₦airaland Forum

I have been an observer since day one of this thread

joeisreal:
I wish to congratulate all those who are contributing to make this thread a success. One year and we are at 400 pages. We are Anambrarians Light of the nation, Trail blazers and Giants among men.

That beside, I want to point out something that has been eating away at my heart. I know this fact that Anambra state is the second smallest state by land mass after Lagos state and I am therefore appealing to the present state Government let by His Excellency Willie Obiano to map out like 2 or 3 areas in Anambra state as Forest Reserves not to be tampered with, not to witness any tree felling and bush burning. Or create an arboretum within the three major delevoping territories namely Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi. I do not mean the size of park besides Zik's home at Onitsha but someplace the size of Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . We should take care of our environment and it will in turn add to our general well-being and longevity.

Please those of you close to the powers that be or who can voice it somewhere it will receive attention @FKO81, @investnow2013, @uduokirika1, @Chino11 and others...who are not less regarded should take this to heart.

I was here at page 400

Udo diri unu nile...

I totally support you

zuchyblink:
I have been an observer since day one of this thread

And what is your take on this

Pls where is my odenigboaroli , lovelylillac and babyosisi these are straight forward anambra peeps with okeipku

sunnyb0b0:
Ana etinyezikwa foto ebe a?

Enwe nke inwelu....iweta ..enworo

CreampieAngela:
if that be the case, why then do you lot refer to any ibo person as a member of another tribe if he/she doesnt agree with the collective notion of a group of ibos e.g1 rochas okorocha(okoroawusa) is called a hausa man just because he is a member of APC. e.g2 any ibo person who doesnt support namdi kanu's call for Biafra is automatically labeled a 'yoloba slave' or a 'Fulani man'

First before you make mistakes here as I know that you are not Igbo and your are not anambra ...the correct one is IGBO not ibo

Inugo

tonychristopher:
And what is your take on this

it is the most inspirational and motivational thread ever on Nairaland. I must confess,i have learnt alot from this thread

VickJames:
I broke the jinx in this 400th page.
Chineke bueze!

And me to oooo.

VickJames:
I broke the jinx in this 400th page.
Chineke bueze!

And me to oooo.

VickJames:
Yes, I want to say something about igbos. This past week, I was opportune to get in touch of how school fees are paid in different "big" private schools in Lagos here. I found out that our brothers are spending huge sum of money to educate their wards in the west here.

Taking a particular school as a case study. I don't want to mention the name of the school for security reasons. The number of igbo kids per class is 80percent of the other kids. How much is their school fees, just above 500thousand naira per term. To be sincere with you, this school has as many students as in some public school. They can boast of 600 students or more.

If you multiply that amount by the number of students who are igbos, you'll understand what that money can do in the east. The funniest part is that the school is a boarding school and a missionary for that matter.

We're spending too much in other states when we can invest such amounts in our system. I am not saying they should bring such money, but if they can bring their wards to the east and let them school there. I think the money will make a lot of sense for us.

You have spoken very well Nwanne,
I have really observed many things about anambra secondary school, I think it's only in anambra state you will see a high profile person send their wards to public secondary school, because the standard is topnotch, my uncle sent all his children in public schools.
1.here my personal view, if you want to establish a secondary school in anambra or say awka, it must be super standard to attract students.
Right now awka has about 4 standard secondary that compete anywhere. British spring college for instance is very expensive, their curriculum is british, the teaching method and standard are very different from what you have in Nigerian secondary schools!
Our people in america, Britain and Canada bring their children to this school, infact 50percent of the students are from US and some foreign nationals.

Cosmas Maduka: The Automobile Guru

It was Dr. Cosmas Madua­buchukwu Maduka, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group of Companies, who once said, “When you want to succeed in life, you must have an allergy to failure.” He actually did, and that stood him out among his peers today as an unequal achiever who is renowned in the world.

Maduka was an uneducated man who pulled himself out of poverty to become a billionaire, simply by working hard, believing in himself and confessing himself to riches. He is regarded as success personified, as he had been a resource facilitator in youth empowerment seminars and conferences, where he educates people on how to move on with life, no matter the circumstances. He believes that one’s background should not determine his destiny.

Born into the family of, late Pa Peter and Madam Rose Maduka from Nnewi, Anambra State on December 24, 1958, he lost his father at the age of four, so the opportunity of acquiring formal education eluded him. After the death of his father, he went through hard times, but with perseverance and dedication, he is today, one of the leading chief executive officers in Nigeria. His uncle sacked him when he was an apprentice trader for attending a church programme, yet that was not the end of the road for him and never despaired and trudged on, and believing that tomorrow holds much promises for him. Today, his name is written in bold letters among corporate leaders in Nigeria.

