Ekweremadu Urges Leaders To Honour Odumegwu Ojukwu By Restructuring Nigeria

Ike Ekweremadu. Image: Twitter

BY CHRISTIAN CHIME

ONITSHA: IGBARIAM, ANAMBRA STATE (THE GUARDIAN) -- Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that the greatest honour political leaders can accord the leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, is to build a united but restructured and just Nigeria, which he lived and died for.

Ekweremadu disclosed this yesterday in his opening remarks as chairman of the second Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Lecture at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State.

His words, “From the structural imbalances, which inescapably counts against the South East zone in particular in its voting power at the National Assembly, the distribution of national offices, revenue sharing, and other blessings of democracy such as infrastructure, to the defective federalism that has made it impossible for Ndigbo to fully harness their potential, Ndigbo have many grounds to be dissatisfied.

“This state of affairs has effectively reared two schools of thought in the South East region on the way forward. There are those, mostly the younger Igbo generation, who believe that the best way forward is total separation from the Nigerian state and the actualisation of a sovereign state of Biafra. This has resulted in agitations, which got to its crescendo in recent years.

“On the other hand is the school of thought, to which I belong, and which believes that Ndigbo can indeed blossom, actualise their potential and be happy in a restructured Nigerian state.”

The Enugu senator elaborated on this in his Position Paper entitled ‘Biafra: The Legal, Political, Economic, and Social Questions’, presented at the July 2017 meeting of the highest echelon of Igbo leadership at the height of the pro-Biafra agitations and military operations in the South East.

Ekweremadu added, “This position resonates with the thoughts of Ezeigbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in the lecture entitled ‘Nigeria: The Truths that are Self-Evident’ he delivered on February 22, 1994 and was affirmed in the Awka Declaration where Ndigbo affirmed their commitment to a united, but restructured and just Nigeria.”On immortalising Ojukwu, he stressed: “Ikemba came ahead of his time, he lived ahead if his time, and he died ahead of his time because the laudable visions he longed for are yet to be realised.

“Therefore, our nation and her leaders owe it to the memory of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to strengthen Nigeria as a political entity where justice, peace, love, and unity reign; where national interest is supreme and where every Nigerian and every part thereof are free and able to actualise its legitimate dream unmolested and irrespective of religious, political and tribal affiliations and origin. This is indeed the greatest honour and tribute he can get from us.”

Anambra Moves To Upgrade Agency After Onitsha Fire Outbreak

Fuel truck fire in Onitsha. Image: Silver Bird TV

BY OSIBEROHA OSIBE

After the latest fire incident in Onitsha, Anambra State and the destructions that came with it, the State Fire Service appears to have woken up from slumber. The Guardian learnt that Governor Willie Obiano has ordered the agency to step up its activities to forestall a reoccurrence of such incident. Meanwhile, the statistics of fire incidents in the state has been on the rise. In 2018, the Fire Service recorded 110 fire outbreaks across the state while no fewer than 30 fire incidents have been recorded this year.

Nevertheless, investigations showed that the Fire Service has fire stations located in strategic places in major cities state but were hitherto not well-equipped to discharge their duties effectively. For instance, at the state capital, Awka, there are three fire service stations located at the state command headquarters situated at Eze-Uzu junction, Agu-Awka. In Onitsha, the commercial nerve-centre of the state, there are three fire stations, namely, the Main Market fire station, Nkpor fire station and Okpoko fire station, Obodoukwu road. It was learnt that the state was planning to build an additional fire service station at Okpoko to tackle incessant fire incidents around Onitsha and Okpoko axis.

In Nnewi, the fast-growing industrial city in the state, there is the Nnewi fire station at Nkwo Nnewi Main Market, Nnewi. Other stations are the Building Market fire station, Ogidi, Idemili North local council headquarters; Ekwulobia fire station at Sports Stadium, Ekwulobia and Otuocha fire station in Anambra East local council.

There are also newly-established fire stations at Umunze, Orumba local council; Agulu in Anaocha local council and Ihiala in Ihiala local council.

Meanwhile, there are areas in the state that ought to have at least one fire station each have have none. Such places include Abagana/Enugwu-ukwu axis in Njikoka local council; Awka North local council, Okija in Ihiala local council and Oko in Aguata local council.

It was gathered that the state has about 20 fire-fighting trucks in all, including back-up water tankers spread across the fire stations. Out of these, eight are non-functional, but following the recent fire incidents in Onitsha, the state governor directed the repair of all the non-functional trucks of the Fire Service.

