Yuletide: Entrepreneurs plan to cripple economy over N2bn grant

This year’s Christmas and New Year festivities may be bleak following the plan by entrepreneurs to shut down the economy over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) refusal to release N2 billion grants to them. The entrepreneurs under the auspices of the National Association of Enterprise Employers (NAEE) disclosed at the weekend that it would begin a two-week warning strike beginning from December 21st. Addressing a press conference in Uyo week end, the National President of NAEE, Mr. Solomon James Akpan said that buying and selling of goods and services will cease across the country at the expiration of the 7 days ultimatum given to the Federal government and the CBN. Akpan insisted that the CBN must invite the leadership of NAEE for negotiations on when the N2 billion grant would be disbursed to them failing which “not even pure water would be sold on the streets in any part of Nigeria”. The association in a letter it sent to President Muhammadu Buhari and copied to other agencies of government observed with dismay, that even the ANCHOR BORROWER scheme and many other schemes have been proven to be a scam on Nigerians. “The National Association of Enterprise Employers (NAEE), organizers of the National Entrepreneurship Programme (NEEP) in Nigeria brings to the notice of the president that; for three years now, our body has applied for a grant of Two Billion Naira only (N2b) to be disbursed to four million, eight hundred thousand members across the nation. But there is no response from the CBN. “Since the CBN is making life difficult for the young and old business entrepreneurs by not allowing Entrepreneurs to access the numerous empowerment grants, to help us improve production so as to reduce the prices of goods and commodities in the country, hence the warning strike/peaceful demonstration”. “We have observed with dismay, that even the ANCHOR BORROWER scheme and many other schemes, have been proven to be a scam. Consequently therefore, we have come to the conclusion that all buying and selling of goods and commodities will be at a standstill for two weeks until CBN gives us the reason why they are not responding to any of our application letters or even give directive on where or whom we can approach for positive actions”. He said NAEE said the quest to empower the body came out of the desire to help to country in the areas of employment and job creation, to drastically reduce unemployment and youth restiveness in the country. The association which considered the regular crowd of unemployed youths who often throng political rallies as evidence of both idleness and high rate of unemployment, said empowering entrepreneurs would to a very great extent help checkmate youth restiveness and crime. Isaac Job, Uyo