Akwa Ibom Government Brokers Peace in NASSI Leadership Crisis

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Akwa Ibom State Government has stepped in to resolve the protracted leadership tussle that crippled the state chapter of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI).

For years, the association had been embroiled in factional disputes that stalled its operations and weakened its ability to support small businesses across the state. But at a peace meeting convened by the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd), warring groups agreed to bury their differences and chart a fresh course.

“You cannot be fighting continuously from generation to generation. There must be peace and dialogue, and that is what we have offered,” Ekong declared. He expressed optimism that the truce would mark “a new beginning,” adding that a vibrant NASSI is crucial to Governor Umo Eno’s Arise Agenda on entrepreneurship and small business development.

The commissioner cautioned that without a strong NASSI, government efforts to grow small and medium-scale enterprises would collapse at the foundation. He pledged that while the ministry would not interfere in the association’s internal affairs, it would maintain supervisory oversight to foster healthy relations and build a business-friendly ecosystem.

The National President of NASSI, Dr. Solomon Vongfa, praised Ekong’s role in restoring harmony, calling him a “peacemaker” whose intervention has repositioned the troubled chapter. Similarly, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Entrepreneurial Development, Mrs. Meflyn Anwana, described the meeting as “historic,” urging members to embrace unity in order to benefit from state and federal grants.

With peace restored, stakeholders believe NASSI is now better placed to execute its mandate of nurturing small-scale industries and driving inclusive economic growth in Akwa Ibom.