Photo Caption: Chairman, Transcorp Hotels Plc Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Chairman, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, Tony Elumelu at the 30th anniversary celebration of Transcorp Hilton Abuja last week.
Dr. Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State, now Minister of Labour and Employment, was full of praise for Tony Elumelu, former group managing director of United Bank for Africa, now chairman of the banking group, as well as Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), among others, for his various ventures and initiatives that have continued to create jobs as a strategy for poverty alleviation in Nigeria and across Africa.
Ngige, who spoke during the 30th Anniversary celebration of Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, explained: “I am here because Tony Elumelu creates jobs. I take interest in those who create jobs and Tony is one of them.”
According to the minister, the Labour statistics show that between 1500 and 2000 people are employed at the Transcorp Hilton alone, stressing that “social intervention is about attending to those who are vulnerable, those who can’t afford to eat three, two or even one square meal a day. Social intervention is what Tony Elumelu does.”
He also praised Elumelu’s continued investment in power generation through Transcorp Power Limited, as well as the steps he took at UBA to retain employees through the recession when other companies chose to retrench.
At a time when other institutions were laying off, UBA promoted 3000 staff in one day, he added, just as he acknowledged Elumelu’s efforts at doing a lot to create jobs, calling for more of such.
Reacting, Elumelu urged the Minister to: “Help us create the right enabling environment and we will.”
He also added that improving lives and transforming Africa was the motivating factor when Heirs Holdings acquired controlling stake in Transcorp Plc, just as job creation remains one of many ways he continues to push this agenda. The conglomerate’s subsidiary, Transcorp Power Limited is now Nigeria’s largest power generator, in line with its commitment to power Nigeria’s industries, hospitals, schools and create a truly enabling environment for Nigeria’s entrepreneurs to thrive.
A statement by the group explained that Elumelu’s commitment to poverty alleviation is perfectly expressed in his theory of called Africapitalism, which he continues to champion based on the belief that Africa’s private sector can, and must play a leading role in the continents development.
The statement added that Africapitalism is visible through the entities under Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Holdings Group, including Transcorp which currently has over 3,000 Nigerian’s in its employ, UBA with over 14,000 Nigerian staff and the Tony Elumelu Foundation that has so far empowered 3000 Africans through its flagship entrepreneurship Programme.
