Finally, Onitsha looks like a befitting Eastern gateway
September 24, 2013 by Azuka Onwuka (azuka.brand@augustconsulting.biz) 22 Comments



Azuka Onwuka

Azuka Onwuka
| credits: File copy

A few years back, driving from Delta State into Onitsha, the major gateway of the former Eastern Nigeria, one was hit by squalour and chaos. At the entrance into Onitsha, just after the Niger Bridge, sellers of goats, chickens, yams, onions and vegetables haggled with their customers; commercial bus operators and their touts shouted themselves hoarse for passengers; pushers of wheelbarrows and carts bumped into pedestrians. The touts and thugs around the Upper Iweka area were so brazen that the notorious area boys of Isale Eko and Mushin in Lagos would be mere “learners” in comparison.

Beholding the nest-like Niger Bridge from Asaba always gave me the joyful feeling of “home at last”. But once I had crossed over the bridge, a feeling of sadness and annoyance overtook me, because of the filth and rowdiness that jumped at me. Therefore, on June 27, 2011, I wrote a newspaper article with the heading: “How Onitsha can help boost Governor Peter Obi’s image.” In that article, I noted that Onitsha, being the main gateway to the old Eastern Nigeria, presented a golden opportunity for Governor Obi of Anambra State to shine, as millions of people passing through it to the South-East and the South-South zones as well as those passing from these areas to the South-West and the North would judge the governor’s performance based on the looks of the eastern approaches to the Niger Bridge.

I got some emails which suggested that the governor was planning to give that area of Onitsha a facelift. I took such information with the proverbial pinch of salt. But months later, I began to see signs that something was being done about the entrance into Onitsha.

Onitsha was the city that laid the golden egg but was never attended to. So much wealth was made from the city, yet not much done for the city. In Onitsha, especially in Awada, it is almost impossible to see a two-storey building. What fill the streets are either four-storey or five-storey buildings, built to maximise the value of the land, which is high. Yet, these rows of building were erected on streets that were littered with potholes and muddy water.

Onitsha, being on the bank of the River Niger and the first point of call of the British missionaries and colonialists, was ahead of other Igbo towns in terms of modern facilities and infrastructure. A big market sprouted in Onitsha. In fact, Onitsha is perhaps the only town or city in Nigeria where every inch is a market. Even though there are official markets in the city, every house or kiosk in Onitsha on any street is a shopping outlet. Igbo people from all parts, as well as others, migrated to Onitsha and settled. Some only visited to buy or sell and return to their towns.

While Enugu was the civil service city of Igboland, Onitsha was the commercial city. Being a commercial city, peopled by traders, most of whom are not lettered and don’t bother about writing protest letters to governments, Onitsha was always neglected by successive governments either in Enugu or in Awka, when the new Anambra State was created in 1991. Even the well-read indigenes of Onitsha, who were the first to acquire Western education in Igboland and occupy top political and civil service positions in Igboland, seemed to have lost their voice.

Onitsha became so run down and dirtied that if anyone wanted to describe another as very dirty, he would call such a person, “Ezi Bida!” (the pig of Bida), Bida being a street in Onitsha. If one wanted to describe another as greedy, the appropriate name for that person would be “Udene Fegge” (the vulture of Fegge), Fegge being an area in Onitsha.

Because of the chaos and bad roads in Onitsha as well as the absence of a second bridge across the River Niger, traffic jams were a permanent feature travelling into Onitsha from Asaba. Someone who had spent five hours from Lagos to Asaba could spend between three and six hours to get to Oba, which is about three kilometres from Onitsha.

But most people who passed through Onitsha to other parts of the South-East or South-South or those en route to Lagos and other parts of Nigeria would only see the Upper Iweka area and the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Way, a stretch of about two kilometres. It was, therefore, difficult to understand why the military governors and civilian governors of the old Anambra State and the new Anambra State were not embarrassed by this very important entrance into Onitsha. In our personal lives, even people who have dirty toilets and bedrooms make efforts to keep the facade of their homes and the living room, where they receive their guests, clean. So, why not Onitsha?

It was, therefore, heart-warming to see that the sellers of goats, chickens, onions, and the like could be relocated from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Way. It was a pleasant surprise to see that flowers could be planted along that stretch of road and that they could grow. It was fulfilling to see that that stretch could be reconstructed, with the roads and gutters widened that one could barely spend 10 minutes to get to Owerri Road or Enugu Expressway. It was exciting to see the sidewalks and medians painted in black and white. One could wind down the glass on that stretch of road and take some fresh air.

