MAN Chairman Satisfied With Soludo Over Town Hall Meeting
By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha
The Chairman, of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, in charge of Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi States, Lady Ada Chukwuedozie has expressed satisfaction over the Governors town hall meeting with the manufacturers in Anambra State.
She said that it is the first time in a very long while in the history of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN)and the State government to have a forum of interaction, being able to communicate directly to the government how they feel as manufacturers.
Lady Chukwuedozie, who is the wife of the Chairman, of Dozzy Group of Companies said this in an interview with newsmen during the Governors town hall meeting with the Anambra State manufacturers at Harbour Estate, Ogbaru near Onitsha, Anambra State.
”So, this forum today offered us a platform to communicate back to the Governor on how we feel, and tried to proffer solutions on how it would have been done better, I am fulfilled.
“It is always important when you promulgate laws and policies that affect industrialization, for the Governor’s leadership of the State to touch base with the manufacturers in question, has to know how those policies are affecting them.
”The cost of power in the State is too high, up to 50% of the cost on the manufacturers, but the Governor did something very brilliant, he was able to secure MOU with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company EEDC, with the brilliant move to bring steady power supply, the productivity is boosted and when there is productivity, that will give rise to the low cost of products.
”Then the more you produce, the overhead will go down, if you produce less, it will carry a high overhead, if the manufacturers existing businesses are happy, it will attract other businesses into the State, when people know that the cost of production has reduced in Anambra State, more investors will troop in, and that will entail the general multiplier effect of job creation and wealth creation. So, the manufacturers are happy, the Governor was also happy.
Earlier in his speech, Governor Charles Soludo said that his administration has given commitment of the State government to partner with the manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the organised private sector to achieve his administrations industrialisation agenda.
He emphasized that buying local products is the best way to support its growth and urged Ndi Anambra living abroad and outside the state to send 25-50% of the taxes they pay to their home country to Anambra, assuring that if they do,the state will be far better in five to ten years.
Contributing, one of the Nnewi based industrialist, the Managing Director CEO Chikason Group of Companies, Chief Chika Okafor, in an interview with newsmen said that “looking at what we are passing through, it is discouraging, our plight is not what one can wish his greatest enemy because of some obvious reasons.
”Without power and security, you cannot attract workforce in the Anambra State today, we have equipments since four years and because the contractors handling them have ran away for insecurity, we have engaged so many people, by the time you gave them appointment letter, they told you that they will not be in Anambra state because of insecurity, we have issues like that”,he said.
He praised the Governor for his ideas which he said will affect positively on the manufacturers in the State.
Pic 1 Lady Chukwuedozie in an it interview
