"I have never understood why Nigeria should export
41,947 tons of raw cotton in 1961 valued at £9.5 million
while importing 177, 684, 000 square yards of textiles
valued at £19 million.
Why should we continue to import such heavy
commodities as cement when limestone abounds in this
country? The only adequate answer to the European
Common Market with the obnoxious tariff walls is our
manufacturing most of what we import from them. With
the best will in the world, this will take time .
But a start must be made now by deliberately
concentrating on those goods which can be easily
manufactured here thereby saving foreign exchange. I have already mentioned two, but I believe that it is possible to concentrate during this period of the plan on three specific fields covering food, clothing, and shelter."

- Premier Michael Okpara (1962 )
'Progress Without Tears'
-------------------------------------
It is of note that Micheal Okpara ended up building the
fastest growing economy in the world as a Premier of
Eastern Region

Igbo Amaka.

Na why dwm dey beef us mean mean..

But who sigh..

The country must remain a shithole.. they love it that way..

Herdsmen:
Igbo Amaka.

Na why dwm dey beef us mean mean..

But who sigh..

The country must remain a shithole.. they love it that way..

Igbo Amaka nwanne

DR. OKPARA’S INDUSTRAL BLUEPRINT AND ACHIEVEMENTS

It is unarguably true that DR.M .I. Okpara, laid a solid industrial base for the development of Eastern Nigeria for the then period and for future generations .It was then that Nigeria’s industrial pathway was drawn and which could have established Nigeria on a solid foundation of industrial growth had the initiative been sustained by successive administrations. Rather the opportunity was squandered like in most other area that would have catapulted Nigeria to the league of industrialized world. The story of the Nkalagu cement company has always been a striking reminder because it was a bold, decisive, and courageous and sensible business decision to give fillip to his drive for economic independence, his government intervened and actually bought the federal Government’s shared interests which were to be disposed of.

It was inconceivable to Dr. Okpara that such a strategic industry located in Nkalagu, a few miles from Enugu, would be allowed to be acquired by a British consortium. The political implications of that move would be catastrophic to the industrial and developmental interest of his government.

Therefore the Federal Government interests were substantially bought over by the Okpara government and sold to the ordinary people of Eastern Nigeria.

It quickly established an industrial Estate at Emene near Enugu and quite close to the Nkalagu Cement factory.

In like manner was the establishment of the Niger-gas plant and Nigersteel industry, all in Emene! There is no doubt that these may have challenged the Federal government to realize the fact that there was an imperative necessity to embark on a bold steel production industrial policy. Many years later, the Federal government caught the fever and established the Ajaokuta, Warn, Oshogbo and Kastina steel plants, which have either remained at various stages of construction or totally abandoned many years after.

Furthermore, to open up the vast opportunities of an International Market, Dr. Okpara’s government planned and executed the completion of the Onitsha International Market which, today, has spread over a sprawling area attracting traders from many cities in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region. Added to this, was the building and inauguration of the Pepsi Cola plant in Onitsha by the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC). In addition, there was plan for the establishment of a textile factory which was on the drawing board and actually took off after the Nigeria/Biafra Civil conflict with a combination of government and private interests running the outfit. Also the administration planned the building of a motor manufacturing plant in the region to enable Nigeria to join the league of automobile producers as well as provide employment for Nigerians.

The industrial floodgate was really thrown open with the establishment of the Shoe Industiy at Owerri, the Aba Textile Mill with industrial gas piped from Port-Harcourt.

In Umuahia, the Golden Guinea Breweries was incorporated in nineteen sixty-one and actually put the sales of its product, Golden Guinea Beer in the market that same year. Later, the Modem Ceramic Industry came on stream producing primary sanitary wares, bath tubes as well as tiles, while the Metallic Industry was also in the offing for the production of small machine tools.

In Port Harcourt, Dr. Michael Okpara’s visionary acumen blossomed in the establishment and development of a vast Industrial Estate which, to this day, remains the heart beat and bulwark of industrial development in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Trans-Amadi Layout was, and still remains, an unbeatable venture in vision and business savvy. Also the Alfa pioneer plant was to be built for plywood production in line with the government’s policy of massive industrialization.

As part of the Vision, model warehouses were built and solid roads were laid out with drains. Electricity, water, gas pipe lines, environment-friendly installations were put in place and industries just moved in and commenced production. The result was that the flourishing Michelin Tyre Factory was in full bloom. The Glass Factory, established by the ENDC, was in full production with the Trans-Amadi layout established by the administration not too far away from that area. There was also the Coconut Plantation in Bonny Island owned by the ENDC.

ENDC also took over some of the Bulk Oil Plant premises to establish a flourishing boatyard, manufacturing some power fired engine passenger boats for use between, Igwe-nga, now renamed Ikot Abasi, in Akwa-Ibom State, and the historic and famous king Jaja of Opobo Town. No part of Eastern Nigeria was neglected or excluded from the industrial blitz.

For instance, in addition to the vast Oil Palm, and rubber plantations in the area, the Calabar cement Company (CALCEMCO) was put on stream in 1965 using limestone from contiguous areas for their production.

t to put education in the front seat.

DR. OKPARA’S UNBEATEN AGRICULTURAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

Under the regime which has been aptly described as the most radical, progressive and result-oriented, agriculture was giving an outstanding position as the period witnessed real agrarian revolution and economic expansion. Indeed, agriculture was the center piece of his development policy, using the Eastern Nigerian Development Corporation ENDC as instrument.

