₦airaland Forum

~Bluetooth:
Asthma my foot,he died as a result of the coup.will he have died if they hadn't kidnap him ?

Since you know better than Mbu, may be the one who pulled the trigger was Ademoyega, the Yoruba among the coup plotters.

Perhaps like a typical Igbo trader

These Yoruba journalists again (Written by Samuel[b] ibiyemi[/b]) ?
According to the news, Mr. Ubah holds a Bachelor of Science B.Sc (Hons.) degree in International Relations. Yet he is refered to as a trader
Otedola doing the same type of business as Ubah has no university education. Yet he is not refered to as a trader. Na wah for this kin hatred and jealousy and I-must-put-them-down syndrome.

Ifeanyi Ubah: Building Africa’s largest oil facilities
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Written by Samuel ibiyemi
Sunday, 06 June 2010

HOW  to attain greatness and sustain leadership according to John Maxwell is for an entrepreneur to be focused and believe in what he is doing regardless of criticism that the  future of the business is uncertain. This is  exactly the case of the

Ifeanyi Ubah
Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited,  Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah,  who entered the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum industry with a purpose  to take over the leadership of the industry. This is not in terms of promises as it is being practised by the political class,  but through steady investment which by all standards is incomparable in Nigeria today.
Perhaps, the mentioning of Capital Oil today makes Major Oil Marketers to shiver as a result of proactive and strategic steps he took diligently in driving businesses previously thought are exclusively for the Majors with foreign control. And that is why at the peak of long queues for fuel by motorists as a result of poor distribution arrangement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in appreciation of the company’s investment in jetty, storage and truck park facilities worth over $30 billion took a wise decision by  signing a partnership agreement with Capital Oil and Gas.

The expectation of who and who will dominate activities in the downstream sub-sector of the African oil industry therefore requires analysis of influences that Ubah may have in the nearest future. Perhaps the advice that the downstream sub-sector is too small for Capital Oil and Gas to operate by the Minister of State for Works Engineer Chris Ogienwonyi who was the former Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production) of NNPC during the inauguration of the company’s Mega truck park is an indication that International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the upstream sub-sector may again have difficulties in acquiring juicy oil blocks, if Mr Ubah decides to participate with good technical and commercial packages in the 2010 licensing round. Indeed, it is now clear that if not for the investment made by Capital Oil in jetty facilities, long queues witnessed in the country in 2009 would have become a permanent feature of the downstream sub-sector until the Federal Government decides to implement full deregulation.

Perhaps like a typical Igbo trader, he is a spoiler for petroleum marketers making cut throat profit from sales of diesel and throughput fee for storing products at his depots. His plans to set up a refinery in the country on completion of the ongoing expansion of his depots will also be a major threat to existing refineries  based on his philanthropic  ideology of always  giving back to the society at the least price. Hence, the fear of crashing the prices of petroleum products by capitalists operating in the sector may be a great challenge in securing final approval for construction of a mega refinery in the country due to expectation of lower exdepot prices for quality petroleum products from his proposed refinery.

Who is Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah?
Mr. Ubah holds a Bachelor of Science B.Sc (Hons.) degree in International Relations. He hails from Nnewi, Anambra State of Nigeria. An astute and accomplished businessman, Ubah has been actively involved in top flight international business ranging from oil and gas, telecommunication, real estate and general merchandise for over two decades.

He started engagement in business activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and from there, in 2001, he came back to  Nigeria to commence investment in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.  According to him, he spent four years to study the market and prepared  for a bold move that resulted in the creation of Capital Oil and Gas and inauguration of the first depot in March 2007.

Achievements
The  depots of Capital Oil and Gas  Industries with a total capacity of 175 million litres is located at Ibafon in Lagos. The depots    belonging to Mr Ubah currently cover about 30 per cent of the total area used for oil storage comprising over 18 private depots at Ibafon. The company’s state of-of-the-art facility has an excellent deepwater berth which enables discharge of products from four mother vessels at the same time to any of the 18 depots.  He  is currently building a new loading gantry with 22 bays and when completed the daily throughput  of the depots with 28 bays would be 55million litres. In preparation for the commencement of deregulation, Mr. Ubah has also acquired four tanker vessels and 400 state-of-the-art trucks making the company the leading tanker fleet operator in Nigeria with over 600 haulage trucks  to support the operations of the largest private facility in Nigeria.

