6Years on: Ndigbo lament abandoned Enugu Int’l Trade Fair

ENUGU—People of the south-east geopolitical zone have lashed out to the Federal Government over its failure to construct the permanent site of the Enugu International Trade Fair Complex, six years on. The federal government had designated Lagos, Kaduna and Enugu, International

Trade Fair Complexes since 1992 but had completely constructed that of Lagos and Kaduna, leaving Enugu untouched.

Saturday Vanguard’s visit to the fair located along Enugu-Ontisha expressway showed that the efficacy of the fair has ebbed copiously even as shanties and makeshift tents dotted the entire landscape. Bushes had taken over parts of the site. There was no sanitary facility where participants and guests can ease themselves at the fair. The consequence is better imagined. The offensive odour from surroundings make a statement. The abandoned water borehole with over head tank lie prostrate and rusty at the right hand corner of the entrance gate.

ECCIMA 

In his opening address at the ongoing 26th Enugu International Trade Fair last Friday, the President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA, Mr. Ifeanyi Okoye,said.”Since we commenced the hosting of the fair here,six years ago, we have been striving to improve on the facilities in the complex. “We are once more appealing to the Federal Government to set aside adequate fund for the direct award of contract to a competent contractor to complete the development of the Enugu International Trade Fair Complex just as was done in Kaduna and Lagos.

PARTICIPANT CRIES

A participant at the fair, Mr. Christopher Ozonweke regretted that,”The flair of the fair has been lost. Go round and check. You will hardly find a foreign participant or exhibitor in this fair.

“How can the nation’s industrialisation, investment inflow and employment generation be achieved with this shabby structures and facilities in the fair?. The idea of deepening efforts for market oriented and committed policy reform for the improvement of our business environment to support and encourage the manufacturing/industrial sector and particularly to ensure that our products compete effectively in the international market may be elusive.

APC

Spokesperson of APC,South-East geopolitical zone,Mr. Osita Okechukwu  wondered,”why President Goodluck Jonathan should treat Ndigbo with levity”. His words:”The 26th Enugu International Trade Fair is ongoing now. Every year,the organisers of the fair keep appealing to Jonathan, to construct the permanent site as was done in Lagos and Kaduna.

“In this country,we have three major ethnic nationalities,Igbo,Hausa and Yoruba. The citing of the three international trade fair complexes to Lagos,Kaduna and Enugu represents the regional structure of the country and is meant to engender even economic growth of the regions.

“For the PDP-led government to have abandoned the Enugu trade fair in ruins is a testament to the entrenched marginalisation Ndigbo has suffered in the past 16 years.

“I was at the opening ceremony of the fair last Friday,a typical Ogbete Main Market here in Enugu is far better than the fair. The efficacy and objective for which the fair was construed has been lost because all the stands are makeshift or shanties. “Is that the kind of fair that will attract foreign participation? It is unfair and a complete disregard to Ndigbo for Jonathan to abandon the construction of the site. Its time for our people to rout this PDP government that has not shown any sign of love to our people.”