Gov Otu inaugurates MSME Council

Governor Bassey Otu has charged Members of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise, MSME Council to contribute their quota to the present administration’s prosperity programme by innovatively driving Cross River atop the enterprise development radar among the comity of Nigerian states.

The Governor gave the charge, recently, while inaugurating the Chairman and members of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Council at his temporary office in Calabar.

“If you look at all Federal Government’s platforms where Cross River is, we have crept from wherever they left us to where it is but shocking to them. And you know that in about a year’s time or more, they would see us atop in almost all fields. That is where we intend to be.

“So I want that spirit to be rekindled once more and make sure that we do our best for our people,” the governor tasked the newly inaugurated team.

Reminding Cross Riverians of his administration’s wave of well-planned, foresighted and people-centric programmes sweeping across the State, Otu enthused, “Innovations run the world. I want you to do your very best to make sure that the impact of your agency is felt by the people,” while expressing optimism in team’s vision and objectives.

“We are going into total mechanisation in agriculture. We want to do all the hard work, where it is most difficult.

“Because whether you like it or not, these people (smallholder farmers) sustained us through the period we could not mass produce. And going forward, we must not leave them out.”

The governor sued for multi-stakeholder engagements as the State, through mechanised agriculture, strives to expand commercial, agro-based productivity, and make agriculture the fulcrum of the state’s economy.

“We are very intentional. We understand what is going on at the national platform. We just need a little bit of tinkering for it to fit with our system. We understand the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda very well. Ours is the ‘People First’ mandate, so we are going to inject as many people as possible into the structures that are going to be set up. This particular activity needs proper synergy to know what is going on in agriculture, with the youths, women, as well as other areas of importance.

“With this team, I know that we are ready. I want us to put in as much energy as possible. I appreciate the work that is going on already. I want you to co-opt as many people as possible to make sure that it is quite robust and dynamic to bring the required positive impact on Cross Riverians,” Governor Otu concluded.

The committee is headed by Governor Otu as Chairman, while the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Patrick Egbede and Director General, Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency, Mr Great Ogban, are Vice Chairman and Secretary respectively. Members include elder statesman, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Mr James Anicha, Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs Abigail Duke, among others.