His latest innovation is a 22,000 litre mobile filling station/dispensing truck made up of multiple metered dispensing gadgets of international standards. Also, in effort to help ease congestion on Lagos roads, especially the ever-busy Apapa-Oshodi expressway, he has completed the construction of a mega truck park capable of accommodating 1,100 trucks at any given time and can serve 5,500 trucks daily on a shift basis.

Future
Mr. Ubah  commenced the  construction of strategic regional petroleum products reserves nationwide recently. The ongoing  projects are located at Suleja in Niger State, Funtua in Katsina State, Kano, Emene in Enugu State and Onitsha in Anambra State.  These projects will enhance accessibility to local market, relief from recurring fuel shortages and boost employment opportunities. His refinery project in the medium term is also another ambitious project that will add value to the image of Nigerians abroad and in other African countries  such that Nigeria as a giant of Africa is also producing  a giant firm the continent’s oil industry.

“The truth is that we must begin to appreciate that it is only Nigerians that can put down funds and be so committed to establish a refinery in the country. No foreigner will do it. In fact they have proved they can not do it because in the over 20 years of major marketers doing business in Nigeria, none of them have considered it worthy to establish a refinery in Nigeria, they have not even thought of doing it as a group,” Ubah added.

Fulfilling  his promise to make available part of the company shares to the general public in the capital market will crown his past  achievements in giving back to the society as a philantropist.

This must be the lowest cut-off mark for any exam anywhere in the world. Little wonder Nigeria is mediocrity personified.

Competency Test: 89% Of 2,800 Passed – Oronsaye Print E-mail
Written by Joshua Uma, Abuja
Tuesday, 17 August 2010 20:17

The Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Steve Oronsaye, has disclosed that 89 per cent of the 2,800 civil servants drawn from grade levels 14-16, who sat for the recent competency test resit, crossed the stipulated cut-off mark of 40 percent.

This figure is an improvement as against the previous mandatory training competency test in which only 30.5 per cent of those who sat for the test crossed the 40per cent mark.

The HOS said this in a press briefing in his office, stating that the result of the just concluded competency test had shown that the civil service could be put back on track, and criticisms by policy makers and the public on the ineffectiveness of the service on policy implementation and service delivery could be reduced.

Mr. Oronsaye said, "The recent controversy on the writing of the post-training test by civil servants has ended with the successful completion of the resit test on August 9, 2010 and the result of the resit test has been posted on the website of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

"The result of the first test was poor; the resit was better. The exercise, on the whole, has shown that we can put the civil service back on track and reduce the criticism by policy makers and the public on the ineffectiveness of the Service on policy implementation and service delivery."

It would be recalled that the HOS before the Post- Training Assessment resit for civil servants, pointed out the need to pay strong attention to capacity building, institutional strengthening, as well as the enhancement of skills and competencies of civil servants. This, he said, had been his priority since assumption of office. "I believe we are all in agreement on the need to re-tool the civil service to perform its statutory functions efficiently and effectively. The objective of this re-tooling is to place the civil service at the forefront of driving the national development agenda, particularly the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 20:2020," he said.

This from Wiki? Perception is not reality, indeed.

Nnamdi Azikiwe Owelle of Onitsha - the first President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and historically, the only man whose name appeared in the Constitution of his country (Nigeria's Republican Constitution of 1963).
The bolded part got me cracked up. Hahaha!

