13112019 - Protesters storm DSS Hq, want Sowore, Bakare freed

40 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019
VOL. 2 NO. 59 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019
Nigerian businessmen storm Anambra for
share of $250bn global capital fund for Africa
By Vincent Ujumadu
AWKA— NO fewer
than 3,000
corporate organizations
and private businessmen
and women from almost all
the 36 states of the federation
and Abuja, recently
gathered at Agulu,
Anambra State to grab a
chunk of the $250 billion
global capital for the African
Continental Free Trade
Area said to have been
provided by the United
States of America, USA,
Canada, China, Japan and
some European organizations
for the third world
countries.
The money was made
available through bilateral
agreements for the development
of African
countries.
Sources of the money included
the USA Development
Finance Corporation
with $60 billion capital, the
European Investment
Plan, which has set aside
E40 billion to support businesses
in Africa; the Economic
Partnership for Africa,
which is for those who
want to export to Europe,
as well as the Africa Free
Trade, which would take off
in the first quarter of 2020.
The Golden Tulip Hotel,
Agulu was filled to
capacity, with some of the
participants thinking that
part of the money would be
shared to them there. In
fact, many of them armed
themselves with
documents just in case the
organizers of the financial
development strategy,
might be disbursing part of
the money.
But Dr. Nicholas Okoye,
an investment expert and
Chief Executive of
ANABEL Group based in
the USA, said although the
money had been mapped
out for businesses in Africa,
it is not cash just waiting
to be collected. Addressing
the entrepreneurs and top
government officials as part
of his organization’s
development strategy to
enable the country’s businesses
access the fund,
Okoye who is the founder
of Nicky Okoye Foundation,
said the important
thing is for business outfits
to ensure that they could
easily attract investors by
putting their businesses on
a sound footing.
Okoye said: “We are passionate
when it comes to
growing businesses, entre-
•Participants at the business forum
Abia govt gives medical support to 3,500 IDPs
U MUAHIA-Follow
ing the lingering
communal crisis between
the Isu community
in the Arochukwu
council area and her
Utuma neighbours in the
Biase council area of
Cross River State, the
Abia State government
has held medical outreach
for over 3,500 Internally
Displaced Persons
at Isu Community.
A boundary dispute
had erupted between the
Isu community and her
Utuma clan over limestone
deposits located in
the area. President General
of Isu Progressive
Union, IPU, Elder Felix
Okoro, told South East
Voice, that over 3,500 indigenes
of the community
have been displaced
due to the crisis.
Speaking during the
flag-off of a 2-day medical
outreach at the IDP
camp located at Ohabuike
Primary School,
Obieze Isu, Commissioner
for Health, Dr.
Joe Osuji said that the
state government had
embarked on the 2-day
medical outreach following
news of border clashes
that had made the Isu
people become refugees
on their land. The Commissioner
stated that efforts
are ongoing to resolve
the dispute to ensure
that the IDPs return
to their ancestral home.
In their separate
speeches, the traditional
rulers of the affected
communities, Eze
Mortimor Kalu Ogbonna
and Eze Micheal Udo
preneurship and global
capital. So, primarily, our
business is to encourage
people to expand their
businesses. If you have an
idea and know how to
bring that idea into fruition
to become a global brand,
we will assist you. Apart
from private companies
and corporate organizations,
government-sponsored
establishments are
also beneficiaries from the
capital.”
According to him, Africa
with the highest growing
population and young
people in the world, had
an advantage for future
economic growth, adding
that in the next 20 years,
Kalu commended Gov.
Okezie Ikpeazu for responding
to their call for
medical assistance and
prayed for a quick resolution
to the conflict.
Some of the IDPs;
Mrs. Joy Ogbonnaya,
Elder Nwachi-meme
Kalu, and Apostle Nwachukwu
Obasi expressed
gratitude to the
state government for
coming to their aid. In
an interview with South
East Voice, the President
General of IPU, Elder
Felix Okoro, lamented
that the IDPs are faced
with challenges ranging
from food and medical
supplies to security,
which had placed a burden
on the community.
In his words, “As a result
of the attack, over
3,500 indigenes in
Amachi, Ugbu, and other
communities in Isu
clan have been displaced.
Over 60 people
have been killed. Many
houses were burnt; the
people can no longer access
their farms.
"Anybody who goes to
a farm in the disputed
area is killed. The IDPs
have been living under
poor conditions at Ohabuike
Primary School.
The community spends
about N2 million monthly
to cater for the IDPs.
We are calling on the
federal and state governments
to come to our
aid. "Four months ago,
the NEMA visited and
promised to provide relief
materials to the
IDPs. Since then, we
have not heard from
the majority of the world’s
workforce would come from
Africa because while
populations of other continents
were declining, those
of African countries were
increasing. He said
further: “Our people should
therefore take advantage of
the availability of these
funds to grow their businesses
so as to employ our
people and grow our
economy. As business people,
we must also adopt
good strategies if we want
other people to invest in
our business. It is that strategy
that we have been able
to articulate and share to
people in the hope that our
people will see the vision
and redesign their businesses.
“So, it will be a huge opportunity
for our people.
However, it would also
serve as a threat to those
who could not upgrade
their businesses. What this
means is that we have to
compete and we cannot
hide anymore.
“We also have to be more
strategic by looking into
other markets in Africa. If
you wait and cannot go into
•An IDP receiving treatment from a medical personnel.
their markets, they will
come and fight you in your
market. You should
therefore get prepared to
go and fight them in their
markets and this is going
to happen in every product
and service”.
Okoye also believed that
Nigeria’s unemployment
could be wiped out in three
years if the right strategies
were adopted to benefit
from the China jobs that
would soon be available,
following that country’s
decision to establish manufacturing
companies in
many countries, including
those in Africa,
He said that another
major source of funds for
the country’s businesses
was monies brought into
the country by Nigerians in
Diaspora, which according
to him, might surpass the
country’s crude oil sales in
2020. He added that last
year alone, Diaspora Nigerians
brought home $25 billion,
which he described as
a huge investment in the
country.
“These monies being sent to
Nigeria by her nationals abroad
are available for the local
entrepreneurs to benefit from if
they position their businesses
well,” Okoye said.