I’II restore glory of Onitsha business community ― ONICCIMA boss

The newly elected President, Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA), Mr Chris Ukachukwu said one of his policy objectives is to restore the fading glory of Onitsha business community.

Mr Ukachukwu made this known in a press release signed by its Secretary and made available to Tribune Online in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Friday.

He said that his vision would be to explore every possible way of protecting the commercial potential in the Onitsha Business Community and key investors in the market.

“I intend to create platforms for engagements with stakeholders with a goal to attract unlimited opportunities for all carrying on businesses in Onitsha.’’

While acknowledging the critical role of the media, Ukachukwu said that he would collaborate with them in disseminating information on their programmes and activities.

He added that effort would be made toward strengthening relationships with federal and state institutions, agencies as well as supporting bodies to facilitate the implementation of favourable policies for the organised public sector.

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According to him, the challenges of poor information dissemination which often leads to the collapse of businesses; this we will tackle to make people to key into international best practices.

He described women empowerment as a major component of his agenda to ensure that through capacity-building, women could come under one umbrella to access funds to grow their businesses.

Mr Ukachukwu pledged to open the doors of the Chamber for more inclusive membership; review membership requirements to ensure that more businesses and individuals interested in Chamber activities would be absorbed within the fold.

“We will look at the Youth Wing membership; to take the youths out of streets, train and let them access various forms that are available to lower their financial burden and allow them to be our members,’’ he said.

Commenting on international relations, he said that the Chamber would work closely with Foreign Donor Agencies to find out beneficial programmes that would impact more positively on the Onitsha business community.

On planned relocation to Chamber’s permanent site, he said activities of land speculators and encroachers, who trespassed into their allocated land at Onitsha was hindering the progress of work. The place is currently under litigation

Mr Ukachukwu praised the effort of the state government in road construction and rehabilitation as it had mobilised contractors back to the site to ensure repairs on roads that were critical to commercial activities.

He added that he would interface with the state Commissioner for Transport, Dr Christian Maduboko, to extend the work of the traffic wardens into the evenings, so as to ease traffic congestion in the Onitsha and environs.

“We will interface with Police to look properly into traffic offences in order to ensure that road users fall into line with the rules and regulations,’’ Mr Ukachukwu said.