atuenyi, Chairman, New Tyres International Market, Nkpor, Deacon Christian Chimezie, Assistant Director, Nigeria Shippers Council, Chief Nathan Ofoma, Chairman and Chief Executive Nathan Ofoma and Sons Limited, among others.

In his speech, Chimezie expressed his happiness for being considered worthy of the award by the Onitsha Chamber, saying that the recognition of his contribution to the Chambeinr the past 23 years was a source of inspiration to him.

Deacon Chimezie, a former Vice President of ONICCIMA, pledged his commitment to the development of Chamber movement wherever he found himself in Nigeria, stressing “once a member of the chamber movement always a member.

He stressed the need for a befitting office complex for Onitsha chamber as well as introduce ICT innovation as it would help advance the chamber’s
movement in Onitsha.