From Magnus Eze, Enugu
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has inaugurated a Committee for the establishment of Council of Igbo Business Leaders.
The Committee, headed by a foremost industrialist and former Presidential aspirant in the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa as Chairman while Chief Frank Nneji of ABC Transport is the secretary.
It has the mandate of creating a united and credible voice to speak for the business community in Igbo land, interact and liaise with both international and national authorities and other agencies with a view to instilling an enabling business environment in the South-East.
Inaugurating the Committee in Enugu, Iwuanyanwu charged it to work hard and immediately establish Council of Igbo Business Leaders with the following mandate;
“Create a united and credible voice that will speak for the business community in Igbo land, interacting and liaising with international, national, regional, state authorities and other agencies with a view to creating enabling business environment and attracting investment to Igbo land.
“Actively promote the economic redevelopment of the Igbo Nation by motivating and encouraging a conscious and deliberate investment in the home land by Igbo Business Men & Women( including sponsoring big-ticket joint ventures) with the aim of making Igbo land competitive with other regions of Nigeria and the World.
“Give recognition to Igbo businessmen and Women who have taken initiatives to establish significant businesses in Igbo land thereby creating job opportunities for our people, reducing youth unemployment and poverty in the region.
“Provide a sustainable source of financial and other support to Ohanaeze Ndigbo to help it achieve its lofty goals for the well being and protection of Igbo people and their interests in Nigeria and the world at large and to work to create and sustain a credible image for Igbo Businesses, Products and Services and help to stop all forms of unfair business practices in the Igbo Nation.”
He further expressed the confidence that Ohuabunwa, who was a one-time Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; a former president of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA); past president of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group; among others, was poised to redefine the identity of Ndigbo.
He said: “As a former Vice-Chairman of the Ohanaeze Strategy and Planning Committee and recently a Presidential aspirant in the last elections, we are confident Ohuabunwa has the requisite experience and exposure to lead this team to a successful accomplishment of the above mandate.”
He emphasised that the Igbo Nation was looking up to the Council to chart a kind of Igbo economic renaissance, assuring he already had good communication lines with the state governors who were anxious and poised to work jointly with Ohanaeze and the Council to achieve the lofty goals.
In his response, Ohuabunwa thanked the Ohanaeze leader for finding him and his colleagues worthy to be trusted with such an important assignment at this critical time in the life of Nigeria.
He pledged that they will work hard and speedily to populate the Council with the array of very great Igbo industrialists, agro- entrepreneurs; among others.
“We have Igbo businessmen and women who already have footprints on Igboland and those who are in the process of doing so, in order to fully prosecute the mandate trusting in the help of God,” Ohuabunwa.
Some other members at the event were CEO of Chicason Industries, Chief Chika Okafor; and Chief Gbazueagu Nweke Gbazueagu.