NACCIMA Seeks Better Partnership With States

Governors of the 36 states in the country, including authorities of the Federal Capital Territory, have been told to work in synergy with the various city chambers of commerce in their states to help stimulate and actualise their various Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.

President of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Dr. Vincent Furo, made this call during the first quarterly council meeting of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) held in Port Harcourt, recently.

He explained that the Federal Government has shown robust commitment by aligning itself to working as partners in progress with NACCIMA, and emphasised the need for this to be replicated at the state level where most of the governors only pay lip service to issues concerning their cit chambers.

He said in Rivers State the PPP program has not attained the desired altitude because major players who have the knack to make it work are either totally blanked out or given the back bench in the scheme of things.

“We have made our voices heard following the absence of our members on the Rivers State Board of Public Procurement and the various PPP drives in the state”, he said, while condemning the trend as capable of stifling economic progress in the state.

Speaking on the first quarterly meeting of NACCIMA held in Port Harcourt, Furo said it was a huge success.

“Rivers people are noted for their hospitality and goodwill, hence, the first quarterly meeting of NACCIMA in Port Harcourt was a further proof to that as members from the various city chambers in the country and the national body were  treated to an excess dose of our traditional hospitality”.

According to him, the event was the best in terms of organisation and the quality of resource persons that attended.

Corroborating the remarks of the NACCIMA boss, President of NACCIMA, Dr. Herbert Ademola Ajayi, said Port Harcourt was a good host as everyone that attended had a swell time within the period of the conference.

The NACCIMA helmsman also spoke on some of the resolutions reached and said, NACCIMA will soon launch an emergency relief fund that would be driven by the private sector to provide speedy attention to matters of urgent interest in the country.

He said the project is of immsense importance to NACCIMA and will serve as part of its corporate social responsibility aimed at giving back to society and the country at large.

“NACCIMA serves as the umbrella association for the chambers of commerce in Nigeria and must be seen contributing her quota in support of society and national development”, he said.

In addition to the communiqué reached at the three-day event, Ajayi also said by the association’s constitution, the president of the country is expected to be the grand patron of NACCIMA. Hence, as part of the communiqué reached, there are plans to have an investiture to honour the president in this direction.

Speaking on the security threats and its effect on the economy, the NACCIMA boss noted that no matter the threats posed by anyone to defame the government, one of the basic tenets of NACCIMA is to develop a responsible working relationship with government, regardless of its political fate, for the pursuit of commerce, business and other economic activities of interest to its members and also within the wider context of the nation’s socio-economic development. He observed that foreign investors determined to do business will surely invest, knowing the effort of government to bring  the problem under control.

He acknowledged that the private sector is one the same page with government to ensure that it improves on the economic fortunes of this country.

The three-day conference hosted by PHCCIMA attracted major players in the organized private sector (OPS), top government functionaries, members of the diplomatic corps and the general public.