Despite its relatively small landmass, Anambra has produced a fair number of outstanding individuals and a number of firsts in Nigeria. Anambra boasts:

Professor Chinua Achebe - a native of Ogidi and best known for the classic, Things Fall Apart was the first African writer whose books are standard curricula in schools and universities across the world.
Emeka Anyaoku - the first black Secretary-General of the Commonwealth;
Nnamdi Azikiwe Owelle of Onitsha - the first President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and historically, the only man whose name appeared in the Constitution of his country (Nigeria's Republican Constitution of 1963).
Nwafor Orizu - the first Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Professor Kenneth Dike - a pre-eminent scholar of African History and native of Awka, was the first indigenous Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and founder of the National Archives.
Professor Ben Enwonwu - a native of Onitsha was the first Nigerian sculptor of international repute with artwork gracing the United Nations headquarters.[9]
Pius Okigbo, CON[9] - a world renowned economist, was the first economic advisor to the Federal government of Nigeria (1960–1962), first Nigerian Ambassador to the European Community and renowned for bringing to light over $12 billion missing in oil windfall receipts from the Central Bank of Nigeria during the first Gulf War.
Professor Samuel Okoye - was black Africa's first PhD in Radio Astronomy who along with Anthony Hewish of the University of Cambridge discovered the radio source of Crab Nebula neutron star.
Chief Jerome Udoji - from Ozubulu [10], a social reformer was the first African to be made a 'D.O' (District Officer) by the Colonial Administration.

Chimamanda AdichieOthers include:

Chimamanda Adichie - an up-and-coming writer who won the Orange Prize for Fiction (2007) and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2008);
Dora Akunyili - ex-head of NAFDAC and current Minister of Information won international awards for cleansing Nigeria of the scourge of fake drugs;
Cardinal Francis Arinze - once considered a potential Pope;
Cyprian Ekwensi - MFR, a writer of international repute
Philip Emeagwali - winner of the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize for Supercomputing;
Prof Chike Obi - a Mathematician famous for his work on non-differential equations won the 1985 ICTP Price [11] and developed a special solution for Fermat's Last Theorem [12];
Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu - a native of Nnewi who was the first Nigerian millionaire and first president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange;
Dim Emeka Ojukwu - the leader of the secessionist Biafra Republic;
Osita Osadebe - a popular Nigerian Highlife musician who also holds the Nigerian record for the highest selling album
Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo - a famous economist who spearheaded Nigerian economic reform from 1999–2008 and was ex-head of the Central Bank of Nigeria;

I agree that onitsha deserves a higher institution of learning. However, there are at least 3-4 unis and 1-3 polys in Anambra. If you need additional ones, why not the big money bags that parade in Anambra establish more? The feds have opened up the space for private universities to take root.

Kobojunkie,

Please tell us what you want from Igbos. They support IBB, you rant, they support Jonathan you rant, they say they wont contest in 2011 you rant. What do you want them to do? What has competence got to do with a group of Igbos sitting down and adopting a presidential candidate? We all know there is no avenue for the entire Igbo to sit in one place to do these things. Moreover, on election day they wont force Igbos to vote for Jonathan. It is just an adoption.

There is no basis to compare Owerri and Umuahia. One was the capital of a state when the other was a rustic urban centre. Owerri saw it all before Umuahia and so should be more ''developed''.

seanet02:
I KNOW IT IS ONLY IGNORANT INTERNET CROOKS OR TOUTS LIKE nchara THAT CAN COMPARE OHAKIM TO FASHOLA. ITS JUST LIKE COMPARING nchara to NELSON MANDELA
THE GAP IS WIDE

If you weren't an utter buffoon, you would have seen that the article was written by someone with a face and a name (Godson Offoaro). I even provided his email. Why I am I not wrong about your foolery?

seanet02:
dont engage people with more intelligence than you dead oblongota, use your head for reasoning, the purpose of the anus is for excretion not reasoning. slowpoke

AND PEOPLE LIKE KALU, OHAKIM, IBB, IBORI, AKPABIO.
STOP BEING TRIBALISTIC

slowpoke! Are those supposed to be men of God ''like'' Adeboye?

Gov in drug-peddling, dollar-printing scandal

   

    By Rafiu Ajakaye , Snr Reporter, Lagos

    A police investigative team on Wednesday allegedly ransacked the Asokoro (Abuja) home of Kogi State Governor, Ibrahim Idris, arresting five mobile policemen guarding the residence and recovering some substance they found to be cocaine.

