The metamorphosis of 20 pounds
Saturday, 23 October 2010 02:02  E-mailPDF
By Peter Onyedika Anosike

On October 15, I was at Nnewi and Awka both in Anambra State where President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned two privately owned multi-billion naira projects.

In Nnewi, he commissioned Nigeria’s first private vehicle manufacturing plant owned by Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Innoson Group of Companies and in Awka, he commissioned an infusion plant owned by Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, the Chairman, Juhel Pharmacy Limited which is the biggest in Africa and the first of its kind in the West African Sub-region.

At the events, I had watched Jonathan very closely to see the expression on his face and my humble conclusion was that he was overwhelmed by what he saw on the ground. Speaking while commissioning Innoson Vehicles, he had said: “…coming here gives me joy because Innosen Vehicle Manufacturing plant is not just assembling parts that are imported but, from all indications, it is only the engine that the company brings in from their partner in China and every other thing is built here. Even abroad, no particular company produces everything whether aircraft, automobile or even turbines”.

Early this year, I was on the entourage of the Minister of Works, Senator Mohammed Sanusi Dagash, when he was on a working visit to both Lagos and Ogun states. During the visit, he inspected the facilities of Capital Oil Limited, owned by Ifeanyi Uba. He visited the Capital Oil depot and Capital Oil Truck Park where he declared open a restaurant. Seeing the Capital Oil facilities, which have the highest fuel storage capacity in the country, as well as the truck park, said to be the biggest in Africa for its capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 trailers at a time, the Minister lacked appropriate words to express his feelings.

Again, sometime in 2002, I was present when the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, commissioned the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA) Complex and Balogun Business Association Complex both in Lagos International Trade Fair Complex respectively. I also saw the wonder on their faces then. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, not known for making ‘quotable quotes’, the only one that could be attributed to him in recent times being the one he made at Owerri the day Gov. Ikedi Ohakim defected to the Peoples Democratic Party when he said : “this is a promise made, promise kept and promise fulfilled”, had on the day of the commissioning of ASPMDA, said “People are talking about privatization, this is privatization itself.”

Having been privileged to witness all that, I can sincerely say that I am not a mind reader to know whether the wonder on the faces of the people mentioned above during the commissioning of the various Igbo self help efforts were that of love or hate. However, I can bet on the sincerity of the Works Minister, Senator Mohammed Sanusi Dagash for one thing. The way he expressed his disappointment over the poor handling of the Onitsha-Owerri road, which was awarded to two traditional rulers in the South East as far back as 2002, and till date the road project is still ongoing. Few years ago, he had, out of anger, taken one side of the road and given it to Julius Berger and the part has been completed, leaving the other side to the traditional rulers who are no doubt well connected to the powers that be at Abuja.  If the Works Minister had his way, he would have revoked the contract for the other side a long time ago. That is a case of somebody who means well for a people and that is why I say that I can bet for his sincerity on the gigantic strides being made by Igbo sons and daughters because there is no way we can know what is going on in somebody’s mind except through his action or inaction.

But one common thing with all the people mentioned except Senator Dagash is that they just, commissioned the projects and goes their way without talking about the infrastructure like road and power supply that would sustain the project that they had commissioned.
On the part of the former president Olusegun Obasanjo, the type of economic warfare, which he launched against Ndigbo immediately after the commissioning of the Auto Spare Parts Complex in 2002, was beyond imagination. It seemed as if the thought that was going on in his mind was how could a people that were reduced to point zero during the war and given only 20 pounds after the civil war would have risen so fast to be making giant strides. Therefore, the only option was to cripple them economically and that was probably why his administration began to bring out policies to destroy businesses where Igbo hold sway and also to starve them of enabling infrastructure like good road network and power supply that would enable them to continue to make more giant strides as well as deprive them of federal government presence.

That was evidenced when the contract for the second bridge across the River Niger came up. Federal government had awarded contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of many bridges across the country but the Igbo were told by the Obasanjo administration that if they needed a second bridge across the Niger, they should construct it by themselves. The thinking could be that after all, the Igbo have got used to doing things for themselves.

Since then this policy has come to stay and that is why presidents in the country go to the other parts of the country to lay foundation of projects but only go the South East to commission privately owned projects and they never see anything wrong with this.

Why I commend the ‘can do’ spirit of the Igbo, the people at the centre should at least try to search their conscience. They should ask themselves why there is no federal presence in the South East as is in the other parts of the country.

Federal government should in good spirit begin to appreciate the nationalistic spirit of the Igbo. It is only the Igbo that can go to another part of the country, fill up swamps or reclaim lands and build houses or set up companies.

It is the Igbo that can go to the other parts of the country and build multi-billion naira projects as evidenced by Capital Oil’s investments in Lagos and other parts of the country as well as what the Igbo did at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.

These are signs of self-integration into the entity called Nigeria.
Since the end of the civil war, the Nigerian state has been playing politics with the re-integration of Igbo, but Igbo has through their investments in the other parts of the country shown commitment to one Nigeria.

Therefore, I feel that the Federal Government should appreciate this by making its presence felt in the South East.

http://www.peoplesdaily-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17822:the-metamorphosis-of-20-pounds&catid=95:opinion&Itemid=143

The Igbo in SE and SS should learn to stay back home and invest. Its not their responsibility to develop other parts of Nigeria. The government can do it.

my friend dont just seat down there and complain. where is ojo maduekwe , dora, soludo  and  co "sighs",

was it not these ibos who fought for 3rd term. ibos should stop the victim mentality

udezue:

The Igbo in SE and SS should learn to stay back home and invest. Its not their responsibility to develop other parts of Nigeria. The government can do it.

You just captured my mind.

I think maybe the state governments of the SE/SS Igbo entrepreneurs may not be creating the enabling environment. But if it's truly that it's only the Igbos that invest other their homelands, then that's frightening. Why are others not doing the same?

Igbos need to get things right.

kettykin:

my friend dont just seat down there and complain. where is ojo maduekwe , dora, soludo and co "sighs",

was it not these ibos who fought for 3rd term. ibos should stop the victim mentality

Can you remind me the name of that Ijebu ode zoo that just released you. Where and when did Soludo and Dora camapign for the evil Third Term plot sponsored by your brother.

MetalGong4:

Can you remind me the name of that Ijebu ode zoo that just released you. Where and when did Soludo and Dora camapign for the evil Third Term plot sponsored by your brother.

old frien or foe? its been a long time, hope you are fine?
Thanks God you are back.

seanet02:

old frien or foe? its been a long time, hope you are fine?
Thanks God you are back.

I'm doing good, just busy this period because school is in session. . . I will be back in my full regalia during Xmass break.

@ S.bobo: May God be praised that you are still alive. Tne politcs sectionm has not been really interesting without you.
Welcome back brother.

My main problem is that the south east lack direct international access, though the Enugu international airport under construction should change all that. As far as I'm concerned, the only federal presence we need is that international access way. They should also fix the federal roads and bridges and leave the rest to us. As long as we don't have an Obasanjo type anti-Igbo policy at the federal level, the feds should stay out of our business.
Igbo man will not invest in a place not close to international access. That is just the way it is.

Andre Uweh:

@ S.bobo: May God be praised that you are still alive. Tne politcs sectionm has not been really interesting without you.
Welcome back brother.

Thank you my brother. I was taking cover from the kidnappers.