Maduka started Coscharis Motors as a one- man business, which has now risen to a conglomerate, with diverse interest in banking, manufacturing, ICT and the auto sub-sector of the economy. He is presently regarded as a benchmark for other operators in the automobile industry.

Coscharis made a breakthrough in 1982 when the Federal Government decided to grant import licences to 10 Nigerian Companies and it became one of the beneficiaries. Since that time till date, the company he continued to expand. The Coscharis group has over 26 branches nationwide and with heavy presence in three African countries namely Ghana, Gabon and Cote D’Ivoire. The Group’s business portfolio features supply, installation, maintenance and repairs of medical and laboratory equipment, pharmaceuticals, sales and services of automobiles.

It was as a result of his out­standing qualities, experience and contributions to the business and commercial sector that he was awarded Honorary Doctor of Business Administration by the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 2003. And in September 2012, former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan conferred him with the National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). He served as a director in Access Bank for twelve years. He is also the President, Nigerian Table Tennis Federation from 1996 to 2008.

According to Maduka, “I was able to turn N200.00 into billions of naira under 40 years of being in business. One major bane of stagnancy in business is artificial lifestyles. Many Nigerians live wasteful lives. It is unfortunate that many businessmen do not create businesses and try areas they can make maximum impact. It is also unfortunate that most business men think that one could build reputation with what he is going to do, not knowing that reputation is built on what one has already done.”

With the vision to build an institution that will be timeless in its relevance and value, Maduka’s business empires has continued to grow boundlessly, affecting lives positively and contributing immensely to growth and development of the Nigeria and other African countries.

Cosmas Maduka the main man. So the thread don reach 401. Keep it up umu Anambra.

This man is one of my role models!..Sir Cosmas Maduka, While others are busy stealing Nigeria dry, He is busy working hard & being rewarded for it!. Others believe in being a Polithiefian & Stealing Govt money, But Sir Cosmas Maduka believe in Hardwork & Honesty!.This is a true Omambala man!. Our youths must be encouraged that to be successful in life, one have to have allergy to Failure!.Omambala bu ndi Chukwu gozie agozi!. What ever we touch,turns to Gold maka na anyi bu ndi nke Chineke!.

investnow2013:
Umunnem How can we quickly restore public water supply again to our major cities of Ihiala, Ekwulobia, Otuocha, Onitsha,Oba, Nnewi & Awka?.

The urban areas you mentioned won't be needing any more government water since majority of the landlords have dug boreholes. Personally, I believe the emphasis should be on interior villages like Ebenebe, Ugbenu, Ayamelum etc, riverine areas of ogbaru, Anambra east and west and....maybe Aguata, ihiala, orumba north and south, especially those towns that are known to use UMII to gather water.

zuchyblink:
it is the most inspirational and motivational thread ever on Nairaland. I must confess,i have learnt alot from this thread

Very apt

LadyFiona:
The urban areas you mentioned won't be needing any more government water since majority of the landlords have dug boreholes. Personally, I believe the emphasis should be on interior villages like Ebenebe, Ugbenu, Ayamelum etc, riverine areas of ogbaru, Anambra east and west and....maybe Aguata, ihiala, orumba north and south, especially those towns that are known to use UMII to gather water.

Every World City or cities do have public water supply system for health wise & for revenue generation/employment!.We cannot lower our standard because of some flimsy excuses!. Do you know that Anambra State govt is losing between 3 to 5 billion Naira monthly as a result of this failure!.An average Anambrarian spend between 50 to 100 Naira daily on water!.

investnow2013:
Every World City or cities do have public water supply system for health wise & for revenue generation/employment!.We cannot lower our standard because of some flimsy excuses!. Do you know that Anambra State govt is losing between 3 to 5 billion Naira as a result of this failure!.An average Anambrarian spend between 50 to 100 Naira daily on water!.

No we won't lower our standard at all, but how are we going to do it?

Since it can be done by individuals, it will be a wonder to see people supporting it.

