ugo4u:
To think that these people rose from the very ashes especially from the demonic policy of £20, to embark on such gargantuan project only concretise the myth behind the Igbo man.

NaijadrivaCars:
Imagine! Just few years after the Civil War, Imolites donated such sums (in billions of Naira today) to build that Airport.

Dee Sam Mbakwe remains the best Governor of Imo State.

Cherez:

Don't mind some morons here arguing this truth
Monies my people donated is being disputed?
You guys, Gavelslam, Metaphysical, Ritchiee, & Omenka should learn one wise action I learnt years ago thus, "Never ever think something impossible for you is so for others cos impossibilities for someone might be a walkover for another. So, rather than argue an impossibility isn't a walkover for the other person, learn how they do it & excel as well"

kolaaderin:
All fake documents, windows Microsoft word type setting in 1983. You can do us a favour and retype this in its accessible format as at 1983.

emilo2bad:

so true my brother forget Igbo with their fake propaganda. this paper was not produced in 1983 fake hart find us another fake propaganda not this fake paper

ChiefS:
I was a kid then. The fundraising was held at the Aba sports stadium. The patriotic efforts of the donors are quite commendable. I hawked pancake outside the stadium on that fateful Saturday with little hope of boarding an airplane. The rest is history. To God be the glory.

MetaPhysical:


Gwafa,
I dont care how long you have lived amongst civilized people in Yorubaland this ya village life and mentality cannot be cured.

Shey, na my Yoruba people you dey talk this thrash to? . Orisirisi!

Where I come from, the great Yoruba people, founders of civilizations and world orders, creators of Empires and Kingdoms.....it is abomination for government to pass its sovereign duty and financial burden to its citizens.

When the citizens have to fund a big budget project like an airport the government is no longer solvent. Its budgets are meaningless and it has lost credibility and jurisdiction, it should be dissolved.

A state governor in any Yoruba state will not dare ask people to contribute money to build road...much more an airfield, not to come talk of an airport!

If Yoruba community ever thought of need to improve state budgets they will not donate money. Instead they will approach the government to raise tax.

Cover your face in shame for coming out in public to support this act of shame in Imo. It is a discredit that people will contribute money to build airport in 1983 Nigeria when oil money was flowing yanfu yanfu.

You are backward over there. You have a huge deficit in your assessment of your govt and their contract and responsibility to citizens. They exploit your lack of knowledge and pump you up with false ego....the Igbo spirit!

Igbo spirit that is not aware that it is uncivil for citizens to donate money and fund govt budget.

No make me talk and loose my new gehfren in Mbaise o.

gwafaeziokwu:




1. I don't reside in Lagos or any of your Ogbomosho enclave.

2. At least we have cleared the air on whether individuals contributed money to build the first state owned airport in Nigeria.

3.The argument now is whether it is right or wrong for individuals to assist government fund infrastructure through donations and levy. According to you, your 'sophiscated' region would rather use increase taxation to get the fund.

Tax by definition is a COMPULSORY contribution to state revenue, while Donation is something given in charity, out of goodwill. So your government will force people to fund the project while Imo government decided to invoke the good will of Ndigbo to make the airport a reality.

Almost every household in Igboland made donations or levies for the project. So what exactly is your point?

gwafaeziokwu:




1. I don't reside in Lagos or any of your Ogbomosho enclave.

2. At least we have cleared the air on whether individuals contributed money to build the first state owned airport in Nigeria.

3.The argument now is whether it is right or wrong for individuals to assist government fund infrastructure through donations and levy. According to you, your 'sophiscated' region would rather use increase taxation to get the fund.

Tax by definition is a COMPULSORY contribution to state revenue, while Donation is something given in charity, out of goodwill. So your government will force people to fund the project while Imo government decided to invoke the good will of Ndigbo to make the airport a reality.

Almost every household in Igboland made donations or levies for the project. So what exactly is your point?

vivalavida:


My mum already told me stories on how this airport came to fruition. So this is not my first time of hearing this. They did it because only the eastern region then didnt have any airport after the war. Present day Abia state university which was formerly imo state university was built under such circumstances too.

