RIVERS: Leading Investors Sue for Peace, Call Political Actors to End Crisis..
…but face governance to boost Investments in the state
By Precious Ahiakwo
The political crisis in Rivers State is now getting to the leading investors and that brings worries anxiety to the entire business world in River State.
The Deputy President of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr Emi Membere-Otaji, while playing host as a key note speaker at the opening of the 2023 Correspondents’ Week/Award ceremonies of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Port Harcourt, lamented that the crisis is negatively affecting the economic development of the state.
Dr Emi Membere-Otaji while calling on the Political actors to stop the political crisis and face governance so as to boost Investments into the state, described the theme of the programme “Rivers State and the Quest for an Ideal Investment Climate: the Role of the Media,” as apt.
He said, “There must be deliberate infrastructure around the 23 LGAs for people living there to curb urban-rural migration, just like in US, where every state has numerous cities. So infrastructural development should be state-wide.
“There must be intentional and deliberate support for the micro, small and medium enterprises. These enterprises employ more people than the public sector. They must be supported; they form the basis of our GDP and employment of labour.
“There must be intentional incentives for businesses to thrive, because the SMEs are crying. Lagos and Ogun are deliberately attracting investments into the state with so many incentives. They are giving businesses all the support to thrive.”
“There must be strategic and deliberate development as obtainable in Lagos and Ogun. The time for a deliberate, stronger public-private sector partnership in Rivers State is now.”
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Construction and Housing Mayor Limited, Mr. My-Ace China, is asking the Rivers State government and the media to lead the drive to change the harmful perception of investors about Port Harcourt, so as to attract investments.
He explained that there is a need for government to increase its backing to the media, for it to continue to engage in positive reportage of activities that promote the state.
China, who is popularly known as ‘Mayor of Housing’,said, “Entertainers are tired of the Lagos, Port Harcourt dichotomy. The greatest thing we are tired of is the capital flight. We are tired of that narrative that Port Harcourt is unsafe.”
“The second part of what I want to say is that we are tired. I have been in Rivers State long enough to feel the pulse of the people; we are tired.”
“Talk to the incumbent governor, he will tell you that he is tired of politicking and politics, he is hungry for value-ticking and value-tics. He is tired of political promises without dividends of democracy. He is tired of promises without deliverables.”
“He is so passionate about delivering deliverables to a level to his does not mind whose ox is gored. He is committed to that and I admire him greatly.”
The Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Rivers State, Amaechi Okonkwo, said the theme of the programme was chosen because the media as agenda setters have a role to play in the environment they operate in.
He appealed to politicians in the state to have the interest, wellbeing and prosperity of the state in mind, “because even politics and politicking do not prosper in a troubled and insecure environment.”