Anambra State govt should build Business Parks at Ogbunike for Onitsha, Ozubulu for Nnewi & Amansea for Awka small Skill entrepreneurs!.They Should also build Business Parks for Agrobusinesses at Umunze,Anaku & Atani!. The govt should build Business Parks with every facility in them & also give Financial assistance to the occupants!.These business Parks should also have residential part of it in other to encourage 24 hours or all round production in the Park like is done in Malasia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India & China!.The govt should give these Business Parks free of Charge & Tax Free for 10 years to the People!.They should also help in bringing resource people & Machineries from China & other countries to help improve their Standard!.This will be for Nnewi auto/Machine Parts, Awka for Foundary & Metal fabrications & Onitsha for Main Market for Garment Salers/ Hardwares!. .The Umunze,Anaku & Atani Business Parks will be for Food processing & Packaging Industries like Fish,Flour, Fruit juices,Soap,Rice, Vegetable Oil,Meat, Milk etc!.Think of Anambra State with these Parks in the cities of Nnewi, Awka,Onitsha & many more Towns employing close to a Million or more people just because of these suggestions!.If these & many more are done, The World will be coming to Anambra State/ Igboland & not to China any more!.I have more to say, but let me stop here!.Invest now for better tomorrow!. Udo dili unu!.

patrick89:
You have spoken very well Nwanne,
I have really observed many things about anambra secondary school, I think it's only in anambra state you will see a high profile person send their wards to public secondary school, because the standard is topnotch, my uncle sent all his children in public schools.
1.here my personal view, if you want to establish a secondary school in anambra or say awka, it must be super standard to attract students.
Right now awka has about 4 standard secondary that compete anywhere. British spring college for instance is very expensive, their curriculum is british, the teaching method and standard are very different from what you have in Nigerian secondary schools!
Our people in america, Britain and Canada bring their children to this school, infact 50percent of the students are from US and some foreign nationals.

wow! that is a very good one. I think if we can establish such schools in the east, we will be singing a different song. I was surprised when i saw so many kids from igbo origin spending such huge amount of money for education in the west. If it were a day school, I would've understood their plight. but for a boarding school, haba, this can be done in the east without much problems. This will enable them understand the language and tradition of our people very well.

LadyFiona:
No we won't lower our standard at all, but how are we going to do it?

Since it can be done by individuals, it will be a wonder to see people supporting it.

The govt should build the Water infrastructure & give it to the private companies to manage as done in the Western World!. The govt should only be the regulator on pricing etc!.It is govt responsibility to provide Clean Driking Water for the people!. We must discourage untreated Water borehole as our cities main water supply except for emergencies!

Yeske2:
Cool, we should start from the umunna, ndiobodo, ndibeanyi, Ndigbo meetings all across the globe. Attend your umunna meetings around xmas in your villages though might not be too convenient for those in the diaspora.

there was a time the diasporan meetings were in vogue. when men will award kids of excellence in their various schools. i am a proud beneficiary of that scheme because i was always the first position. the students in my class didnt know what was always pushing me to read then in school. they thought i just read for the pride of being the first position. who wont read when there is bicycle to win and video games to win too. i read so hard to pass and that helped me when i got into the university because i already developed the habit of reading and doing research.

now, you see the major reason why i love my people. they have done something good in my life and i am going to repay them back by trying my possible best to re-establish the eastern region. i see the light in the project and it will come to pass.

Many of my friends benefited from this scheme. Many parents flogged their kids to coma because of this scheme. it wasnt because the parents couldnt afford buying their kids these gifts but the pride of winning the gift was what the parents were after. till date, people still commend my parents for the feat which we accomplished in those meetings, because 4 of my siblings were constant winners too. not that it gift was just for one person but if you were the first position in your various schools, you will be given the prize.

parents changed the schools of their wards. they paid high sums for private teachers for their wards. kids were moved when they saw gifts given to other kids. kids worked hard to be where they are now. it was really a wonderful time being with my people then.

be proud to be igbo. the competition didnt start today. it has always been there and it wont end anytime soon.

I am here to propose something for interested ndigbo. there is something going on now while others are still sleeping. Many european banks are spreading their tentacles in different parts of the world. their credit facilities is top notch. i want interested persons to join in this train.

i call it SMART INVESTMENT. This smart investment will cover every developmental facet of our lives. With a good business plan and first class feasibility studies, we can get loan from european banks at the rate of 3% and payable for over 20years.

this is one of the information I got my hands on.

think smart, do smart investment

VickJames:
wow! that is a very good one. I think if we can establish such schools in the east, we will be singing a different song. I was surprised when i saw so many kids from igbo origin spending such huge amount of money for education in the west. If it were a day school, I would've understood their plight. but for a boarding school, haba, this can be done in the east without much problems. This will enable them understand the language and tradition of our people very well.

