By Francis Sadhere
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Kingsley Emu has said that next year’s trade would be more explosive than the this year’s, adding that next year the state is going to run a 14 day trade fair.
Dr. Emu, who spoke on behalf of the state governor, stated this, today, at the official closing ceremony of the Delta State Trade Fair 2013 which took place at Osubi, near Warri, Delta State.
He said that though this year’s trade was an experiment, the trade fair looked like a finished product, assuring that the state would improve on the entire process.
He thanked the consultants for their efforts, saying that without them the trade fair would not have been a success.
He said; “Without the consultants giving us their cash backing in terms of resources, networking and the rest we would not have had this success today. Because when you see a NIMASA coming here then you have to know that there is somebody pushing them from behind.”
The Commissioner also added that the choice of the consultants was not political but based strictly on capacity, noting that one of the consultants, MessageWise, was anchoring the Centenary Programme of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He urged NIMASA to make the best use of the location put in place by government instead of begging the government for funds every time they want to do something.
Dr. Emu also thanked Governor Uduaghan who he said has a listening ear, stressing that if Governor Uduaghan was not a listening governor, they would not have embarked on the Trade Fair.
The commissioner said that the fair was unique in the sense that there were no foreign made goods displayed at the fair.
He said; “This fair is unique in many respect. The first one is that, it is strictly indigenous. I did not see any foreign made goods at this fair. The D&K furniture made excellent furniture and I was almost tempted. DESOPADEC also came up with an incredible and finished product.”
He apologized to those he may have stepped on their toes in the course of making sure the trade fair became a success, saying that he was only human and that he meant no harm.
He applauded the spirit of team work exhibited by all stakeholders, adding that all the participants worked together as one.
Dr. Emu also revealed that the fish factories being acquired by government in Uvwie, Ika, Ubeji and Ugbokoda would soon kick off and that they would also acquire the Uzere Cassava Processing Plant.
He promised that government was going to develop the Trade Fair premises, calling on DACCIMA to go back to the drawing and try to take it upon themselves to develop the premises.
Earlier, Mr. Emmanuel Nwabuoku Amaechi, Project Manager of Delta State Trade fair 2013, who spoke on behalf of the consultants expressed gratitude to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and all participants in the trade fair for giving them the opportunity to showcase themselves, promising that next year’s trade fair would be better.
