From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru has disclosed the readiness of his administration to partner Salt City Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SALTCCIMA) by providing it with the enabling environment.
The governor spoke at the inauguration of SALTCCIMA, the second chamber of commerce in the state; the first being the Ebonyi Chamber. He was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Oguzor Offia-Nwali at the event which featured inauguration of pioneer executive members and investiture of the first president of the organization at Super Nike Hotel, Okposi in Ohaozara LGA: “I am happy for having another chamber of commerce in the state and I assure that my government through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will provide you with all the needed assistance because I believe that people have started to feel the impact of my administration within this short period and we are ready to partner with any project that would develop the state.”
Having seen that the plans of SALTCCIMA were in line with the People’s Charter of Needs espoused by his administration, he assured of doing anything possible for the chamber to be the best in the South East.
In his remark, the President, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze who was sworn in by the immediate past President of Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Ide John Udeagbala, said that SALTCCIMA was established to have a business environment clement enough for the businesses to thrive in the state.
He stated that the organization would be interfacing with the government under an arrangement known as Business to Government Collaboration: “When government makes some business policies, sometimes the officials do not invite the business men rather the civil servants will sit in their offices and take decisions and for the fact that they are not business men, they will not understand what is actually needed in the system.
“But through this medium, we can approach them over whatever policy that needs to be reviewed to enable us breath as business men and women, it is in order to have an organized body that we established chamber of commerce.”
He noted that SALTCCIMA is one of the 70 city chambers in Nigeria and one of the 17 chambers in the South East, stating that it was their impact that attracted the government partnership.
Director-General, Dr. Emmanuel Nwafor explained that SALTCCIMA was set up to ensure that the entrepreneurs had conducive environment to operate.