Further investigations showed that the State Fire Service is an appendage of the Ministry of Power and Water Resources. The ministry had as estimated capital expenditure of N1.827 billion in 2017; N2.375 billion in 2018, and N2.850 billion in 2019. Out of this amount, N3,756, 183 was earmarked for the Fire Service in 2017; N4,131,800 in 2018, and N4,544,982 in 2019.

The State Director of Fire Service, Martin Agbili, an engineer, who is also the state chairman of Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), could not be reached for comments. However, a member of staff of the Service who pleaded anonymity told The Guardian that the governor has ordered for the provision of six additional big trucks to the Service.

“In addition, orders have been placed for four mini-fire trucks that will act as first responder and be able to penetrate the nooks and crannies where the big ones cannot access,” he said.

The staff also noted that the welfare of employees in the Fire Service has been improved, saying: “Salaries and allowances of the fire service officers have largely been improved by about 100 per cent from what we earned before now. Also, our hazard allowance has been increased to N20,000 monthly.” But he bemoaned poor budgetary provisions to the Service, noting that it was hampering their efficiency.

He added: “The staff strength is not anything to write home about. In fact, the conditions of service were not encouraging. But with the recent fire incidents, the state government has come to the realisation that the Fire Service needs adequate attention to perform efficiently. The governor has ordered the increase of the staff strength from 70 to 120.”

Another source, who also pleaded anonymity, said the government was being reactive, questioning the rationale behind the many years of neglect the Fire Service had endured.

“How could past governments place staff on salaries and allowances that are not motivating. Also, there are no boreholes to make water available for the Service and where they exist, they are dilapidated and non-functional. It is now that government is rising to the occasion,” he said.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN SATURDAY MAGAZINE NOV. 2, 2019

Onitsha And Aba: The Beauty Of Leadership Failure

Motorists and pedestrians' gridlock in Onitsha. Image: Ikechukwu Amaechi/News Express, July 2018

BY ACHILLEUS-CHUD UCHEGBU

I was at a mass at Awada Layout in Onitsha recently. As we drove through to locate the church, I wondered if it was the same Awada that dominated talks when it was developed in the 1980s (Hope I got the date right?). The sprawling estate has high-rise buildings on all streets. But there was neither paved road nor pipe-borne water. Where there were paved roads, they have given way to bumpy earth roads that would make you think your driver just dropped his learner’s badge. Almost every street was dominated by shops – a feature of almost every street in Onitsha. I left Awada that fateful Sunday wondering if Onitsha, generally, was also as chaotic and dirty. I thought to myself, that the city was not planned.

But when I took a tour of Onitsha off Google Earth and Google Maps, I was left speechless. It had always been a carefully planned city. I do not know who planned Onitsha, which has a population estimate of 7.4 million (2016 estimate: Wikipedia). But whoever he/she was, the city ought to host a memorial to his/her honour. Onitsha was a very well-planned city, with green areas and public utilities. The streets were carefully laid out. The markets were properly designated, making movement in and around the city free and easy. But that was on the map. In today’s reality, Onitsha is a dirty, unplanned and chaotic city with markets at every street corner.

The Onitsha that was host to Nigeria’s biggest brands and Igboland’s biggest businessmen and women is no more. When it was, it worked for all, becoming the Igboman’s first port of call, long before Maroko became Lekki and a desert became Dubai. I don’t know if it will ever be recovered because to correct the indiscipline that has turned Onitsha into a dungeon will be herculean. It will need the thoughtful mindlessness of a leader who will move in the bulldozers, remove illegal structures and petrol stations built in residential areas, clear the refuse heaps, restore the streets, open the drainage, roads, public utilities and rebuild public infrastructure. Like many other cities in today’s Nigeria, Onitsha begs for the touch of a visionary who will make it habitable for humans.

When Onitsha worked, it was considered an industrial hub. The industrialisation of the South East, I suspect, was meant to derive from the city. I guess that was also why the industrial estate in Owerri was built off the Owerri-Onitsha expressway. The development of Onitsha prompted the industrialisation of Nnewi as well. And as primary school pupils, we read in social studies that Onitsha was the largest market in West Africa.

