*Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh
BUSINESS
Ebonyi state was in the news
recently for the grand opening of the Ebonyi state Mall considered by many as
very impressive for a state relatively unknown for such expositions with lean
resources.
In this chat with FRED
IWENJORA, celebrated printer Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh who is CEO, Immaculate
Group of Companies and also President
Ebonyi Chamber of commerce, Mines and Agriculture EBSCCMA could not hide his
joy and excitement at the grand event which saw Nigerian investment community swarming
on the sleepy state capital of Abakaliki.
He is also full of
commendation for Governor David Umahi saying he has opened the state to the
world as the new investment destination in the south east of Nigeria. Read on.
Ebonyi State seems to be opening up for business, how do you feel about the grand opening of Ebonyi mall?
I feel highly enthused about the Mall...first, because I feel
proud at the concept and delivery on this project. Ebonyi needs such
purposefully conceived ideas that give us quantum lift into national limelight.
The mall is a statement that Ebonyi has arrived and it is a very bold
statement. As you can see, it is not just the mall, all the projects in the
state are connected dots that tell a story of a state ready for business.
As president of Ebonyi chamber, what is your expectation on this
new development to the economy of the state?
The economy of the state is now positioned to rise beyond
contemporaries. Ebonyi is now positioned as the investment destination of SE. I
feel proud to lead entrepreneurs into my dear state and show them the miracle
that is on ground. As they say in marketing, a good product does not require
rigorous convincing. The facts are here for all to see.
Many commend Gov Umahi for visionary leadership;
do you see the mall as an example of his huge vision?
My take on Umahi is that he is a man with passion. When you hear
him talk and watch his action you cannot but give it to him that he is a passionate
man. The mall speaks to his passion and vision for my dear state. I have always
said that entrepreneurs are value creators. When you look around Ebonyi, you
can only but wonder where the money is coming from. The entire state is a big
construction site.
With silverbird coming with full entertainment options and
computer village with IT do you foresee that Ebonyi will be out of the proverbial woods
so soon?
Enterprise is a force for good always. The coming into the
state of these established brands goes to show that the governor's vision is
paying off. Ebonyi is already positioned and stepping out of the woods. My
prayer to HE is to handover to a man who will continue the vision of making
Ebonyi State greater. As a student of leadership, I understand the delicate
risks involved in handing over to one without a clear understanding and vision
of His Excellency. My fear is premised on the fact that when you look at the
history of leadership in Nigeria, you will always get the sense that most of us
do not understand the importance of handing over to a right person. A bad
successor will be suicidal. I pray the governor appreciates this fact.
What is the scope of your job as President of chamber?
The chamber movement all over the whole world plays significant
roles in commerce and industrialization. The chambers of commerce in Ebonyi is
the umbrella and leader of OPS..the organized private sector . We represent the
interest of the private sector. Most times, we do not agree with every
government policy; in such situations we engage and dialogue with the
government. The chambers of commerce movement is very important as a strong
voice of advocating while partnering with various governments to achieve
economic development.
My
tenure started in July 2019. You know Chambers movement is hierarchical....you
grow from position to position. I am also the 2nd Deputy President of SECCIMA
the regional body.
You must have
been trying to settle down to business when COVID struck…how has it affected
business both at the chamber and
Yes...we were just settling into our
programmes when it struck. The Nigerian government failed the private sector
and the entire economy. There are so many inconsistencies...but here we are
struggling to make sense out of it all. If nothing, COVID-19 thought us that we
need to look inwards and create internal traction.
And on your
business….?
Generally
COVID-19 is one of those black swan events businessmen regard as the unknown
unknowns. Its impact has been disastrous. Our core business model is premised
on: Social events, academics and religion...all three were knocked out of
existence by COVID-19. Every printer and publisher knows how it feels it all. We
lost totally...we are just beginning to pick the bones. But then, as
entrepreneur the cheese just moved we shall continue to find solutions.
Currently
we are changing our business. model and market strategies..as entrepreneurs we
are always scanning the environment for challenges we can covert to
opportunities
Let's talk immaculate press
and your unending drive for modern printing solutions
Immaculate Publications Limited is one of our major brands. The
Immaculate family is made of many companies spanning from Media, ICT, renewable
energy and consultancy. We have grown to be the leading printing and publishing
outfit in the SE and SS Nigeria and we have continued to expand the frontiers
of the industry. We pioneered Computer-to-Plate technology in the zone. We have
the first B2 digital press in Nigeria. Despite the Covid-19 impacts, we have
continued to push through using our signature Lean Printing and Operations
Techniques to weather the storm and maintain our various offices located in
every state of the SE and SS Nigeria. We have presses in Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, Aba, Uyo. Abuja was coming up before covid struck. PH we closed because of security.
Did you go
all out to become a printer?
In
Nigeria very few people plan to be what they become eventually...that's a
luxury for those with godfathers and rich parents. For most start-ups, you have
some skills, exploit it and convert it to business. That is the journey of most
entrepreneurs...identify need gap, use personal skills to exploit it and create
a business. The role of God factor in all these cannot be discounted. Then the
will to build gradually apply delay in personal gratification.
No comments:
Post a Comment