    The search followed a petition the police received about the alleged illegal printing of fake American dollars in the house, a top police officer at the Louis Edet House, headquarters of the Nigeria Police, confided in Sunday Independent, hours after the arrest were made.

    The operation was led by a ranking police officer from the Force Headquarters, Abuja last week, but tongues are waging as to the readiness of the authorities to continue with investigation into the matter because of the interest involved.

    For instance, the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)has denied knowledge of the event.

    “I don’t have any information on that,” Ojukwu retorted in a telephone conversation when Sunday Independent asked him to confirm the raid believed to have been carried out on the orders of police hierarchy.

    Richard Elesho, Chief Press Secretary to Idris, confirmed the raid on his boss’ Asokoro residence, but flatly rejected claims that cocaine or anything incriminating was found there. He insisted, instead, that the police team later apologised to Idris after their search produced nothing criminal.

    In what suggested an attempt to read political meanings into the imbroglio, Elesho said the governor is aware of the source of the allegations but stopped short of blaming those angling to upstage Idris from Kogi Government House next year for what he considers a campaign of calumny.

    “There is an element of truth in what you heard. I can confirm to you that some policemen went to the governor’s private house in Asokoro, claiming to have some information that the governor has some money in his private house,” Elesho said in a telephone conversation with Sunday Independent on Friday, in response to a text message seeking the governor’s position on the matter.

    “The governor was in the Governor’s Lodge when the information reached him, and as a transparent leader that he is, he sought to know what the source of their information is. He told them he does not have such money in his private house, and since they were already there in his house he encouraged them to do a thorough check. He gave them the key to his house with his security details. They went there and found out that what they heard was a lie.

    “They came back and apologised to the governor. They were particularly amazed by his level of humility and transparency, because not many governors will subject themselves to such rigorous search. They, of course, apologised to him. That is why I said there is element of truth in what you heard. But it is not true at all that they found cocaine or anything incriminating in the house.

    “We are also aware of the source of that false information to the police. I also want to advise that you should find out from the Police headquarters what actually happened. No money, no cocaine or anything unlawful was found in the house.”

    The operation was led by one Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Umar, according to the source who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case and high-wire pressure on the police hierarchy to sweep the matter under the carpet.

    “The decision to search the house followed a petition we received that there was illegal printing of U.S. dollars in the house. Police went there and discovered that the house in Asokoro actually belonged to Kogi State Governor,” the source said.

    “So a team of police officers led by AIG Umar embarked on the search efforts. To their chagrin, there were five mobile policemen guarding the house, each armed to the teeth, and all of them had been posted there from the Kogi State Police Command, rather than from the FCT Command. The team arrested the policemen and also recovered some substance later found to be cocaine from the house. They were detained at the Force CID, Abuja.”

    The source later told Sunday Independent that the policemen have now been released following intense pressure on the police hierarchy to release them as well as bury the case.

    “As I speak with you now, the mobile policemen have been released following pressure to bury the case. I doubt if anybody will confirm the story to you, but this is the hard fact. You are free to check the facts with the authorities,” he added.

    The alleged cocaine discovery confirmed the now suppressed claim by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that top politicians, including governors, are neck deep in drug trafficking and are major stumbling blocks in the multibillion naira campaign against it.

    Last month, the agency intercepted 450 kilos of cocaine worth more than N4billion at the Tin Can Port, Lagos, another scandal in which top politicians were manipulated.

    That came with panic at the Nigeria Customs Service about imminent shake-up of its management over their alleged complicity in the facilitation of the clearance of the imported contraband, before men of the NDLEA busted the cocaine syndicate.
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=18843

violent:
Sir, could you in anyway tell us how you or any other member of your family has contributed to the growth of the Nigerian state. . .or do you just love to expose the rest of the world to the trash that flows from your buccal cavity?

Sir, unlike Adeboye, my family members do not hobnob with thieves like Obj and ERASTUS Akingbola. That in itself is a contribution to the society

Adeboye is a joker. Let the politicians throw some bones his way and he will sing a new song. False prophet. Has he stopped hobnobbing with Obj and Erastus Akingbola?