When I first got to Lagos, I recall encountering a lot of Customs clearing agents through my twin. Most of the containers they cleared from the ports at Apapa and Tin Can, ended up at Onitsha Main Market. A lot of Igbo guys grew to become big freight forwarders from accounts that came from Onitsha alone. That also gave rise to establishment of haulage companies by Igbo entrepreneurs. In all these, jobs were created and lots of Igbo youths were employed. Today, that glory is gone. Alaba International, ASPAMDA, Balogun, Ladipo all in Lagos, dominated by traders who ditched Onitsha, now hold the ace. There are a lot of factors that made their relocation to Lagos possible. But that should be a discourse for another day.

For now, the chaotic state of Onitsha makes life in the city nasty. A beautiful story ended abruptly. This was exemplified by the recent fire incident that razed part of Ochanja Market. Despite the narrative of lack of functional fire service stations in Onitsha, the issue of inability of available fire trucks to access the market or locate fire hydrants, are testimonies to the chaos that Onitsha now is. They are also testimonials that call for a total makeover and transformation of the city because it is now about crime, filth, indiscipline and total absence of governance.

Markets spring up at every space. Traffic lights are decorative ornaments. The streets are as dirty as they can be. Waste management is almost non-existent. But the market merchants don’t care because they feed from the rot. They impose and collect all manner of levies from every shop and remit to the state government as agreed. Despite contributing a huge chunk of the IGR of Anambra State, Onitsha lacks the governance that it needs to remain a prime city and gateway to the orient.

What you see in Onitsha is exactly what you see in Aba, Abia State. And like Onitsha, almost every business in Nigeria also had an Aba address.

The last time I visited Aba, I had to abort my trip at Osisioma Junction and return to Owerri. I was to visit Ariaria Market and it rained. The reality at Osisioma Junction made me wonder what the city itself was like. Osisioma Junction was the gateway. And it has not gotten any better. The pictures that fly out of Aba every day make one want to ask why exactly the Ngwa people campaigned, and insisted, on an Ngwa son becoming governor. Before Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu became governor, almost every Ngwa argued that Aba was an eyesore because an Ngwa had not become governor. They got one in 2015.

Today, I am told that even driving around Aba with an Abia State government-registered car could earn you stones from some residents. Aba is another sad story of failed political leadership and vision. Like Onitsha, it presents a study in how leadership failure eroded the vision of having industrial hubs in Aba and Onitsha. Those cities have become two industrial hubs of Igboland, whose potentialities were stillbirth by failed leadership. They are cities that now need focused and visionary leadership, one that would embark on demolition, reconstruction and rebuilding to return them as industrial prides. It won’t take much to do. First, it would take only focus. Second, it would take political will and stubborn fixation on correcting mistakes and restoring the master plan.

Both cities need the sort of leadership that would dislodge merchants that feed on the rot, reclaim city roads and make them passable for regular vehicular traffic and take traders off the streets and back into market stalls. But first, the markets have to be provided and also made accessible by road. Leadership must enforce building discipline and provide green spaces and parks for recreation, green areas add value to the life of a city and those of residents. The leadership must also make the people to understand and, appreciate, that not every open space must be built up. If you have to demolish illegal structures to reclaim the cities, do it. I grew up learning that petrol stations are not to be built in residential areas. Today, both petrol stations and gas plants are built at every corner and you wonder when the regulation changed.

SOURCE: SUN NEWS ONLINE

Fire Disaster: Ifeanyi Ubah Visits Onitsha, Vows To Put Measures To End Explosion

Ifeanyi Ubah. Image: Twitter

BY MICHAEL OVAT

AWKA (NIGERIAN TRIBUNE) -- In furtherance of his efforts to commiserate with victims of the petrol tanker explosions in Ochanja Market and Omagba, Onitsha, the Senator representing Anambra South, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah on Friday visited the scenes of the explosions and survivors who are presently receiving treatment at Toronto Hospital Onitsha. The Senator who moved straight to the scenes immediately after his return from Abuja urged the marketers to keep hope alive as efforts are already in place to give them every necessary assistance. He further informed them that he is relentlessly working towards a Bill that will prevent such tragedy across the country in the future.

In their response, the marketers who jubilated upon sighting the Anambra South Senator thanked him for his efforts so far in promoting the Igbo economy. They further said that the Senator’s visit is a big relief to them because he has given them more reason to keep hope alive. The marketers who spoke through their leaders further described Senator Ubah as a big blessing to Anambra State and urged him to keep the good works up.