It is a good idea now because of Anambra State policy of handing over Schools to the Missions & Voluntary Organisations!. The Anambra govt/People should not stop at that, but should encourage those Schools to build or build for them Boarding Schools for our people in other parts of Nigeria & beyond! This will help to teach them Igbo culture/ tradition & also to help retain our population in Anambra/Igboland!. It will help to bring needed Capital & better infrastructure in Anambra State!.Ndibe anyi Ndeewo!!!

investnow2013:
It is a good idea now because of Anambra State policy of handing over Schools to the Missions & Voluntary Organisations!. The Anambra govt/People should not stop at that, but should encourage those Schools to build or build for them Boarding Schools for our people in other parts of Nigeria & beyond! This will help to teach them Igbo culture/ tradition & also to help retain our population in Anambra/Igboland!. It will help to bring needed Capital & better infrastructure in Anambra State!.Ndibe anyi Ndeewo!!!

yeah, what you said up there is the basic truth and nothing but the truth. You know our people have big eyes for things and will spend their hard earned money for these things. If we can devise a means where we can invest in the academics of our wards and make them spend their money in the east. I am still looking into the records to see the range which we pay for academics in the west and draw out plans.

[size=18pt]
Occupy till i come[/size]

investnow2013:
It is a good idea now because of Anambra State policy of handing over Schools to the Missions & Voluntary Organisations!. The Anambra govt/People should not stop at that, but should encourage those Schools to build or build for them Boarding Schools for our people in other parts of Nigeria & beyond! This will help to teach them Igbo culture/ tradition & also to help retain our population in Anambra/Igboland!. It will help to bring needed Capital & better infrastructure in Anambra State!.Ndibe anyi Ndeewo!!!

Having good private school in our state is good but we must remember that these investors only enrich themselves and pay very little taxes to the government.etu osina di,I am a staunch advocate for a sound and quality basic education(primary and secondry) and Anambra is not where we want to be. There are a lot of schools in our beloved state that are still begging for rehabilitation and re-equipment. The idea of sending teachers to Singapore for training shows we have no trusted institutions where these teachers can be trained and retrained. You can have the most beautiful schools and all the best teaching and learning materials but if you don't have qualified and vibrant teachers to use these materials properly and impact knowledge then you have just ended up wasting huge chunk of money without achieving any result. Just like what happened in Rivers state with Amaechi.

Ultimately,my dream for Omanbala is to reach the highest standard of basic education then use it to make fortune....When we achieve this standard of education of which you cant get in most private schools then people(not Omanbalas) will naturally start sending their children to Anambra public schools and this will set the money rolling in. And we will charge them as much as they pay in private schools.

investnow2013:
It is a good idea now because of Anambra State policy of handing over Schools to the Missions & Voluntary Organisations!. The Anambra govt/People should not stop at that, but should encourage those Schools to build or build for them Boarding Schools for our people in other parts of Nigeria & beyond! This will help to teach them Igbo culture/ tradition & also to help retain our population in Anambra/Igboland!. It will help to bring needed Capital & better infrastructure in Anambra State!.Ndibe anyi Ndeewo!!!

So,in Obosi you people say ''ndi be anyi ndeewo''?
its a shame when people discard their identities....Its embarrassing.

OdenigboAroli:
So,in Obosi you people say ''ndi be anyi ndeewo''?
its a shame when people discard their identities....Its embarrassing.

Am still trying to understand and to recollect which identity this hardworking and proudly Igbo son of the soil as we all are aware of has discarded.

Or are you skeptical in discrediting him by all means whether your reasons are relevant or not?

When Passion for Fatherland Runs Deep



Recently, Ifeanyi Ubah, multi-millionaire businessman and founder of Capital Oil, led the management of his football team, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, to West Ham United in London. This is despite media attacks on the man and his businesses. Samuel Ajayi looks at the man, his rise and why his determination to provide employment for his compatriots remains strong

It was unfamiliar faces at Upton Park, the home of West Ham United Football Club in east London. But the purpose of their visit was not lost on them neither on their hosts. The entourage, from Nigeria, was led by billionaire businessman, Ifeanyichukwu Ubah. The aim of the meeting was to develop a working relationship between the English football top flight side and Ubah’s football club, FC Ifeanyi Ubah.


During the meeting, Ubah made an official presentation on the strength and aspirations of his football club to the English clubside represented by its managing director, Angus Kinnear, and other officials. Ubah was to later meet with the chairman of West Ham United, David Gold. Sources informed THISDAY that the meeting was a private one and another meeting would soon be held between the two men at a later date. The collaboration between the two sides would see both clubs start exchange programmes, players’ scouting, youth football development and training for coaches as well as business alliances.


As he marked his 44th birthday recently, the meeting with West Ham United was another milestone in the life of one Nigerian who has come to see the development of his fatherland in all aspects of human endeavour as a passion he must pursue with the last drop of his blood. The passion is there and the determination seems to be growing every day.


