The President of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Engr. Vincent Furo, says the Rivers State government under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi is paying lip service to the much celebrated public private partnership in Rivers State, as less has been done to actualize the concept by the administration.
Engr. Furo made the assertion at the first NACCIMA 2012 quarterly council meeting, held at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt on Wednesday March 7, 2012.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the opening ceremony, Engr. Furo said the PPP in Rivers State is only on paper because only little is being done to justify its performance.
He said the public private partnership must be a collaborative effort between the private sector and government where there would be symbolic relationship and the driving process will be in the interest of both government and private sector to stimulate growth and economic development in the state.
Engr. Furo noted that the PPP in the state is not active and is mostly on the pages of newspapers as we are still expecting the practical aspect of it. He however assured that all hope is not lost yet for practicality.
On the diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa leading to the deportation of citizens, the president of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce and Industry said very soon their organization will visit South Africa for business and that the current disagreement has no effect on the business relationship of both countries as he promised quick settlement of the issues bothering both countries.
Earlier, the Rivers State governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has tasked the chamber to travel and understudy the progress of other countries with a view to bringing it to Nigeria and Rivers State.
It would be recalled that there was a meeting with the National president of NACCIMA with presidents, deputy Presidents, Directors General and executive secretaries of members at Marriot Hotel G.R.A, Port Harcourt.
The NACCIMA meeting attracted dignitaries such as the minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, Captains of industries and notable business organizations within and outside the state.
The National President of NACCIMA, Dr. H.A. B. Ajayi and his deputy Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
It is on record that any outcome from this highly placed economic meeting will be passed to both the state and federal government for deliberation and implementation.
In another development, a social crusader, Chief Prof. Jasper Jumbo, has tasked the governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, to do everything within his office to eliminate the sufferings of Rivers State indigenes in the name of buying fuel.
Prof. Jasper Jumbo made this remark in an interview with journalists at Hotel Presidential.
He however thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for removing the fuel queues in the country that used to be rampant all over the nation.
On the removal of fuel subsidy, he said people agitated because of the quantum leap in the price of the commodity and the cost of living, adding that each time there was an increase in price, people naturally hoard the product.
He said the issue of the maintenance of the existing refineries is in the front banner including the building of the new ones.
Prof Jumbo noted that recently government has decided to build new refineries and to extinguish the sufferings of the people, but that in a state like Rivers State, the government needed to create a depot or reservoir that could last three or four weeks in case of any scarcity. ###
Pius Dukor
