•Holds On DECEMBER 6th
The 15th edition of Port Harcourt International Trade Fair in 2019 has been scheduled to kick off from December 6th to 20th, 2019. The newly branded Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture-(PHCCIMA) with Chief Nabil Saleh, JP as President has come out for the first time to directly conduct the 15th edition of Port Harcourt International Trade Fair. Before now, Port Harcourt being the hub of Nigerian hydrocarbon extraction industry has played host to both local and international industries’ major players who came for trade exhibitions and exchange of services. Hence, PHCCIMA former executives had approached the trade Fair by engaging consultants who managed the Trade Fair. With the coming on board of an experienced business man, Chief Nabil Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of M.Saleh Electricals, suppliers of Sound Proof Electricity generating sets the narrative has changed bringing innovations and result oriented approach to the running of PHCCIMA and its activities which include the annual Port Harcourt International Trade Fair Exhibitions.
Eze, Sir Mike Elechi, 2nd National President of Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture-NACCIMA and the 1st Deputy President and Chairman Trade Organizing Committee is currently singing a new song of assuring global investors that Port Harcourt remains a safe place to invest and get optimal benefits in business. He has been going round Embassies and industries located at Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Onitsha, Aba, Enugu, Nnewi and United States of America, United Kingdom, e.tc with sole objective of assurance to investors that they should ignore the activities of untrained Social Media bloggers who go on to de-market Rivers state as those who carry out such publications are not trained journalists and information managers as this is the era of fake News. Talking to City People Magazine on Thursday, 31st of October, 2019 at his office in Port Harcourt Chief Mike Elechi said “We have actually gone to core Media houses to invite you people. You know me, I belong to Old school. I believe that if something is not written or broadcast then it never happened and that is traditional media. I don’t believe in social media. We are truly among the four states permitted to host International Trade Fair in Nigeria others are Lagos, Kano and Enugu.”
The disturbing conversations Chief Elechi is faced with is bad press associated with violence in Rivers State which had made most embassies in Nigeria to debrief business men in their home countries from coming to Niger Delta to invest. Speaking to City People he said “The case insecurity in Port Harcourt is bad Press. For example 3 days ago, a sitting High Court Judge was kidnapped in Edo State with the Police Orderly killed but it never made any Newspaper headlines. If it were in Port Harcourt it would have been, “Oh no lawyer or Judge will come to Rivers state again, “what caused this? It is bad press.
“Our state is not the worst, in other states, they rob in the streets and in Port Harcourt they don’t rob in the streets. Tell people that there is no more kidnapping in Port Harcourt and that everyone is safe. Because of Bad Press, all businesses are flying away; all human beings are flying away. We want to use the 15th Port Harcourt International Trade Fair Exhibitions of 2019 to change the narrative”.
The venue of the 15th edition of Port Harcourt International Trade Fair Exhibitions will be held at Ultra Modern Dr. Obi Wali Event Center on G.U Ake Road Port Harcourt. The unveiling of the Trade fair has been scheduled to take place on 7th of November, 2019 at PHCCIMA Office, Assotel Building off Garrison junction, Aba Road.
–EMEKA AMAEFULA