2011: Why Jonathan’s camp adopted zoning •As President agrees to quit in 2015

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Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja Sunday, 15 August 2010

It emerged on Saturday that the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan actually backed the decision of the Expanded National Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to retain the zoning arrangement.

Sources close to the workings of the government confirmed that Jonathan’s camp believes that zoning cannot be wished away in the Nigerian context and that the only thing that can be done in essence is to retain the ticket jointly given to him and President Umaru Yar’Adua.

It was gathered that a change in strategy by the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan ensured the retention of zoning but with a caveat that the President will take the slot from 2011 to 2015.

Sources in the government said that Jonathan’s camp was fully aware that zoning was an integral part of Nigerian federation and that what they could only ask for was a reversal of the zoning order to ensure Jonathan picked the slot.

“The decision to back the zoning arrangement is a full realisation that zoning is part of the constitution and an integral part of Nigeria’s set up. We decided that it is better to canvass that the president be made to pick the slot for 2011 and exhaust the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket in 2015. It is wrong ab initio to think of abolishing zoning,” said a source.

The source said that the president canvassed the position in his interactions with governors and members of the national caucus.

The source further added that the adoption of zoning was the making of the president’s camp and did not amount to a defeat of the president’s position.

“Our position is clear, zoning stands but it’s in favour of South-South for now. It will revert to the North from 2015,” that’s the position.

It was also gathered that the decision was informed by Jonathan’s determination to spend only one term in office after which he would retire to the academic world.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/1871-2011-why-jonathans-camp-adopted-zoning-as-president-agrees-to-quit-in-2015

Iwuanyanwu is an idiotic political contractor. Does anyone expect GEJ to do only one term?

Jonathan: We’ve not decided - Ohaneze
From CHIDI NNADI & PETRUS OBI, Enugu
Sunday, August 15, 2010

Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, yesterday in Enugu, said it has not decided whether or not to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential bid in 2011.

President General of the group, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, disclosed this at an interactive session with journalists after the Nzuko Ime Obi (meeting) of the group that lasted several hours, following an earlier open support by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for Jonathan.

Chief Iwuanyanwu, who left before the meeting ended, had enjoined the Igbo to support President Jonathan in 2011 so as to realize the presidency coming to the South East in 2015. But Uwechue countered him when he said that they cannot declare support for anybody without first consulting the Igbo people.

His words: “Ohaneze has not taken any position for or against Jonathan. In all the interviews I have granted about Ohaneze Ndigbo, we cannot declare support for any person without first of all consulting Ndigbo to find out where they want to go. “The Igbo nation has many people in different political parties; you must take cognizance of this fact. As individual Igbos, you may have your preferences. But I can tell you one thing, nobody can come to your house to harm you without coming through your neighbourhood.”

Uwechue also said the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and Ohaneze met recently, saying “we received them (INC) and had very fraternal relationship and discussions and we returned the visit.”
He said that the Igbo intend to help build up good relationship with their neighbours, adding that they have started with those who had come to them and hoped to expand from there.

“We are tired of Ndigbo being used and dumped at every given time because some of us go individually to seek office. If Ndigbo sit down first and analyze what they want as a people, then they can use it as a bargaining position to deal with any group they feel will make it easier for them to secure that objective,” he said.
Before Iwuanyanwu left, he had argued that Jonathan replaced the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and as such they have a joint ticket that would subsist up to 2015.

He said Jonathan would do only one term, which would elapse in 2015, after which it would be the turn of the Igbo to occupy the presidency. He expressed fear that if Jonathan is not allowed to continue in 2011, it would be difficult for the Igbo to occupy the seat in 2015 as any other person coming would like to do a second term.
“We should, therefore, adopt him (Jonathan). Let him know our problems and when it is our turn, he will support us,” Iwuanyanwu reasoned.