Ubah is a young man by African standards but he seems to have found a way to dine with elders and the result is a young man pulling his weight where old men are groping in the dark for direction. He started early. And it was not always a smooth journey. The day he quit school and told his father that he was going to Lagos in search of direction in life, his father was downcast. The old man could not take it and he burst to tears.


“That was the first time I saw my father cry,” Uba recollected in a media interview recently to celebrate his 44th birthday. But by the time he was 17, he had found a clear direction his life would take and it would be a positive one. Four years later, when he was 21, he had become so successful that he had built houses in his native Nigeria, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. It did not end there. He had emerged President of over 5000 strong Nigerian Community in DRC. He was to lead that group for over decade from 1991 to 2002. Ubah was to later throw light on his sojourn in the land of Mobutu Sese Seko.


“While in Ghana, I was taking goods to Congo and because my business was flourishing there, I decided to move and grow my business there too. Moving to Congo was a stroke of luck for me. When I was the President of Nigerian community there, it gave me the opportunity at that early stage of my life to travel to many parts of the world. Getting visa to travel to other countries became very easy.

For businessmen that have done business in Congo, they would tell you that you are guaranteed a good margin of returns on investment. The indigenes are not so much into business, and it gave me opportunity to do international businesses and go into different things. I was doing business in Belgium, Netherland, the whole of Schengen countries, United Kingdom, the United States and so on.”


Though a young man, Ubah was to later dine with elders and one of them was the late President of the DRC, Laurent Desire Kabila. Naturally, such a relationship would bring some positive leveraging for the young man. He grabbed it with both hands. He got involved in rehabilitation of industrial complexes and many mining concessions in DRC. It was through this relationship that he met another influential individual. This time, former Nigerian military president, Ibrahim Babangida.


When Kabila died, Ubah returned home, to that land where it all started and his business began to grow. He had started Capital Oil which was supplying oil to government agencies and business in the DRC. When he relocated to Nigeria, he continued but it would not be a smooth ride. But he later shared the success of his breakthrough in the diesel oil distribution business.


“We grew gradually because I spent six months studying the Nigeria oil and gas industry. I can tell you how many filling stations there are from Benin to Ebonyi State and also from Onitsha to Port-Harcourt then. I was at that time making a revenue worth of buying two trucks every day. So every month I must have money in excess to reinvest. That takes us to deregulation which many people don’t understand. Diesel was deregulated and yet many people will go to the Port refinery waiting for their turn to load 30,000 litres of diesel. When we can load one million litres everyday out of Lagos and move. We were giving people fuel on credit once we identified that you are the owner of a filling station.”


Unknown to many, Ubah never got involved in crude oil lifting or selling. Many of his detractors have stated that his loyalty to former President Goodluck Jonathan was because he was given crude oil concessions. But Ubah laughed it off. He told a friend in confidence that he was just loyal to Jonathan because he was convinced that the former president meant well for the country.
“I have never dealt in crude oil, I don’t even know what it looks like,” Ubah declared. “That is one thing many of my opponents and business competitors do not know. I have been doing my business as honestly as I can and God has been merciful.”


Even after the elections when others, especially businessmen who rely on one favour of the other from the government in power to oil their business, were jumping ship and saying all sorts of unprintable things against the former president, Ubah has never joined the bandwagon. He has remained convinced that the former president would have even done better if Nigerians had given him another chance to superintend over the affairs of the country.


Ubah is aware that through his business dealings and successes recorded there from, he must have attracted a sizeable number of detractors and enemies. Recently, a writer, Nkem Ibekwe, had raised questions about how Ubah came about the funds with which he set up Capital Oil and his involvement in the oil subsidy saga of 2010 and 2011. He also questioned why credit should be given to Ubah over the ‘Kero direct’ initiative.

It was an initiative that ensured that poor Nigerians who rely on kerosene to cook got the product cheaply and easily. However, Ibekwe never informed Nigerians that he once worked for Ubah and had even written quite a number of positive articles about the businessman. Information available indicated that he fell out with Ubah during the later’s governorship bid in his native Anambra State. He was even arrested and detained for working against Ubah’s interests while on his payroll.


Attacks will always come. Ubah seems to be aware of this. But that will not be enough to distract the man and his passion: create positive image for his fatherland and at the same time providing employment for tens of thousands. And one of them was the trip to West Ham United in England.


It is certainly an inspiring story that one cannot ignore. Love him, hate him, Ubah has achieved a record success in business foray. For those who want to pull him down, it is only pertinent to ask them their own scorecard.

More!