The President of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Sir Mike Elechi, has urged members of the association to tap into the advantage of what his administration has put on their table.
He gave the advice while addressing PHCCIMA members during the general monthly forum at its Secretariat in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.
He said, “it is our promise to add value to the chamber and to ensure that you derive benefits out of your annual dues, and part of it is the consistent monthly general forum. As business men, whatever we do without marketing our produce to each other, we have done nothing. So, I felt that we should start trading within ourselves on our various products and services and translate it to our next door neighbour.
“In the monthly gathering, we share complementary cards and reach out to one another, we’ve designed the gathering in a way that each of the meeting day, we bring one or two organisations to talk to us on relevant topics as it affect our businesses and we have kept fate to that”, he added.
Elechi, who is the chairman and chief executive officer of Vintage Farms and Products Ltd, frowned at members who deliberately absent themselves from the monthly gathering, which according to him; do not tell good of their association in the eyes of their guest speakers who have clamoured to meet them in their numbers.
He, therefore, appealed to members to try and tap on the opportunities before them.
In his keynote presentation, the Regional Manager, Trustfund Pensions Ltd, Dr. Omaka Omaka, who spoke on “Various Subjects on the Contributory Pension Scheme”, encouraged corporate organisations on the advantage of partnership with the Trustfund Pensions Ltd as any contribution made keep appreciating over time.
He advised business owners, particularly those at the informal sector, to involve themselves in microfinance fund and enrol their staff in pension scheme, which were in stages with the essence of getting fund at the retirement age, adding that it was a motivational approach for their staff to turn in their best, and a criminal offence to withhold pension deductions.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, represented by the Deputy Director in charge of SMEs, Mr. Patrick Igbo, also spoke on the topic, ‘Rivers Cares’, advised business owners to take advantage of the national domesticated programme tagged, RivCares, an intervention programme put together by the Federal/State Governments and World Bank to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained the processes valid members of PHCCIMA would go about registering online, cautioning that there was no agent appointed for the programme, which according to him, would end on July 13, 2022.
In another keynote presentation on “How to Make Your Business Succeed In These Tough Times”, the Managing Director of Primeport Logistics Ltd, Otunba Femi Adewunmi, advised business organisations to consider their fundamentals when growing their businesses to be able to stand strong in tough times.
In an interview with journalists after the meeting, the Managing Director of Primeport Logistics Limited, Otunba Femi Adewunmi, explained that whereever problems exit, there was always an opportunity, adding that as business owners, one needs to calibrate and get prepared for an eventuality.
The clearing and forwarding expert also gave reason why the Eastern Ports were not making much progress against that of Lagos.
He said, “The truth is that we are not uptimising the limited things we have in the region.There is no structure on ground at the Eastern Ports, and that is what the Primeport is putting in place”.
Other executive and council members present at the forum include the 2nd Deputy President, Hon. Prince Charles Beke; Treasurer, Surveyor Emmanuel Ogbonda; Publicity Secretary, Pastor Uche Onochie; PHCCIMA HLVP and SESSCCIMA President, Dr. Hyke Ochia.
The rest includeelected council members: Barrister Innocent Amah, Chief Emeka Ezekwe, Mrs. Florence Nwosibe, who also is the chairman of Trade Missions Desk, Trade Group Chairmen and distinguished members, other guests, pressmen and the Director General, Mr. Erasmus Chukunda.
The July Members’ General Forum was sponsored by the Chamber Members’ Welfare Secretary and Managing Director of Goddie Chemicals International Company Ltd, Engr. Godwin Etim, and Trustfund Pensions Ltd.

By: Nelson Chukwudi