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By Ifeoma Ikem
The Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN) has rejected the free CAC registration for 25,000 Nigerian businesses under the MSME survival fund that the federal government opened on Monday 22nd October 2020.
Comrade Prince Saviour Iche, the National President of the association said this while reacting to the announcement by the federal government.
He noted that the local entrepreneurs are not begging the federal government to register their businesses because it was not a problem.
AMEN said the registration cannot work with the current economy situation in nation including the closure of its borders.
Ichie stressed that the present condition of the economy has created alot of problems for the masses, turning local manufactures to beggars and citizens cannot feed three square meal a day.
He wondered how the federal government would close its borders against products coming into the country, against products going outside the country that brings in foreign exchanges and still expect the economy will grow.
“If I may ask, will closing of the borders profit us as a nation?
“Our local products are high within the country, a bag of rice is between N28, 000 – N30,000 and you want the masses to survive the hardship,’’ he querried.
He further noted that those going into entrepreneurship do not need free registration of businesses because registration of business is the simplest thing as they can register by themselves.
“Government should make funds available, billions of naira have been claimed to have been given to the local entrepreneurs, as a president of an association, an advocate for the masses, the COVID-19 palliative assistance of local manufacturers are nowhere to be found.
“Recently, Nigerians witnessed how our so called leaders hoarded the palliatives made for the masses in warehouses without being distributed.
“The same way billons of naira are being kept in their private accounts in and outside Nigeria in foreign accounts, we urge the concerned security agencies to investigate and ask questions about this money claimed to have been given to the local manufactures.
He also wondered how businesses can grow when many entrepreneurs are relocating to neighboring countries on daily basis.
“None of them went with their workers; throwing the workers into labour market, in a country where we have over 68% of unemployment does it speak well?
“It means that our industry, our SMES are not working; it cannot work with ordinary hands.
“Giving us free registration of business is like a fresh graduate that graduated with a certificate without a job, after the registration will they be eating the certificates?
AMEN advised the federal government to give them total support so that the economy will boom and not collapse with the current situation which needs urgent step to address it.
AMEN, therefore, demands the following:
1. The federal government should restore back our light, let Nigeria have 24/7 power supply for our businesses to thrive.
2. Open our borders for our businesses to go through the neighboring countries and bring foreign exchange to Nigeria.
3. The federal government should make funds available for the existing business owners, millions of business owners that have registered their businesses in Nigeria but no accessible funds to back it up.Start slideshow