Igbo support zoning ONLY on the basis of the 6 zones and not on south-North basis. That way, all zones are eligible to produce a president at specific intervals and not just one zone from North and/or south

Ohanaeze Insists On Zoning
Sunday, 15 August 2010 00:00 From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu News - National
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APEX Igbo Socio-Cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, reaffirmed its support for zoning, stressing, however, that the Presidency must be allowed to rotate within the six geopolitical zones that make up the Federation.
Although, it said it was yet to take a position on whether or not to support the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan, it maintained that power should be allowed to remain in the south-south or southeast geo political zones of the country, as they remain the only ones that are yet to hold power at the highest level.
Addressing journalists shortly, after the Imeobi meeting of the Ohanaeze, its President General, Ambassador Ralph Uwaechue, said Ndigbo would not hasten to express support for any person or group in the 2011 presidency without a concrete assurance on what they stand to gain for such support.
He stated that the present practice, where presidency was being rotated within the north and south, negates the spirit and letters of true federalism, stressing that such was the cause of underdevelopment of the country.
He said: “We believe and support zoning, but presently, it is only the south-south and southeast that have not tasted power, and we want that for them. Zoning must be practiced, strictly on the basis of the six geo political zones of the country, and not on the north and south thing.”
He explained that Ohanaeze would not give support to Jonathan’s presidential bid or that of any other person without extensive consultation with her people, whom he said consist different political parties with various political ideologies.
He added that what was paramount at this time was actualising effort that people of the zone might speak with one voice, stressing that Ohanaeze was tired of Ndigbo being used and dumped by emerging leaders of the country

Ghana is a super giant in cocoa business and so it is no surprise that they have developed their marketing (read bagging) system in light of international standards. Nigeria uses Ghana cocoa bags to enhance its international marketability of cocoa (since we are known for mediocrity). I only hope the bags are not the oluwole of the genuine ones in Ghana, and if they are genuine, that their use was authorized by the Ghananian authorities.

Dawgpound:
Nchara,
My fam is from Onne bro. Are u Ogoni?
I never really grew up in Ogoni land tho. Spent most of my years n the states and outside River state. When we were getting killed my dad relocated many of his family to Enugu capital where he had some property so for years I never went back.

Thank you very much.

No I am not Ogoni but have traversed virtually all the Ogoni towns and villages. I have been to uncountable villages in Khana, Gokana and Tai, not to mention Eleme. I was around when Okrikas and Ogonis fought the last internecine war in which one UNIPORT prof from Okrika was killed by Eleme boys. Good to see you, cyberly speaking.

Bank-ole (bank robber) must be the one lying

Topic: Someone has sent an email to the author of the article to clarify some of the issues he raised here. You will be kept posted.

Dawgpound:
I'm Eleme .

Eleme Man, Wanenu. Good to see somebody from Eleme. Are you from Onne, Ebubu, Aleto, Alesa, Agbonchia or Alode? I lived in Onne and Aleto for a number of years. Do you know ''Jesus Saves'' (that Igbo man that used to have one of the biggest building materials store at Aleto?).

These stories we hear without photos? Plus, Ohakim is pursuing a Ph.D?

FASHOLA WAKE UP, OHAKIM IS CATCHING UP  
Godson Offoaro
offoaro@yahoo.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



had gone halfway into the construction of a story about Owerri, my new place of abode, when a new bug of thought struck me. Yes, about the city of Owerri and its alluring attributes. Its beautiful landscape typified by unending rolling plains that stretches and stretches until it meets the bottom of the blue sky somewhere far, faraway. About the lush green plains decorated with wide boulevards well manicured. About is exotic buildings made possible by the class conscious people of this city. The imposing new and stylish buildings exclusively built, near the Concorde Hotel area called Akanchawa. A standard plot of land there, I hear, sells for over forty-five million Naira.