It is indisputable that what is now referred to an agrarian revolution and economic development by succeeding administrations were first started by the Okara administrations in Eastern Nigerian. Dr. Opkara did not only talk of agriculture, he put flesh and blood into it with relentless interest and aggressive policies which culminated into a rapid social, economic and industrial transformation.

These efforts still and will remain a monumental tribute to him and many generations to come, as despite callous neglect and abandonment by successive regimes evidence of his achievements still abound.

As a deliberate approach for success, innovative farm settlements patterned after the famous Israeli Kibutz were set up in five towns, Igborariam in now Anambra state, and the one located in now Ebonyi State, Ulonna North and South in now Abia state, Uzo-Uwani in now Enugu state and Ohaji in now Imo state.

The idea was to ensure that model farms properly managed by experts were established to train young school leavers who worked in the settlement and ran their own farms inside the estates based on the experience they acquired and were supervised by the farm management. The product ranged from rice, oil palm to rubber.

Sadly, at the end of the Nigeria/Biafra Civil War, some of the farm settlements were remodeled or sold outrightly or privatized, while many were simple abandoned and to allowed to waste. For example Adapalm at Ohaji in Imo state, was remodeled into thriving vast commercial oil palm plantation but which has been mismanaged.

Ulonna North and South farm settlement is virtually wasting and begging for urgent revival. In Anambra state the Igboaraim, palm plantation was brutally cut down and the vast plantation made part of the Anambra state University.

The scheme can, certainly, be massively recreated to provide jobs for thousands of our young school leavers and graduates.

The Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation’s ENDC enormous Estates of oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashew and rice, with the intercropping of pineapples, banana, plantains and cassava, formed veritable bastions for cash crop and food production. These farms include the expensive rubber plantation located in Amaeke Abam, Ndioji Abam, Arochukwu, Ozuitem, the Ikwu, Imo River waterways, Ubani Ibeku, etc. understandably, the massive oil palm plantations of Kwa falls, Calaro, Ikom and others in Cross River state and Umuekune in Imo state, among many other are now lying waste with little or nothing to show for the huge investment on them.

One incontrovertible fact is that the land is still there, nature has continued to water the ground by giving us abundant rain and good free sunshine. All that is required now is to develop the goodwill, zeal, and commitment to pay more attention to the soil. One feels a sense of shame and disappointment that only three decades ago, Eastern Nigeria was in a strong position to earn reasonable funds from exporting its own population. In fact, then, about three million pounds was earned in one year from this source of export.

In the area of protein production, it was Dr. Okpara’s accepted agricultural policy to massively produce poultry product for which purpose, an expert Afro American, Mr. Davies was recruited to develop poultry productions in Abakaliki. Chicken broilers, day old chicks, old layers, and egg were available on a very massive scale for distribution throughout the Region. The People were mobilized and agriculture made conscious, available on a very massive scale for distribution throughout the Region.

Then public servants were encouraged, and persuaded, to grow their own poultry for family consumption in their back-yard farms. Almost every home produces all the egg and broilers consumed by the family and the surplus made available for sale. It was Dr. Opkara’s passion that the population should be well fed.

In fact, the slogan then was “grow your own chicken and egg”,

To show the extent to which the policy yielded enormous dividend, Egg marketing and Distribution Task Force comprising the Ministry of Agriculture, Local Government, Co=operative Department of ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education, and Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation, was set up with a Secretary from the premier’s Office given the mandate to organize immediate egg collection centers in all local Government Areas.

Cold rooms were built in convenient centers to receive the egg and organize logistics for distribution of eggs.

For ease of distribution, the Education Ministry was asked to feed every

Student in the secondary schools in the Region that had dormitory accommodation, two eggs a week!

Unfortunately this grand programme, no longer exists with the inception of succeeding administrations.

One striking effect of the farm settlements was that it tackled the problem of food self-sufficiency, economic self reliance and guaranteed employment. This is because following the system which allotted farms and accommodation to the farmers government followed up by setting up the marketing board which bought up the produce by farmers which were later stored in silos either for export or for the industries that sprouted in the region, the farmers were encouraged to stay on since they were sure of instant market for their produce no matter the quantity.

It was from his sound agriculture policy that he was able to generate considerable funds to finance most of his projects. For instance, the University of Nsukka was translated into realizable and concrete form to were built using the five million pounds, generated by the Eastern Nigeria marketing board through propagate Zik’s ideas and dreams to restore the dignity of man. The main structure of the University of Nigeria were built using five million pounds, generated by the Eastern Nigeria marketing Board through the sales of palm produce from local producers and the Eastern Nigeria Development corporation’s pioneer oil mills.

There were also enormous estates of oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashew with intercropping of pineapples, banana, plantain and cassava at Amaeke Abam and Ndioji Abam, Arochukwu, ozuitem, with massive palm plantations spread across the entire region to make region economically self sufficient even as the breeding of cattle was intensified at obudu cattle ranch.

Really, there was no dull moment for the government then. It is regrettable that agriculture witch formed the bedrock of not only the economy of the eastern Region, but also a major foreign currency earner for the nation has been utterly neglected and abandoned.

Ironically, while Nigeria continues to treat her enormous agricultural endowment with abandonment, Malasia and Ivory Coast that that came to the country in the sixties to obtain their first oil palm seedlings have been making tremendous impact in the world economy using agriculture as a major platform.

For instance while Nigeria can hardly point at any major leap in the sector, Malaysia’s now popular KIA Motor is produced with proceeds from palm oil.

Of course we know how Gowon destroyed FMBN with his indigenisation nonsense.

M. I. POWER!!!! Those days when we had visionary leaders.