By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Chairman Bayelsa Council of Traditional Rulers, Alfred Diete-Spiff and the Forum of South South Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture, (FOSSCIMA) has called on Nigerians to support the Federal Government poverty alleviation programmes.
They made this known yesterday at the 2nd Annual General Meeting of the Coalition Of South-South Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines And Agriculture (FOSSCIMA) and investiture of Dr. Okon Emah as the 3rd President of the organization.
Omo-Agege who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Godwin Anawghe while Congratulating the incoming President of FOSSCCIMA, Dr. Okon Emmah and outgoing, called on the organization to join President Buhari in his lofty programs plans to lift over 100 millions of Nigerian out of poverty.
According to him, “today, of the estimated population of over 200 million people in Nigeria, a significant segment of the population is living in poverty. According to the World Poverty Clock which provides real-time estimates through 2030 in nearly every country in the world, the number of extremely poor Nigerians could be as high as 125 million in the year 2030 if we do nothing.
“You will agree with me that we must stem this ugly scenario. President Muhammadu Buhari is leading the way by committing to implementing programs to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years.
“Achieving this lofty goal would require sustained economic growth rates at levels higher than current economic and population growth rates.” He said.
Earlier, the President of UYOCCIMA, the host organization, Mr Nseyen Ebong said that with unity, FOCCIMMA could be a strong and potent economic regional force to reckon with in Nigeria.
He recalled that in the federal allocation account on monthly basis, four of the south-south states top the chart.
“If we can convert this financial benefit into an economic benefit it will be to the benefit of government and the people of the south-south states.
” I was one of the first people that was an approach to present a paper during the first BRACED economic forum at Tinapa Resort in Calabar but I decline for obvious reason and informed the organizers that I did not see the unity between the southern states when they were fighting each other over oil well.” He said.
Similarly, the former Governor of old Rivers State and Chairman, Bayelsa Council of Traditional Rulers, King Alfred Diete-Spiff admonished the leadership of the organization to see the association as the mouthpiece of the private sector by collaborating with the different state governors in the South-South Region towards the interest of the private sector.
The high point of the event was the investiture of Dr. Okon Emah as the 3rd Regional President of FOSSCCIMA who in his acceptance speech pledged to develop an effective strategy for economic emancipation of the South-South region and seek collaboration from governors in the region to develop small and medium-scale businesses.