I used to assume that there was a divine order not to plant flowers around the Upper Iweka area to avoid divine punishment. I used to wonder whether the River Niger would overflow its bank and wipe out the entire South–East if the stretch from the Niger Bridge to Upper Iweka overhead bridge was kept clean and beautiful.

It is heart-warming that Governor Obi has taken advantage of this golden opportunity that other governors before him did not see. There is no law that says that Onitsha must forever be a dirty and neglected city.

It is good to know that Obi identifies problem areas in the state and solves them. And he does not make much noise about such. Since the 1980s when I began to travel through Anambra State as a young man, I had never had a smoother ride through the state like I did recently. The network of roads and bridges actually showed how near each other Anambra towns and villages are. One minute you are in one town; within five minutes, you are in the next town.

The task before anyone who will take over as the next governor of the state in a couple of months is to take the state to a new level. Anambra has immense human resources in politics, academics, finance, technology, arts, sports, etc. It has kept the annual record of producing the second highest number of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates, after Imo State, in Nigeria. In the last Unity School admission, it was given the highest cut-off mark of 139 in the nation because of the number of its candidates and their performance.

Such a state needs a visionary leader who can harness these human resources and convert them to assets for the transformation of the state from a commercial state to an industrial-cum-commercial powerhouse in the nation. And voters at the forthcoming election must have that in mind when they go to the polls.

http://www.punchng.com/opinion/finally-onitsha-looks-like-a-befitting-eastern-gateway/

Until we see picture of the Onitsha before and the Onitsha after, this is wasted effort and ink.

trying to get some pix.

I'll believe it when i see it!

It won't take much to make that city look welcoming and neat: just fix ALL the roads; green up the environment with trees, parks and well trimmed grass verges; and finally, sweep the roads and collect refuse on a daily basis......esp' at busy commercial areas like markets and motor parks. Shikena!

IGBO-SON:
I'll believe it when i see it!

It won't take much to make that city look welcoming and neat: just fix ALL the roads; green up the environment with trees, parks and well trimmed grass verges; and finally, sweep the roads and collect refuse on a daily basis......esp' at busy commercial areas like markets and motor parks. Shikena!

Not much at all, I must admit I am so impressed when I see workers in Lagos on Sunday picking up trash and sweeping, because the city officials know Sunday is not a busy day. Beautification as you pointed out is not expensive. I would like to add to place trash cans strategically around the busy areas, in America business and residents must pay a refuse fee.

I use to celebrate every single development, but after seeing the allocations the states receive and the salaries of the leaders, I now have high expectations for their performance's and expect the projects that are allocated to private contractors to meet up to contracts awarded to them.

Would love to see pictures of these completed projects in the article, since I will not be back until November. Also how far on the Shop rite project?

is it taboo to take a picture in anambra? 5 million people 3 pictures.

This thread is useless without pictures.

IGBO-SON:
I'll believe it when i see it!

It won't take much to make that city look welcoming and neat: just fix ALL the roads; green up the environment with trees, parks and well trimmed grass verges; and finally, sweep the roads and collect refuse on a daily basis......esp' at busy commercial areas like markets and motor parks. Shikena!

Sorry my brother you wrong on this one, it will take much for Nigerian cities to look welcoming and neat. You can plant all the vegetation, sweep the roads, and pick up the trash on a daily basis, it just looks the same after a few hours. Yes it may help but Nigeria still has a long way to go. Nigerians would eat or drink in the car instead of properly disposing of the wraps or containers, they just throw it out on the street. I was in Lagos a few years ago and what I saw amazed me. Grown men and women using the bathroom in the middle of the street.

No pix, No News!

Pictures ! Picture !! Picture !!!
Obi apologist.

I comment my reserve, until i cornfirm it.
Ehmm... driver! driver!! Tunde! Tunde!!, come take me down to uper iweka.. Haruna open that gate.

Dudu_Negro: Until we see picture of the Onitsha before and the Onitsha after, this is wasted effort and ink.

i concore

Great article. Hope we can get to see pictures soon. I recall that Peter Obi promised to relocate to Onitsha and personally supervise the overhaul and beautification of Onitsha. So I wasn't surprised to read this article.

