By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
Fishermen in Akwa Ibom State have expressed worries over what they described as incessant attacks by pirates operating within the riverine areas, saying, it has become a hindrance to sustainable income generation and poverty alleviation activities.
They said they have lost their fishing boats, outboard engines and nets worth millions of Naira, a development they said has affected the income of multipurpose cooperative society members in the area.
Bassey Etim, President of Nation Feeders Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Uruan Local Government Area, a coastline community with people engaged in fishing stated this during a one-day national agri-preneur training scheme organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) held in Uyo.
Etim said the attacks apart from adversely affecting the income of their members, has led to loss of some lives while fishing.
According to him, the absence of modern drying machines is also hampering the growth of the cooperative society in the fight against poverty and wealth creation, saying that their income is also affected by the activities of large scale fishing businessmen whom he claimed, are stifling small scale fishing entrepreneurs.
“That is why we formed the cooperative to enable us embark on large scale fishing activities of the large scale fishermen who buy off all fish products before we hit the sea, is frustrating and hindering a thriving cooperative movement in the area,” he explained.
Etim, who was giving an account of how the grants by SMEDAN have been utilised in creating wealth and promoting small business, said they have been limited to subsistence fishing contrary to expectations as they have been unable to go to the high sea as a result of their inability to compete with the large scale fishermen and businessmen.
Also speaking, the President of Ukeme Otobong Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Esit Urua, Eket Local Government Area, Mfonobong Abasiekong said the grants given to cooperatives have helped them to grow their businesses but appealed for assistance to enable them acquire either tricycles or a mini trucks for the evacuation of oil palm fruits after they have been harvested.
She also solicited for assistance in acquiring amodern oil palm processing facility to help them generate more income for members.
In her remarks, Lucy Ekpeyong, Coordinator of SMEDAN in Akwa Ibom State described cooperative societies as the powerhouse of the rural economy, saying that they should acquire skills in business development of a common product or service, saying it would ensure sustainable poverty alleviation programme.
She stressed the importance of record keeping, being transparent in financial transactions and urged people to raise funds for their projects through shares allotment and investment savings as well as thrift services.
Presenting Wale Fasanya’s address, the Director-General of the agency, reiterated its continued support to agri-preneurs through various schemes such as one local government one product, women self employment, national business skills development initiative among others and restated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to tackling unemployment through the development of agriculture and its value chain.
She lauded the Akwa Ibom State Government for “unflinching support towards the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.”
Benefitting cooperative societies were drawn from Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket, Uruan and Uyo local government areas.
