Change investment concept, develop S/East, Ohaneze tells Igbo traders in Lagos
The new President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo has called on leading Igbo market leaders and their members to change their investment concept by way of investing in the seven Igbo speaking states to grow the region’s economy and create jobs.
The states include Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, Delta and Rivers States.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of Igbo traders who converged at the meeting hall of Auto Spare Parts & Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA), Lagos International trade fair complex, Wednesday, he said “I am here today to thank you for your support on my leadership and I want to charge you to see how you can begin to replicate all you are doing outside Igboland in terms of investments and job creation now, in Igboland”.
He said his four-year term as head of Ndigbo worldwide is currently building a new confidence amongst Igbos both in Nigeria and Diaspora with the aim of growing the Igbo economy as it was before the creation of states in 1967.
He said Ohaneze is partnering with the states’ governors to workout attractive incentives that will drive Igbos home to invest and create jobs.
While recalling that Eastern Region was the fastest growing region in Africa before the creation of states in 1967, he said the already agreed incentives include tax holidays, seamless land acquisition, flexible loan facility and host community relations.
Earlier in his remarks, the President of ASPMDA and host of the ceremony, Chief Daniel Offorkansi thanked Nwodo for his emerging reforms, saying “this crop of Ohaneze leaders are highly respected and are beyond people one can corner by the side to induce them with anything”.
While calling on Chief Nwodo to see how he can talk to the hierarchy of the Nigerian Customs to desist from frustrating Igbo importers by impounding their already cleared containers on the highways, the new Ohaneze leader assured to lead a high powered delegation to the Comptroller General with a committee to be set up by the traders to complain for the hate-treatment being meted to Igbos by men and officers of the Customs as soon as possible.
Other trading groups that co-hosted Ohaneze leaders include Balogun Business Association (BBA), Association of progressive Traders (APT), Alaba International Amalgamated traders Association, Ladipo Trading Group, Berger Car Dealers, Mandilas traders group, Coker Building Materials group, Abule-Ado traders and Mushin Traders Association, all in Lagos.
