The Uyo Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (UYOCCIMA) has a new acting president following the sudden resignation of the erstwhile incumbent. A retired controller of customs, Simeon Umoette, managing director of MIS integrated services in this interview with ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK speaks on his plans to re-position the chamber in the state and other issues. Excerpts:
How did you become the acting president of Uyo Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industry and Agriculture (UYOCCIMA)?
My predecessor decided to throw in the towel; she threw in the towel in January and we have a traditional at that level, I was the second in command. Even if she did not throw in the towel at that time and stayed till the end of her tenure, I was still expected to succeed her. The system is such that the deputy succeeds the incumbent when the tenure of the incumbent lapses. On the 16th of January, majority of the members of the Uyo chamber of commerce escorted me to the seat as the acting president of the chamber pending the formal inauguration. When I am ready, I notify the council that I am ready for inauguration. It is not just that, the truth of the matter is that I have to put certain things in place like, when the predecessor is going, the handover notes and accounts are expected up to the time of the exit to have been presented. Basically, that is the issue- hand over notes including the accounts. These were the things that were not in place when I took over in acting capacity. I am exercising all the powers of the president of the chambers though.
It seems quite unusual for the president of the chamber to resign?
What you must have heard in the news was that she has stepped aside. I think that question should be answered by her but all I can say is that while she was there, we gave her the best of advice, unprecedented support and cooperation because she might not have been very knowledgeable on certain area. But we gave her honest advice, maybe she was not comfortable taking all our advice. So, what I can say is, we gave her the best of advice. Whether she decided to take the advice I would not know.
How has it been since your assumption of office?
I have been in the chamber for some years and have been involved almost in every activity of the chamber. In 2005, I organised what is still regarded as one of the best trade fairs in terms of attendance, participation, impact, etc. Thereafter, in one way or the other, the trade fairs have been one of the chamber’s greatest achievements. I am still involved either in the committee set up to organise the trade fairs one way or the other. Then other activities, interactions with fellow businessmen, interactions with government officials, working for a common front, I have been involved in seminars organised by the chamber. I have been involved including Annual General Meetings (AGMs). I have chaired the committee for AGMs. Because I have participated in virtually all the activities of the chambers it was not a problem to have a clear vision or roadmap or where I would be going. Last year, for instance, we organised first ever excellence award ceremony, we had also had a successful interactive business forum with the then commissioner for investment, commerce and industry, Emmanuel Enoidem, among other activities. So because I was indirectly involved it was not a problem when it came to my turn, I should chart a very clear roadmap on the activities of the chambers at least for this year. We have already met the current commissioner for investment, commerce and industry, Eno Ikpe, a very knowledgeable lady. In fact, it did not appear as if she was new in the office. In the paper I presented to her, I went over what the chamber did the previous year and I ended up by saying that some of those things will be replicated, like the excellence award, like the interactive forum with captains of industry. I did focus on the trade fair, then I also said my main focus would be on non-oil exports, for so many reasons. First, I retired as a controller of customs. My focus will be on non-oil exports and that this administration would work with the state government and in particular ministry of investment, commerce and industry to achieve that purpose.
Why has it been difficult for UYOCCIMA to organise successful trade fairs since then?
I retired from service in 2004 and joined the chambers thereafter, I have been in agro allied business; I applied in 2005 to purchase the franchise to run the trade fair and exhibitions. The franchise is often in the custody of National Association of Chambers of Commerce. It is possible that subsequently those who purchased the franchise from the chamber for the purpose of organising trade fairs may not have approached it from a perspective of consulting widely that would have made them to succeed.
How much is the franchise fee and when is UYOCCIMA going to have a permanent trade fair ground?
The franchise fee is N2 million and has been on for a long time, may be eight years. We would have reviewed it upwards with the inflationary trend but we did not; then came the recession, we had to suspend any idea of reviewing it upwards due the current economic situation in the country. The struggle for a permanent trade fair ground is a long one. In 1991, the then military administrator did not waste any time acceding to the request for a permanent trade fair ground, the place was allocated in Mbiabong in Uyo Local Government. This position was to be followed up by other presidents; it appeared very easy with the then military administrator because a site was allocated. There was a flow of understanding during the civilian regime. It was still during the tenure of Obong Victor Attah as governor of Akwa Ibom State that it was noticed that there was an encroachment on the land allocated to the chambers. From 2005, we would see efforts made to acquire a new site which was at Ikot Asukpong in Ibiono Ibom along Ikot Ekpene road about five hectares of land. That is why the whole thing seems to be on the drawing board up till now.
What can you say is the major success recorded during the business interaction forum the chamber had with business leaders and government in the state?
All the issues inhibiting successful conduct of business were highlighted. Apart from power inadequacy, the issue of double taxation was discussed, failure of business, inadequate patronage of private business leading to capital flight were highlighted. We hit all issues. On the side of the chambers, there has been a change of guard, on the side of the government; there have been changes in the ministry of investment, commerce and industry as well. We thought the forum would be a continuous exercise. When we visited the commissioner, the permanent secretary had to study what transpired from their predecessors. The forum was a success and we wanted it to continue. You have heard about state committee on export promotion, the commissioner is revitalising it in the spirit of non-oil export (even from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council). We have settled for two products from Akwa Ibom State because Nigerian Export Promotion Council has taken a decision that a state must have at least one product to export, a product that it has a comparative advantage. We settled for seafood as number one under the One State One Product (OSOP) initiative, the non-oil export initiative of Nigerian Export Promotion Council has enabled us to choose seafood and allied products including shrimps, crayfish and lobsters.
What economic policy do you think the state government should pursue?
Towards the end of the previous administration, a policy was put forward to promote the establishment of one industry in each of the 31 local government areas of the state. It was out of the realisation that we are in dire need of industrialisation. What the previous administration did was to provide the basic infrastructure that would support industrialisation. The chamber was carried along, when the policy was being implemented. When the present administration came on board, nothing can please us more than finding out that it (the present administration) is interested in industrialisation through Small and Medium Scale enterprises and agriculture. In the chamber, we have an action committee on exports, we have a committee on agriculture and SMES, the challenge is even on us to flow with the state government.
