Umuahia – An Umuahia-based businessman, Mr Obioma Okorie, has appealed to the Federal Government to resuscitate the country’s steel rolling mills to provide employment and check the rising cost of steel products.
Okorie made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Monday, saying that the price of the product had gone beyond the reach of the common man.
He said that the number of steel rolling mills lying moribund in the country like the Delta, Kaduna and Osogbo rolling mills could produce enough to meet local needs and export.
He expressed worries about the state of Ajaokuta Steel Company and urged the Federal Government to resuscitate and concession it to a competent industrialist.
“Ajaokuta has the capacity to produce raw steel, aluminum profile and railway materials among other products, so the government should resuscitate and concession it to genuine indigenous investors.
“If resuscitated, the steel industries in the country will not only create huge employment opportunities but also help to alleviate the sufferings of the masses,’’ he said.
Okorie, an importer, said that importers were facing serious challenges in accessing foreign exchange at the official rate.
He said that the difficulty in getting forex through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had crippled many businesses in the country.
The businessman called for intervention by the Federal Government to ease the hurdles faced by genuine importers to access forex for importation.
“It is not everybody that imports toothpicks. The CBN has a list of genuine importers in the country, so it can be used to assist the real importers,” he said.
He said that the business climate in the country had been hostile largely due to poor power supply and high foreign exchange rate.
“Business in Nigeria is currently going through serious difficulty and sales has been at a very low ebb,” he said.
Okorie appealed to the government to take steps to cushion the effects on the people. (NAN)
banker of the day - FREE banker tips from experts