‘Cultism, Killing Small Businesses’

A security consultant,
Chief Walson Ukachukwu, says small scale businesses, especially in the rural areas of the country were headed for extinction.
Ukachukwu who spoke to our correspondent in a telephone interview said despite the improvement in the supply of electricity to rural communities, businesses could not grow due to crime related issues across the country.
Speaking specifically on the effect of crime to business growth in rural Rivers communities, he said most people who had succeeded in establishing some businesses in the rural areas have since closed shop.
“Some of such outfits like barbing salon, hotels and eateries, welding as well as wholesale and retail trade have been on the decline,” he said.
According to the security expert, most of the operators of these businesses are more often than not attacked and robbed of their money and sometimes goods.
Apart from that, he continued, even such business people move to places they felt may be secure; they are also faced with the same scenario.
On the way forward, he called on governments at all levels to pull their resources together to arrest the situation.