 
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Those new and Southern European-mimicked exotic buildings, which make statement of opulence, located around and about the new Imo Housing Estate known as Extension XA. A standard plot there, I hear, sells for nearly ten million Naira. About a unique delicacy named Ofe Owerri (Owerri soup) exhaustively eulogized in many folklores and music lyrics. About the preponderance of hospitality business derived from the ability of its indigenes to make good dishes; about the city of Owerri's serenity-drenched atmosphere; about the ongoing dredging of River Nworie which like an overfed python you could for a whole day as it flows unobtrusively and empties its whole content into the Otamiri River and from there, down into the Atlantic Ocean. What a beautiful waterfront the banks of this new and improved River would be up on completion you wonder in delirious gaze. Above all, you reckon with Owerri's relative attribute as a safe haven for those who want to run away from the hustle and bustle of life as typified by what obtains in the surrounding cacophonic cities of Aba, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Onitsha and Enugu. It is also a haven for writers, creative artistes, the home to Kanu Nwankwo, Genevieve Nnaji and a horde of other Nollywood actors and actresses. To be sure, Owerri has about five Degree awarding institutions located within walking distance from one another. Owerri is now, my home. I live on a piece of it named Havensgate.

Yes, I was in my mind, paying tribute to this place fancifully and appropriately called the capital of Igbo Heartland -a fine place to live and do business, east of the Niger - when I came upon its newest enchanting vista. A city, which has consistently, been voted the cleanest in Nigeria. Yes, and about its other alluring and attracting vicissitudes which are not fit to publish (lest my wife gets a fit) when suddenly, I came upon a new story line that I think would please my editors and the reading public. Quickly, I crowded my previous lines out in order to now, present you with this. The writer must be mad. Can't you see for yourself?

Driving up Ugwu Orji on my way to Okigwe a few days ago, I came upon bulldozers, earthmoving machines, graders, pay loaders, men in pink-colored uniforms, road superintendents, surveyors and all manners of men involved in road construction. It was a beehive. It quickly reminded me of similar activities that heralded the construction of a similar road project at Cele Bus Stop in Lagos some years ago. The endless hold ups that stretched into Oshodi. It was vintage Fashola. But this is Owerri and this is, vintage Ohakim. When I looked deeper, I noticed that a road which the previous day was occupied by mechanics and roadside vendors had been torn open and apart. I looked further down to see that overnight, the sprawling new road filled with red earth is the latest in Governor Ikedi Ohakim's peculiar initiative to transform Owerri - the Imo State capital.

The workers were busy, scraping, mowing a road that had laid fallow since 2005 when I started coming into Owerri. Upon investigation I was told that Governor Ikedi Ohakim is at it again. He wants to tear a new road which will connect Orji town with Onitsha and Port Harcourt roads, thereby creating a by-pass that inevitably would reduce expected traffic jam on the already crowded downtown roads of Owerri city. This bypass which is captured in a fanciful self explanatory billboard that gave a photo prototype of what the road would like on completion depicts a new road encompassing a flyover and a road network that would circle Owerri like a belt. It is the beginning of the Owerri new ring road.

It made me remember one rainy Saturday morning in mid June 2010. That day, residents our Owerri woke up to witness the worst traffic jam in the history of the town. Reason: That faithful morning, the people of Julius Berger rudely caused untold hardship on the people as they blocked some major roads, thereby causing inexplicable diversions, without warning as they began to excavate concrete slabs buried in one segment of the Owerri Port Harcourt Road. Because nobody knew what was amiss, people reigned curses on the person of governor Ohakim and his administration.

Over a pepper soup discussion that evening with people in my neighborhood who ought to know, the argument went even fiercer. Ohakim is disturbing the lives of his people. Ohakim is a destructive maniac. What is he doing tearing up a road network that has done nothing to him? I was furious, blaming my pepper soups mates that we Nigerians are imbued with the disdainful attribute of impatience. Yes, there may be an emergency road reconstruction going on, but it did not ask the people to stampede and drive against traffic thereby compounding a situation that was already bad because of the newness of traffic diversion, which actually, had caused an untold gridlock.

