Ambassador Chimezie Oguh, Head, Nigerian Missions, Shanghai, China has urged Aba businessmen to transfer business funds through banks to ensure their funds did not get lost or stolen.
Ogu gave the counsel in Aba on Wednesday during the First Aba South Constituency Summit held at Enitona Hotel, in Aba.
The theme of the summit was “Enhancing Small Scale Business Opportunities and Partnership between Nigeria and China in the COVID-19 Era”.
“This summit is the fallout of business trust issues. Aba people have to improve the way they do their business, they should use a platform to do their businesses.
“They should use banks to transfer money not through one unknown or recognized agency, they should register their company because if you have a compliant when you have done the right thing, you complain will get attention.
“And that way, it can be legally pursued. That is what they need now. I said it before, the world is moving fast and anybody who is lagging behind may not catch up.
“They have to also expand their business knowledge, and to Know what is obtainable in the country they do business with.
“When you go to China, go to Nigerian Missions and report you are presence.
“If you have any issues and having reported to their police, they may not attend to you but if you reported to the embassy, their intervention will ensure the police attends to you properly and you will recover your losses”, he said.
Ogu said people in Aba should follow in the footsteps of Obinna Ichita, the Aba South Representative in the House of Assembly who wants to bring human and infrastructure development to Abia.
Ichita, in while speaking to newsmen said he convened the conference because of the present COVID-19 realities which calls for re-strategizing for businesses in Aba.
“The reality is that many Aba businessmen import from China and that there are travel restrictions that had made it difficult to go to China and conduct pre-shipment assessment of their goods.
“Most times, they take delivery of what they did not order for and most of them are shortchanged by people they conduct business with in China.
“That is the reason we brought the person representing Nigeria in China to ensure he came to interact with our people and make them ventilate their anger and frustrations.
“And armed with these information, the Nigerian Mission will know how to tackle the problems of Aba importers”, he said.
He said that the the summit would not end with one outing but would also bring career diplomats from Europe to come rub minds with Aba businessmen on how to solve their importing problems.
He said the businessmen should come together, and those who engage in unethical business practices should stop, and use the diplomatic channel, to nip the monster in the bud.
Mrs Obinna Ejiaka, an Aba-based business woman, who was a participant said she was the highest favored person at the event which brought her dreams to pass.
She thanked the organizers and prayed that they should do more of such summits to enable Aba businessmen escape being duped by countries they do business with.
