As the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) commences disbursement of the N50 billion COVID-19 stimulus package for households and small businesses this week, the President, United Furniture Dealers Association Of Nigeria (UFDAN), Mr Emeka Egwuekwe, has called on the Federal Government to include its members in the package to save the industry.
He also lamented that the furniture manufacturing industry has lost over N600 million during the COVID-19 lockdown, noting that if COVID-19 package was not immediately accessed, most of his members would close shop after the pandemic.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday distributing the COVID-19 palliatives to various communities in the Federal Capital Territory and his home Community Enugu-Agidi, Egwuekwe, who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Of Prince Interior Furniture and Furnishing Company Limited said the palliatives were part of his corporate social responsibility programme.
According to him, the FCT communities that benefited from the palliatives which includes foodstuffs, bags of rice and noodles, hand sanitizers, face masks and money are Kugbo 1 and Kugbo 11 and the furniture market.
Egwuekwe, while commending the Federal Government for its efforts in containing the rampaging pestilence and alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians, charged the government and its agencies, especially the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, the Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 to display transparency and accountability in the disbursement of palliatives and conditional cash transfer to millions of poor Nigerians.
He said: “the government should look into our sector, the furniture industry. If care is not taken, a lot of furniture dealers would go out of business after this COVID-19 pandemic.
As the President of the United Furniture Association Of Nigeria, I want the government to look at ways of including members in the CBN N50 billion COVID-19 intervention loan, our members need this bailout loan as the furniture industry provides over 6,000 jobs. If you go to Kugbo furniture market you will discover over 6,000 Nigerians making their living from the market.
“I tell you that after this COVID-19 a lot of companies will go extinct as most of our raw materials are imported from China, and since we have not been able to import for sometime and the companies are not working, it’s a major challenge. So, I am pleading with the Federal Government to include us in the bailout funds. We have lost over N600 million not only in revenue, this market has lost over N600 million because of the lockdown.
“The business aspect is closed. People are crying and this is happening when the year is just picking up. So many imported goods but we cannot clear them and others cannot replace their stock. As I speak, so many are still losing so much money as they cannot get their goods or bill of lading to clear the goods. We are in a quagmire and calling for government’s intervention to save our businesses” he lamented.
Egwuekwe had earlier provided about 12, 000 bottles of hand sanitisers to the communities.
He is also creating awareness on the pandemic in the communities and churches through radio jingles in Igbo and English languages, as well as mobilising health officials to enlighten the people on the necessary precautions to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus.