your wish for Igbos will not happen. amen

grafikii:
Mumu where is theodore orji and his okija people. They should arrest every flat head in the area, this is one of their area of specialty after kidnapping

YOU TRIBAL RAT OF A DELUDED REGION. I AM NOT WHAT YOU SAY I AM

Abagworo:

Once @bolded is involved, just forget it.

THE BOLDED HAVE DONE ITS PART BY PROVIDING 300 HECTERS OF LAND. MOST GOVERNMENTS IN NIGERIA PROVIDES LAND AS THEIR EQUITY PARTICIPATION WHILE THE PRIVATE SECTOR PROVIDE THE FUNDING, INFRASTRUCTURES AND MANAGEMENT

Governor TA Orji runs a bad government which have failed the people of Abia State no doubt. THIS IS NOT A STATE GOVERNMENT PROJECT BUT A PRIVATE SECTOR PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD BANK, UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL FUND, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE, ABIA STATE GOVT, BANK OF INDUSTRY, NIGERIA EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL, EUROPEAN AND CHINESE FIRMS. ABIA STATE GOVT HAVE DONE ITS PART BY PROVIDING 300 HECTERS OF LAND, THE FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CITY WOULD BE DONE BY THE PROFIT DRIVEN PRIVATE SECTOR IN COLLABORATION WITH THEIR FEDERAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.

http://www.abamegamall.com/

Go to the above website to see pictures and watch the video of how beautiful this mega mall would appear on completion.

SOUTH EAST NIGERIA IS NOW INVESTORS PARADISE DUE TO THE SECURE, HOSPITABLE AND FAVORABLE INVESTMENT CLIMATE. IF YOU HAVE NOT INVESTED IN SOUTH EAST YET, THEN HURRY BECAUSE YOU ARE LOSING OUT ON HUGE PROFITS AND TURN OVER.

Abia Signs PPP Framework for $1Billion Osisioma Industrial Park

By Chineme Okafor
Based on its decision to relocate industrial workshops and warehouses within the state to a befitting site, the Abia State Government has entered into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework with a firm, Acroideation International Limited, to commence the development of a $1 billion 300-hectare industrial park to be located at Osisioma.

The project, which first phase was expected to be inaugurated in December 2014 with the construction of about 34,346 units of workshops is however projected to consist of a totalled number of 68,692 units of industrial workshops and warehouses sited on 200 hectares, while 1,000 units of residential estate would occupy the remaining 100 hectares when completed.


Tagged the “Abia International Industrial City” (ABIIC), Head, Project Management Team of Acroideation, Seyi Olufade, told journalists yesterday in Abuja, that ABIIC, which was borne out of the need to establish key sectors of the economy of the state, would establish the foundation for the development of competitive domestic products for export, thus, launching the state into the rich field of global economy within time.


Olufade explained that with all its offerings such as expansive shopping malls, warehouses and over 10,000 capacity commercial car park amongst others, ABIIC which he said, was just about a kilometre from the state’s commercial town of Aba will be operated on a Build Operate and Manage (BOM) basis for 35 years from the date of inauguration by Acroideation.


He also said the firm had secured technical partnerships from European and Chinese firms, adding that the United Nations Industrial Organisation (UNIDO), Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BoI) and Nigerian Investment Promotions Commission (NIPC) amongst others have shown keen interests in the industrial park.


Olufade said: “With the visit of the then Work Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz, in 2005 to view the popular Ariaria market Aba in company of the now Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, it was clear that all the affluence and influence are tucked in Ariaria market and the sway it portends to the Nigerian economy.


Critical elements affecting the growth of the industrial market include lack of product branding, design, packaging, marketing and funding, the ABIIC project is the response to these problems; it is a landmass of 300 hectares in Osisioma, about 1km from Aba town.”


He disclosed further that the industrial complex would rely on the 24 hours electric power supply pledge of the Geometric Aba Independent Power Plant to power its activities with further alternative arrangements, adding that the PPP had been crafted to insulate it from political interference in the case of changes in government.


“We have the strong partnership of the state government, the needed funding and technical expertise have been secured and we are ready to push forward the project with a groundbreaking event slated for September 2013 to herald the commencement of construction,” he stated.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/abia-signs-ppp-framework-for-1bn-osisioma-industrial-park/156836/

ALL INDICATIONS SHOWS THAT SOUTH EAST IS NOW AN INVESTORS HEAVEN. MORE WISE INVESTORS ARE TROOPING IN EVERY DAY

Any wise profit investor in the world should invest in southeast nigeria for quick returns on investment. The very hospitable south east have numerous large markets and cities, affordable high quality brillant hardworking man power, low corruption, very low crime rate, huge volume of money in circulation, easy access to other markets and cities in close proximity, availability of affordable social and economic infrastructures. Already eagle eyed investors around the world are coming to this investment friendly, secure and hospitable Igbo region of south east. Make that wise decision to invest in South East Nigeria Today

Aba Mega Mall project is private sector driven – Obanua

on September 30, 2013 / in Business, Finance 12:10 am / Comments

BY YINKA KOLAWOLE

Abia State government recently entered into partnership with a real estate investment and infrastructure company, Greenfield Assets Ltd, to develop the Aba Mega Mall, comprising of 5,830 ultra modern shops in Aba. In this interview, Group Managing Director, Greenfield Assets, Paul Obanua, gives insight into the significance of the project. Excerpt.

What is the Aba Mega Mall project all about?
The project is geared towards creating a commercial hub for the entire eastern and south-south regions of the country. It is designed to stimulate the urban renewal of Aba city, by providing a structured facility where trading and other commercial activities can be done in an orderly manner. Presently in Aba, every nook and cranny including the roads, drainages and streets, are trading posts. This project is an attempt to sanitise the city by giving the people of Aba a dignified trading centre, which from a survey conducted by us, the traders and dwellers in the city are eager to have it operational.

Are you constructing on virgin land or will already existing properties pave way for the project?

The construction has already begun and it is on a virgin land. The Aba Mega Mall would consist of 5,830 ultramodern shops and they will come in four sizes of 12sq meters, 16sq meters, 24sq meters and 48sq meters. Now the interesting part is that the facility will also have provisions for banks, security post, petrol station, 25,000 sq meters of climate-controlled warehouse space, restaurants and a massive parking space for over 5,000 cars. When completed, the mall facility management will require considerable manpower in excess of 20,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs.

What is the significance of this project to the people of Aba and Abia State in general?

The significance of the Aba Mega Mall project is that we are providing the most needed infrastructure for the South-East, South-South, and the entire country and even beyond our borders. We are talking Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Ghana and the entire sub region of West Africa. At the moment there is no standard retail infrastructure in Aba. We are building a world-class retail facility, with 10MW 24 hour power supply, paved roads, clean sanitation, guaranteed security in order to create an atmosphere of world-class shopping centre with peace of mind. The availability of the mall would give the people an opportunity to grow their customer base, market share and profit, while regenerating the city, which becomes a win-win situation for the traders and the city.

An insight into the profile of foreign firms partnering Greenfield on the project

Q B Construction is a renowned Construction Company in the United States. They have done projects all over the US. There is JK Structures Limited, a Pan European company; they have the elevated concrete technology. JK Structures has been in existence for almost 30 years and were involved in the building of the Euro Disney.We are also involving local contractors. The competencies of our development partners are not in doubt, and we call them our development partners because they have some level of venture financing.

Does Greenfield have needed resources to ensure the mall does not become one of uncompleted government projects?

First of all, government does not intentionally fail in their projects but the level of bureaucratic bottleneck in the Nigerian system is the reason many projects fail. Secondly, the Aba Mega Mall project is private sector driven.

The Abia state government is encouraging private sector driven development; this is what governments all over the world do by creating an enabling environment, laws and support system to the private sector to assist in developing the economy of a state. Aba Mega Mall can never be one of the abandoned white elephant projects because before the project started we had attained what is called a financial close; this means that the money to build is already in place before we went to site.

Based on your experience, do you think that the PPP route is the way to go in the development of Nigeria?

Yes, it’s the way to go, but the various governments should endeavour to keep to agreements. The government alone does not have the money and all other resources to develop the country. Take a look at our national budget which is barely $30 billion (less than that of New York City Council 2014 budget of $70 billion) will not be enough to reconstruct all our federal highways as there are today. Hence governments across the country should do everything possible to encourage private investors and keep to PPP agreements.

What is Greenfield’s vision for the city of Aba in the next 10 years?
In the next one year we would have completed the mall and have it operational, after which we’ll then go into building the 1,000 hectares Free Trade Zone. On the other the hand, the various power projects in and around the city would have also become fully operational. Aba having the right infrastructure in place, in 10 years’ time will be comparable to places like Shenzhen and Chengdu in China. It will be a commercial/industrial hub for Africa in the next 10 years.

The idea of the project is to eliminate street trading. One of the causes of people trading on the street is the lack of funds to rent a decent shop. Does the Aba Mega Mall intend addressing this by making shops cheaper to rent?
I will tell you that street trading is not as a result of the inability to afford a shop but stems from lack of adequate retail infrastructure.

Trading is a commercial decision geared towards wealth creation. So when you’re talking of such economic decisions, you are looking at a venture where the intention is to make profit. Trading is not a social activity, neither is it born out of communism. Every trader is a capitalist and so the interest of a capitalist is to engage in a sustainable venture that offers growth and profit. In effect, if you have a commercial facility where people can grow their business and make more sustainable profit, they’ll go there. Why would anyone want to remain on the streets if there’s an alternative location where customers consider more accessible, secure, orderly, healthy and conducive to do business; wouldn’t the traders rather have their trading outlets there?

