The Managing Director of UAC foods Ltd, Mr. Chidi Okoro, has tasked Mbaise Community in Imo state to consider setting up a world class entrepreneurship academy, like Skills Acquisition Center, a Film Academy as the biggest stars in Nollywood in Nigeria are from Mbaise, adding that if Mbaise Community can consider that, it can change the community for good.

The UAC boss while speaking on the theme: Entrepreneurship, during the 2016 Annual Get-Together of Mbaise People’s Congress, (MPC), at Colonades Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos, challenged Mbaise people to make judicious use of its population which he said is over one million to harness the potentials of the youths.

Managing Director of UAC foods Ltd, Mr. Chidi Okoro

He tasked the community to Partner with both public and private institutions, stating that they should consider setting up entrepreneurship in a technical area, adding that most of the guys doing plumbing jobs in the state are not even from Imo state as most of them are riding bikes.

‘’There is nothing wrong with transportation but consider setting up a world class Entrepreneurship Academy focusing on technical skills. Nigerians need about 3 million plumbers, but we don’t have them because no one is training them. If we can set up that in Mbaise, it can change the community for good. Biggest stars in Nollywood are from Mbaise, what is stopping you from setting up a film academy?’’.

According to him, there are too numerous areas to leverage on, adding that there are more hotels in Owerri than anywhere in the country but no one is training anybody in Hospitality Industry, noting that Entrepreneurship is seeing g an opportunity and going through the pain and risk to tap the opportunity.

Okoro said referring to Mbaise youths as unemployed, underemployed or underprivileged is derogatory, negative and it kills the creativity of the youth.

‘’The moment you start looking at them as unemployed and underprivileged, they become beggars and you give them handouts. 96 percent of Imo people are literates and Mbaise constitutes 97 percent of that literate population.

‘’One of the biggest problem we have is blaming finance for not succeeding in entrepreneurship, in fact, we blame everything but ourselves. We need to get prepared for the challenge of entrepreneurship. 93 percent of our ventures fail globally. People living in Mbaise are well positioned to thrive with proximity to major cities. You are close to Owerri, you have Airport around you. You have a large number of Diaspora inhabitants who remain very close to home, your people are very patriotic and still think home, leverage on that’’.

Chairman of the Occasion, General Manager, Financial Control and Strategic Planning, Zenith Bank Plc, Sir Stanley Amuchie said MPC wants to use the platform to discuss how to come out of the difficult situation we are in as a country through entrepreneurship.

‘’There are lots of opportunities that we can tap from to get ourselves out of the situation that we are in now. With proper guidance, we can make it. Let’s discuss and know how we can access the Central Bank opportunities through Bank of Industry on Small and Medium Enterprises’’

Lending his voice to the topic, Lawmaker representing Ahiazu /Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe urged Ndi Mbaise to think outside the box through entrepreneurship, stating that it is one of the solutions to the recession the country has found itself in.

Igbokwe said Mbaise people are naturally known to be industrious and therefore, should look inwards and be more creative, noting that this is where MPC comes in.

‘’I want to commend members of MPC for this vision of annually getting their sons and daughters together to exchange ideas, that help to develop us as a people and also develop as a society. It creates room for people to have better networking. I know what I have benefited coming here today. I have gotten one or two information which I believe will help people back home. With this, we will see how we can come in, in the development of projects back home, so that they will be more visible in the minds of the people’’, he stated.

The President General, Ezuruezu Mbaise, Barrister Cyril Anyanwu, who handled the breaking of kolanut said Ezuruezu have been supported by all the affiliate organizations, and regrettably announced the passing away of some Trustee members of the organization whom he mentioned as Sir Bon Nwakanma and Ferdinand Ukaoha.

He said the association is set to honour late Chrisaugunus Ezewuiro Obinna (Dr. Sir Warrior) and Dr. James Umunna who is an American trained medical Doctor, but resident in Mbaise.

He however, tasked Mbaise people on the completion of Mbaise Civic Center, which when completed will remain a legacy of Mbaise nation.

In his welcome address, Chairman Mbaise People’s Congress, Ochiagha Anogwi Anyanwu, welcomed the audience as he applauded them for turning up in their numbers, without minding the state of the economy. He stated that their presence is an indication of the people’s readiness to embrace entrepreneurship which MPC is championing.

Anyanwu stated that the annual get together was introduced in 2010, to create an opportunity to create an opportunity for Mbaise professional in Lagos and environs to interact and network, as it is also provides an intellectual feast from the excerpts of the speech presented by a carefully selected guest speaker, as can be testified from Chidi Okoro’s presentation on Entrepreneurship.

He said the MPC in 2014 introduced the distinguished Achievement Award for deserving Mbaise Sons and Daughters who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavor, listing those who have received the Award so far as: Coach Eucharia Uche, Mr. Kelechi Nwaosu, Mr. Emeka Opara, Sir. Stanley Amuchie, Mrs. Carol Anyanwu, Mr. Frank Nneji, Mr. Ken Opara, Chief Felix Chukwu and Professor (Mrs) Carol Opara.

MPC a Non-Governmental Organization found in 1994 by a group of Mbaise young graduates and professionals has been in the forefront for the Mbaise Awareness Programme. It has in the past years organized the Mbaise annual colloquium that precedes iri Ji Mbaise every August 14, it organizes training for teachers in Mbaise Primary and Secondary School and the Okada back to school programme.