NASS ASKS FOR PROMOTION OF MADE IN ABA GOODS

NASS ASKS FOR PROMOTION OF MADE IN ABA GOODS BY Okechukwu Jombo The Senate President, Senator David Mark and other members of the National Assembly yesterday urged the Aba business men, who are into manufacturing to be proud of and promote the indigenous brands of their various products. Senator Mark made the urge at the second edition of Made-in-Aba Trade Fair holding at ThisDay Dome, in the Central Business District, FCT, Abuja. The trade fair, which started last year, is being facilitated by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District. Declaring the event open, the President of the Senate, who was represented by Senator Bashir Mohammed (Kano Central), told the Aba traders and manufacturers that they had what it takes to compete with other manufacturers across the world and should be bold to promote their products brands as 'made in Nigeria'. Mark, who described the displayed products at the fair arena as highly qualitative, assured the indigenous business men and women that the Senate would support any policy that would help their enterprises to flourish. "You have what it takes to compete with whatever products produced anywhere around the world. I have tested products made in Aba; I have used materials made in Aba, and I can tell the whole world that your products are good and qualitative. Therefore, whatever policy or encouragement you need, the Senate will support you", he assured. Meanwhile, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe promised that he would do everything within his powers to sustain the Made-in-Aba Trade Fair, explaining that it was one of his strategies towards implementing the constituency projects initiative in his district. He noted that he had already factored the next edition of the fair in 2015 budget, stressing that it was his responsibility to get the programme into the annual national budget. The politician, who has declared his intension to run for 2015 governorship race in Abia State, said that his vision behind the trade fair was to attract at least 10% of Nigerian population to the Aba Market in order to make the place the commercial hub of the country. "This is the second time we are bringing Aba to Abuja; this is the second time we are doing what is right. This is not the last; we have put the Programme in the budget of 2015. There is a misconception of what the constituency project is. This is an example of the constituency project. My job is to facilitate it and put it in the budget", he explained. Abaribe also acknowledged that the trade fair was one of his campaign strategies to win the support of his people in the gubernatorial contest, saying "it is one of my campaign strategies for my governorship ambition. I can not shy away from the reality. If you are interested, you have to show people what you have done in order to convince them to give you their mandate". Senator Ita Enang, who also attended the event, commended the impressive efforts of the Aba based industrialists, and advised them to identify their product brands as made in Nigeria instead of pretending that such products were made abroad. "Aba products are good and qualitative. Aba traders should retain the indigenous brands of their products by indicating that it is made in Nigeria. Oil is becoming less important; so, we are not going to rely on oil. It is what the people of Aba and Akwa-Ibom and other people produce that we are going to fall back on", he said. Senator Enang also encouraged the Aba entrepreneurs to go into production of local modular refining machines for refining crude oil and other products, tasking them to liaise with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON and the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Association of Nigeria, SMEDAN, to be able to manufacture the type of refining machines used by the Biafrans during the Civil war. Reps Nkem Abonta (House of Reps, Abia) and Uzo Azubuike, who represents Aba North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State, also eulogised the enterprising attitude of the Aba traders, calling on the Federal Government to come and use Aba to liberate the ailing economy of Nigeria. Rep. Azubuike lamented the misconception of made in Aba products as fake products by Nigerians, explaining that indigenous products are not synonymous with fake products. He also regretted that Nigeria had been reduced to a dumping ground for Dubai, Korea and other foreign countries to dump their inferior products while Nigerian indigenous products were being disregarded by the citizens of the country. Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Bature Umar commended Senator Abaribe for introducing the fair, which he described as a unique initiative that would help tackle the unemployment problems in Nigeria, noting that no government anywhere in the world could provide the employment needs of the citizenry.