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/aba-mega-mall-project-private-sector-driven-obanua/

SOUTHWEST IS REALLY UNDER DEVELOPED. The yorubas need to change their fetish and primitive orientation.

Confusion pervades Ogun community over the discovery of an underground facility with fetish items, shrines and other weird sights, reports WOLE BALOGUN

A strange underground apartment has been discovered in Adiyan, a community in the outskirts of Ogun State. The underground facility conceals some odd buildings in which were found mysterious and fetish materials such as herbs, bottles of dry gin, shrines splashed with blood, moulded images smeared with blood, white rappers, dry bones, dead animals and sculptures inscribed with inexplicable symbols, among other weird things. Many of these weird items, as shown in the pictures, were found in hidden spots in the buildings erected deep inside the ground.The road leading to Adiyan from Kola junction in Lagos is dusty and rough. Motorbikes, tricycles (Keke Marwa) and vehicles have a difficult time plying it. Although, it is highly populated, travelling to the community from Lagos is indeed a herculean task. It took almost three hours of hectic driving before the reporter found his way into the area.

The bus stop was Tobi and from there, the reporter had to walk for another two hours before he found the strange underground: He had to climb down a few steps from the top of a decked building before accessing the strange place which instantly instilled fear into a first time caller, no thanks to the fetish images and items that occupied everywhere.

Following an outcry by residents of the community that a ritualists’ den was found in the outskirts of the community, the reporter visited the place in a bid to investigate the allegation. The residents expressed differing opinions about the strange underground facility. Some said it is a den for ritualists who kidnap their victims and behead them for money-making rituals in the place.

Those who insisted on this allegation said that the operators of the underground building are usually consulted by big men to kidnap people and bring them into the place for the rituals. They added that the fetish materials found in the underground apartment further confirmed their fears about the rituals allegedly going on there.

One of those who held this view, who simply identified himself as Oke, told Daily Sun: “We have been wondering what was responsible for the mysterious disappearance of people and children in the community. Now, we know the cause. That underground place must have been the den of kidnappers who abduct people for the big men in our country.

The kidnappers usually disguise as commercial drivers and pick people on the road and blindfold them and take them to underground buildings like this so as to use them for money-making rituals. You see blood everywhere in the underground buildings. You also see many fetish items which they use to perform their evil enterprises. God has decided to expose them, that is why we discovered it this time.”

However, a different opinion was expressed by others who claim they are the real natives of the community. They insisted that the strange images and items found in the underground buildings were mere religious items for traditional practices.

Dismissing the allegation that the underground is a den for money-making rituals, they maintained that it is just a haven created by the traditionalists to worship their gods. According to them, those who own the underground apartment worship gods like Ogun, Sango, Obatala, Ifa and Osun, among others.

“It baffles me why anyone would brand that place as a den of ritualists or a hideout for criminals. Did you see any ammunition there when you visited,” a man who identified himself as a traditional priest in the community but who craved anonymity, told the reporter. “If you are a Yoruba man who is close to our roots and tradition, you would have found out that the items and images found in the underground buildings were mere worship items for our religious practices. The shrine you found outside the first building and which was dressed in palm fronds is a shrine dedicated to Ogun, the Yoruba god of iron and protector of the human race. It has to be placed there at the entrance for protection.

“The sculptures inside are mere sculptural images or representations of our gods in Yoruba land. The one that stands out is the Oduduwa image; that is the progenitor of the Yoruba race. You also see moulds painted in white and having their backgrounds dressed in white wrappers. Those are Ifa items. Ifa is the one who reveals all truths about mankind, it is the diviner. The inscriptions on them are indicators to this assertion.

The blood you see on the other shrines in the underground are of animals; they can’t be human blood. Gone are the days when human blood was used for sacrifices meant to deliver people from their bondages. And tell me, if the sacrifices carried out with those blood-smeared items are meant for liberating people from other wicked peoples’ bondage, how can it be human blood? It is also not true that human beings vanish in this community.

I have been living here for many years and can’t remember a time it was brought to our notice that people vanish anyhow. So, that allegation is far from being true, it is just an idle man’s ranting.’

The traditional ruler of the community, Oba Sunday Ezekiel disowned the underground facility when contacted to comment on it. He said he couldn’t remember a time anyone told him of the existence of an underground facility meant for the practice of traditional religion in the community.

His words: “It is true that we worship our forebears as a traditional practice, but we don’t hide it. I don’t know that such a place exists. Some have said that it is used by those who dupe people by pretending to be traditionalists.