I admonished that understanding and a wait and see attitude should be the way to go being ignorant myself about what was going on. I was sure that whatever construction or reconstruction work that was going on would eventually be in the best interest of the people. I was emboldened by my inner intuition. Sighting Julius Berger (JB) earthmovers and machines at work further strengthened my resolve. This JB people, I reasoned, do not go to where nothing concrete was happening or was about to happen. Julius Berger people are people of action. They make Things Happen. Few days later, the statute of strength which adored the colonially-designed roundabout at the frontage of Maria Assumpta Cathedral was carefully moved and relocated to a smaller roundabout, along Sam Mbakwe Avenue.

To cut long story short after those initial traffic congestions caused by the frenetic staff of Julius Berger, I beg to report that the JB people have finished their job. The road is now wider. I understand that the JB people had to properly reposition the roundabout leading into Owerri, because work by Julius Berger is about to resume on the Dualization of the Owerri-Port Harcourt Road up to the boundary between Imo and Rivers State. Now, entrance into Owerri either from Port Harcourt, or Onitsha or Aba is a spectacle. It is a cake walk. The long delays we witnessed and that seemingly unendending traffic gridlock has now given way to a smooth and unobtrusive ride into Owerri. Lesson number one learned: No pain, No gain. To reconstruct, you must deconstruct.

As a frequent commentator on political happenings in the east and Nigeria, I had on several occasions commented on the rapid method with which Governors Ohakim and Fashola had taken the bulls by the horn in their respective ways of repacking their individual states. While Governor Fashola's work seem to have cut out for him, that of his friend, is not and should not be enviable at, all. Imo is being built from the scratch. Lagos used to be Nigeria's federal capital.

I had in a previous essay said that Governors Ikedi Ohakim and Raji Fashola are men of similar destiny. That was two years ago, shortly after they were sworn in as the governors of Imo and Lagos, respectively. Then, both men were locked in what seemed like a race to outdo each other performance wise. When Fashola began to deface Lagos in order to repair it, Ohakim embarked on what seemed an anti-people policy, in order to reposition Imo. Then suddenly Fashola tore away. Then there was a loll in Imo.

Now it is like a new dawn in Owerri and to large extent, Imo state. Since, the middle of last month, Owerri had known no sleep. Day in day out, night in night out Ohakim has marshaled out his team. They are busy tearing apart the whole city. No part is spared. The Dualization of the Owerri Okigwe Road is almost complete. The beautification plank is seen in motion as street lights, traffic light, flower and tree planting are in furious gear - everywhere you go to in Owerri. Every nook and cranny of the town is having its own share of renovation, reconstruction and rejuvenation.

The machines are humming non-stop. An army of street cleaners modeled after what is seen on the streets of Lagos, are now seen everywhere in Owerri, the capital of Imo. Men and women are working tirelessly to open up this heartland of Igbo, hitherto neglected. Looks like someone is egging Ohakim to overtake Fashola, after all, competition should be the hallmark of Democracy. Prompting me to now alert Fashola that Ohakim is close on his heels.

These two precious gifts to our 4th republic - one born in the East the other, in the West of Nigeria. One is in his late forties, the other in his early fifties. One, a Master of Business Administration holder, a seasoned administrator and a Ph.D. candidate, the other a versatile lawyer who at a tender age attained the highest home bred accolade in Law - the SAN. Both of them, products of our local universities. One, UNILAG the other UNIBEN. These men are visionaries no matter from what angle you looked at their achievements so far. When I wrote about them the first time, I had opined that if the two men were Americans, public opinion polls would have aided voters to urge their respective political parties to draft them to run for the highest political position in the land. If they belonged to the same party, either would be president the other, a VP.

Unfortunately, it is not so here. Here is a land where mediocrity rules over merit. Here is a land where offices are zoned based on tribe and or the highest bidder. This is a land where the best is relegated to the background while half-baked over-run the system in brazen arrogance and ugly display of wanton ignorance. May I crave your indulgence to go to bed? My tired, my fingers are quaking.
http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/offoaro/080510.html

What is it with Igbo people and private automobile assembly plants (proposed and already inaugurated)?

Hey! The only Nigerian politicians who should escape such luggage search are those using govt or private jets. Given the extent of their lootery, I will even subscribe that the president's luggage be searched if he ever flies publicly.

They should check his certificates thoroughly. Could all be oluwole