The Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) has called on the Federal Government to intervene in the ownership dispute between HealthPlus, a pharmaceutical retail concern, and its equity investment partner, United Kingdom’s Alta Semper Capital. NASSI made the call in a statement by its Director General, Ifeanyi. Oputa.
According to the association, there is a need for the Federal Government to promote and protect businesses founded by Nigerians who, in spite of the country’s difficult business environment, have created thriving concerns. A core part of NASSI’s mandate is to encourage and facilitate the growth and expansion of its MSME member businesses. The thinking is that Micro businesses can graduate to the medium cadre and so on with the right mix of information, training, funding and quality mentoring.
It noted that governments around the world have always identified key business players on the local scene and provide appropriate support for them to grow into multinational corporations. “Some countries have sent out gunboats and gone to war to protect the interests of its key business players because of what they represent to the people and the nation-.
Oputa added: “The most difficult task we have had thus far is enlisting credible entrepreneurs who have grown micro businesses into medium or even large firms as role models and mentors. This has been made difficult because our criteria for these entrepreneurs exclude politically exposed persons, those with questionable sources of income/wealth and beneficiaries of extraordinary government patronage. In other words we have sought ordinary folks who have done extraordinary things in their respective enterprises.
“The story is about the purported sacking of HealthPlus CEO, Mrs. Bukky George, a bonafide NASSI Ambassador and mentor, by the very people her firm invited to support its growth plans.”
NASSI said the Federal Government urgently needs to intervene in the HealthPlus matter and other controversial equity transactions involving Nigerian-owned businesses.
“NASSI is, however, calling upon the Federal Government to wade into this matter and indeed other questionable private equity transactions across Nigeria as a matter of urgency.
“ The Royal Niger Company (later day UAC) and Lever brothers (Unilever) received tremendous state support from our colonial masters. In more recent times, Google, Apple Amazon, Procter and Gamble, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and a host of others have been supported by the American Government to the point where the respective US embassies and agencies wade in to resolve commercial disputes in favour of their nationals,” the Association stated.