The National President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Otunba Francis Meshioye, has asked the Federal Government to explore public private partnership (PPP) windows in finding permanent solutions to the perennial flood disaster facing the country.
Mr Meshioye suggested the approach when he visited Harbor-Bridge Head Industrial Layout, Onitsha, Anambra State to assess the level of damage done on factories in the layout by the flood disaster.
Harbor Bridge Head Industrial Layout, Onitsha which is on the bank of River Niger in Onitsha, Anambra State plays host to numerous top level manufacturing companies in the South East region.
Infrastructure and equipment of naira have been damaged by the flood while thousands of job are threatened as the companies affected struggle to recuperate from the impact.
“There many options the Federal Government has in finding lasting solutions to this challenge which include short term, long term and permanent solutions to this crisis. But most importantly, there is need for an urgent but permanent solution to end this nightmare entirely. The Federal Government must consider private public arrangement in the dredging of the two major rivers in Nigeria and construction of dams that will mitigate the impact when excess water is released from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
“In the interim, however, we as an association will look at the immediate causes of the flood, look at the impacts on infrastructure and equipment and suggest a solution to state and Federal governments on what must be done to alleviate the sufferings of local manufacturers here who have suffered heavy losses”, Mr Meshioye said.
He condoled with the Anambra State government on the death of her citizens who died in different parts of state due to the flood and sympathized with members of the association and entire members of the industrial for any damage done to their facility.
MAN Chairman in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States Chapter, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, decried the impact of the deluge on their business and regretted that this is coming when local manufacturers in the South East region are suffering from insecurity and incessant sit at home orders in the region, stating that the decinial flood disaster in the region will continue to shrink the business ecosystem for companies on the bank of the River Niger.
Lady Ada said, “the Harbor-Bridge Head Industrial Layout, Onitsha is a major manufacturing cluster in Nigeria with not less than fifty companies and factories that have created jobs in thousands and invested massively in infrastructure, wealth creation, security, improving the living standards and in other areas of corporate social responsibilities in their host communities. Unfortunately, the layout and the South East region have suffered economic disruptions which has reduced production capacity and business activities in the harbor.
“This flood disaster in particular is regretably avoidable as a flood of the same magnitude had taken place over ten years ago. The 2012 deluge should provided all stakeholders involved the opportunity and lessons to avert future disasters of this nature. We have suffered huge losses from this and there needs to be taken urgent actions to permanently solve the problem of the flood.”
Speaking on behalf of the affected companies, the Executive Chairman of Pokobros Group West Africa Limited, Chief Paul Okonkwor, knocked the Federal Government for allowing the disaster to become a regular occurrence.
Chief Okonkwor wondered the rationale behind allocating billion of naira for flood relief interventions every time the flood happened when such resources could be channeled towards finding a lasting solution while stating that government’s unresponsiveness to such situations will continue to lead to huge capital flight from the country as local manufacturers will continue to look for countries with better business climates and discouraging foreign investors.
“I believe that the flood causing this menace in our society has a permanent solution. If Cameroon can control her flood and open their dam every year against us and we cannot manage the situation by building dams, why then are we the giant of Africa?” he asked.