Others said it is a place where ritualists hide their victims and use them for money-making rituals, yet some said that robbers hide their guns in the underground apartment. They have even reported to the police and we also informed the police about it. They have come to inspect the place. So, all we want to say is that we don’t want a place like that in this community. That is why we sent our men to destroy the place when news of its discovery broke.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/traditional-shrine-or-den-of-ritualists/

redsquare: Onitsha, a great city and an economic hub. Onitsha is expanding rapidly. Nkpor,Ogidi,Obosi,Oba,Umuoji,Iyiowa,Nkwelle Ezunaka,Ogbunike,Nsugbe are all part of Greater Onitsha. The volume of economic activities going on in this city is massive. Industries are littered all over the city. Long live Onitsha! Long live Nigeria.

THOSE CITIES YOU MENTIONED AS been part of greater Onitsha ARE NOT PART OF ONITSHA. IF ANY INDIGENE OF THOSE INDEPENDENT CITIES HEAR YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE PART OF ONITSHA, THEY WOULD POUNCE ON YOU. THEY HAVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL EZEs and some have land dispute with Onitsha. ONITSHA JUST LIKE ABA IS A COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CITY OF IGBOLAND, HENCE WE ALL SHOULD MAKE IT BETTER

ba7man: I repeat....."YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T VISITED THE REEDEMPTION CAMP".

OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED REDEMPTION FOR LACKING THE ABILITY TO COMPREHEND MY EARLIER POST OR ANSWER MY QUESTIONS

Starlett: @Igbo Delta: I didn't expect that you'd bring the tribal thing here as well. The article clearly specifies that it means largest in terms of POPULATION and NOT LAND MASS. Going to start talking about South West and all that is pointless. We all know that the largest religious Camp grounds in Nigeria are to be found in the SW; it has nothing to do with tribal orientation, but mostly about the same old story of the strategic importance of proximity to Lagos!

And generally speaking, we should learn to differentiate between South West and Yoruba folks. Credit for a whole lot of things that go on in the SW may be attributed NOT only to the Yoruba but to all the peoples who inhabit this region, including the Igbo, Hausa/Fulani and other minority tribes. Who told you that RCCG Camp is a Yoruba success story? Do you know the what percentage of the population of it's inhabitants is made up of non-Yoruba? Or can you quantify how much money that non-Yoruba have put into its development as well as the Yoruba?

Simply put: In CHRIST WE ALL ARE ONE! Enough of this attitude of attempting to inject primordial sentiments into every little research or news article. Let's for once simply savour the news for what it is!

1 IT IS NOT THE LARGEST IN TERMS OF POPULATION IN NIGERIA TALK LESS OF THE WHOLE WORLD

2 AT NO POINT DID I MENTION ETHNICITY OR WROTE THAT, WE ARE NOT ONE IN CHRIST. I ONLY INSISTED THAT REDEEM CAMP IS NOT THE BIGGEST/LARGEST CAMP IN WHATEVER CATEGORY WHETHER IN NIGERIA OR THE WHOLE EARTH AS THE TITLE SUGGEST.

3 I NEVER WROTE YORUBA IN MY EARLIER POST NEITHER DID I WROTE THAT RCCG IS A YORUBA SUCCESS STORY.

4 REDEEMPTION CAMP/TOWN IS NOT THE LARGEST IN WHATEVER CATEGORY IN THE WHOLE NIGERIA OR EARTH

ba7man: You've obviously not set foot in the Reedemption Camp.

Have you set your foot on the Vatican City before ? Have you set your foot on all the big prayer camps/convention grounds of other churches all over the world ? Have you ever set your foot on the numerous very huge catholic monasteries with unending land spread all over the world ?. HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THIS YOUR OVER EXAGGERATED CONCLUSION WHICH IS AT BEST, A FANTASY. I INSIST REDEMPTION CAMP MIGHT NOT BE THE BIGGEST IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA TALKLESS OF WEST AFRICA

THE LARGEST CITY OF GOD ON EARTH IS THE VATICAN CITY OF THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE VATICAN IS NOT JUST A CITY BUT ALSO AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY. The Redemption camp can at best be described as an estate just like other prayer camps owned by Covenant, Apostolic, Mountain of Fire, Deeper Life and The Lord's Choosen churches. I dont think it is the largest in Nigeria maybe Its the largest in south west nigeria.

HIGH MAGNITUDE OF FLOOD HAVE BEEN RAVAGING YORUBA SOUTH WEST FOR LONG TIME NOW

APC governments are a great dis service to the people of tribal marks

THE FLOOD IN Yorubaa land is very abnormal

Nawa ooo. Ogun state is really backward

Flood is a big issue in south west. The governors needs to be proactive