Cherez:

GOD!!!!
Bros I thought you were cerebral enough
Now I understand the main reason Nigeria is so backward; even intelligent people loose this property at the touch of tribalism.
Yes the airport was built by the state govt (who else would the donation go to? LGA, traditional rulers?) with donations from individuals
See the reference I have you
The donation was made public so this ain't news as people massively donated then.
The OP even opined so that the records were done by the state commissioner of finance then Mr. Idika
You don't have to go far; In some locations in Lagos you'll see Town Union buildings built solely in donation from a single village.
My village has town unions in every major city in the SE & in Lagos and in each of these locations, they have a 1/2-storey building on a 2plot land built by the union

MetaPhysical:


Im going to cut it down for you in very simple way.

Government does not owe you Town Hall. It will be nice if they opt to build one but they can equally opt not to. If the Town needs a Hall for community gathering and events then you pool funds and erect one.

Government promotes trade and exchange. Government owes you an airport, and it is not an option.

The knowledge and awareness deficit in Imo in 1983 led to this show of shame you are incorrectly branding with pride.

Imo people in 1983 were clueless, simple!

Im coming to Mbaise soon to see Christina. I will gladly give lecture in your town hall and open una eyes.

MetaPhysical:


You were told many stories in village that were revisited and found to be false.

Like Ojukwu papa was first President of Lagos Stock Exchange. He was not, Mobolaji Bank Anthony was.

Ibo was the first to medical doctor in Nigeria. It is not true, Yoruba was.

Aziliwe created NCNC. He did not, he joined an NCNC created by Macauley.

Sir Ojukwu owned the Rolls Royce that his driver chauffered the visiting Queen in. Untrue, the Rolls Royce belonged to Kano Palace.

So, how is this donation lie any different, irrespective of where it came from.

Great respect to your mother! I cant say anything wrongful about her at all but the message itself is what is under attack.

Its a propaganda and a deceit ....a grand deceit if I may add......that Imo citizens donated fund to the state to build an airport.

I dont even know if I can yet agree that Imo was first state to build an airport independent of Fg funding. I have to explore other states and discover when their airports were built and who built it.

Many people have wonders that are largely unknown because they are not noisy.

Mordecai:


This document has been called into question. It does not match the typeset of the era in which it's believed to have been created. For perspective, look at the typeset under the picture of Kalu Idika Kalu.

Names like Mr Arthur Eze on that document adds more doubts to it credibility. As of 1978, Arthur Eze was still a student in USA. Atlas Oranto Petroleum was not founded till the early 90s. Also, the personal account of Iwuanyanwu on how the airport was built (https://www.sunnewsonline.com/my-ups-and-downs-in-life-iwuanyanwu-2/) does not match this narrative.

While donations were likely made for the project, this document is clearly revisionist and is a fake.

AsabaPropertyAg:
I can see Arthur Eze's name on the list, this philanthropist has been doing good for over 3 decades.

ArcFresky:


Stop blowing your trumpet, historically traders were usually from the north or the south west.

Check history, successful traders usually originated from the north and west.

It was china and the allure of cheap standard goods that brought aboug Igbo prosperity in trading.

It was also the Igbos that introduced counterfeit goods
Used car importation
Spare parts
Substandard drugs or posions

Oil only brought easy money. Since there was no easy money for the south westerners, all they had was trade or die in poverty.

Chukapage:
see pains . Loius Ojukwu was from Ikene Ogun state. Tribalism has sucked you dry chai!

ArcFresky:


Don't be dumb, there is nothing tribalistic in my post. I only stated facts

MetaPhysical:


Im going to cut it down for you in very simple way.

Government does not owe you Town Hall. It will be nice if they opt to build one but they can equally opt not to. If the Town needs a Hall for community gathering and events then you pool funds and erect one.

Government promotes trade and exchange. Government owes you an airport, and it is not an option.

The knowledge and awareness deficit in Imo in 1983 led to this show of shame you are incorrectly branding with pride.

Imo people in 1983 were clueless, simple!

Im coming to Mbaise soon to see Christina. I will gladly give lecture in your town hall and open una eyes.