Freewilly:

Sorry my brother you wrong on this one, it will take much for Nigerian cities to look welcoming and neat. You can plant all the vegetation, sweep the roads, and pick up the trash on a daily basis, it just looks the same after a few hours. Yes it may help but Nigeria still has a long way to go. Nigerians would eat or drink in the car instead of properly disposing of the wraps or containers, they just throw it out on the street. I was in Lagos a few years ago and what I saw amazed me. Grown men and women using the bathroom in the middle of the street.

i was hoping if we strategically place trash cans around people can use them. I swear I am always shocked how people just dump trash anyhow and what's up with burning trash jeez plastic burning is so toxic and dangerous,so no recycling plants and waste disposal management in Nigeria, I never even see it in the plans of these poli-theifs, that burning plastic has to cease! We really need a new War on Indiscipline!

Well, on Nairaland,







If u have no pix...













It means....




















IT SIMPLY


















DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!!!

I presume the gateway status is not limited to the long bridge but expandable to the Atlantic Coast via river Niger, the maritime advantage of this great city has remained very much untapped as a result of government beraucracy, what is holding the concession of the Niger river water ways is still baffling, I sense an omotoba behind the scenes, this great water ways has to be concessioned before 2015 elections.
Any body who knows the strategic importance of the panama canal and the suez canal wouldn't be toying with the river Niger water ways

********Singing mode**********All we are saying give us pictures to back it up**********

kettykin: I presume the gateway status is not limited to the long bridge but expandable to the Atlantic Coast via river Niger, the maritime advantage of this great city has remained very much untapped as a result of government beraucracy, what is holding the concession of the Niger river water ways is still baffling, I sense an omotoba behind the scenes, this great water ways has to be concessioned before 2015 elections.
Any body who knows the strategic importance of the panama canal and the suez canal wouldn't be toying with the river Niger water ways

^^^I have a nagging suspicion that a sham job was done with the so called dredging work! After all, we have only the word of the contractors as to how deep and extensive the dredging was. And in any case, by the time the bumbling and procrastinating politicians and bureaucrats finally get round to concessioning the Onitsha river port, it's very likely that the River would have silted up again.......i'm no expert but i would imagine that dredging a busy river channel would be an on-going and frequent exercise!

.

I used to believe pictures means evidence until lately. Men should learn to choose what they want to believe in. To me, Onitsha is indeed now a befitting eastern gateway. Entering Onitsha right after the bridge, you will be greeted by a 10-lane road down to upper Iweka where you will encounter a magnificent and confusing flyover bridge with so many channels. You need to see for yourselves to understand, it's just WOW! so to say. Going down, the road gradually closes back to double lane around Oba junction. This is what I saw with my eyes last two weeks Tuesday. Funny enough, I didn't take any pictures after taking some at Asaba when we had a flat tire.

If Ds Post Enter FP.. Na To Just Perboil The Mods Balls!

Slizbeat: I used to believe pictures means evidence until lately. Men should learn to choose what they want to believe in. To me, Onitsha is indeed now a befitting eastern gateway. Entering Onitsha right after the bridge, you will be greeted by a 10-lane road down to upper Iweka where you will encounter a magnificent and confusing flyover bridge with so many channels. You need to see for yourselves to understand, it's just WOW! so to say. Going down, the road gradually closes back to double lane around Oba junction. This is what I saw with my eyes last two weeks Tuesday. Funny enough, I didn't take any pictures after taking some at Asaba when we had a flat tire.

is the upper iweka flyover different from nkpor fly over?

Onitsha has improved drastically under Obi, but more need to be done specially in the area of traffic management& commercial motorcyclist should be barned from Onitsha metropolis or should be restricted from applying federal& some major state roads.

As Anambrarian, I will give Peter obi 40%, he did not live up to expectation

asha 80: is the upper iweka flyover different from nkpor fly over?

Are you the one asking this question?

Chino_Is_Back:


Are you the one asking this question?

Chino_Is_Back:


Are you the one asking this question?

Zet72: Onitsha has improved drastically under Obi, but more need to be done specially in the area of traffic management& commercial motorcyclist should be barned from Onitsha metropolis or should be restricted from applying federal& some major state roads.

As Anambrarian, I will give Peter obi 40%, he did not live up to expectation

And yet you score him 40percent? confused fellow.

kingbang:

And yet you score him 40percent? confused fellow.

Some fellows can be funny atimes..

asha 80: is the upper iweka flyover different from nkpor fly over?

Ofcourse it is.

onitsha the mega city

Where is the pix, no pix means it didn't happen hahahahahahaahahahahah

Konmight: Where is the pix, no pix means it didn't happen hahahahahahaahahahahah

If it was negative news, would absence of pictures also mean it didn't happen? Animalistic hypocrites!