After addressing residents and marketers at the scenes of the explosions, Senator Ubah went to Toronto Hospital Onitsha to sympathize with the survivors who are receiving treatment. At the hospital, the Senator prayed God to grant them quick recovery and informed them that he has already donated two million naira for their treatment and that a register has been opened for them under the Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation to offset their medical bills and feeding costs. Senator Ubah who also sympathized with families of those that lost their loved ones to the incidents prayed God to grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest and to also grant their families the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.

In their response, the marketers who jubilated upon sighting the Anambra South Senator thanked him for his efforts so far in promoting the Igbo economy. They further said that the Senator’s visit is a big relief to them because he has given them more reason to keep hope alive. The marketers who spoke through their leaders further described Senator Ubah as a big blessing to Anambra State and urged him to keep the good works up.

Senator Ubah further visited Elite Club Onitsha who donated all the water used in extinguishing the flames caused by the tanker explosion that occurred early Friday morning in Omagba. At the visit, he thanked them for their service to humanity and assured them reiterated his zeal to put measures that will put petrol tanker explosions to anHopes high as Ifeanyi Ubah visits Onitsha, vows to put measures that will end petrol tanker explosion in Nigeria.

Senator Ubah further visited Elite Club Onitsha who donated all the water used in extinguishing the flames caused by the tanker explosion that occurred early Friday morning in Omagba. At the visit, he thanked them for their service to humanity and assured them reiterated his zeal to put measures that will put petrol tanker explosions to an end in the country. end in the country.

SOURCE: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

ONITSHA: Igwe Achebe Laments Rots In Commercial City

Igwe Achebe in his palace with guests September 26, 2018. Image via Twitter

BY AMECHI AGBODO, ALOYSIUS ATTAH

ONITSHA ( DAILY SUN) -- The 18th Ofala festival of the Obi of Onitsha, Anambra State, held last Friday, evoked mixed feelings for the monarch, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe. Activities marking one of Nigeria’s most colourful cultural celebrations came to an end on Monday with a royal dinner staged for the celebrant by telecoms giant, Globacom.

The Igwe expressed deep concerns about the assault on peaceful family life in Onitsha by the burgeoning commercialisation in the city, which boasts of arguably, the biggest market in West Africa. He noted that though the fortunes of Onitsha kingdom has been mixed over the past years, they were making steady progress on more fronts than not.

On community re-engineering and reinvention, he stated that much had been achieved with respect to infrastructure, peace building and reconciliation, creating an Onitsha virtual community and projecting a positive image for the city:

“Onitsha has over the years been peaceful and reconciled within and among kindred groups and families. Increasingly, our people now resort to the traditional court at Ime Obi for the adjudication of disputes, particularly on land and headship of ancestral families.

“Another important element in our self-reinvention is our effort to create a sense of belonging, participation and community among Onitsha indigenes all over the world. Besides my travelling regularly to various places in Nigeria and abroad to share thoughts with our indigenes, the power of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has been most invaluable in building a virtual Onitsha community driven by our interactive website.”

On environmental degradation and pollution in Onitsha, the Igwe lamented that the metropolitan city of Onitsha, which was once a model of cleanliness, has become a dungeon of filth very dangerous to health. He traced the cause to the appalling attitude of the residents to the necessity for clean environment and the inadequacy of statutory enforcement and waste management agencies:

“The palace was ready to share thoughts with government on how to improve environmental management in the cities and communities in Anambra State including the education of the citizenry.” The Obi also called for the dualisation of Awka Road and the Onitsha-Otuocha Road as a key factor towards finding solution to the traffic conundrum in Onitsha.

He emphasised the need for a review and enforcement of planning regulations in the city to save the residential areas from the onslaught and nuisance of commercialization. On the way forward, the monarch said they would continue to press ahead on all fronts, including infrastructural development with more concerted effort against cultism, drug addiction, violent crime and the resolution of the outstanding cases of Diokpaship:

“We will also encourage and support our youths to gain more visibility at the national and international levels and continue to spread computer literacy and restore the reading culture among our citizenry.”

Represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, President Muhammadu Buhari said the journey so far has been fruitful and eventful. He said the Second Niger Bridge was now a reality because work was on going while the construction company handling the project assured of completing it six months earlier than the scheduled date of 2021.

He promised the South East of a third bridge project, a coastal rail that will terminate at Onitsha with a spur unto Nnewi later on even as he indicated that the construction will start next year.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, who represented Governor Willie Obiano paid homage to the Obi of Onitsha. Addressing the crowd after, he said the second phase of the “Operation Kpochapu” being launched same day of the Ofala festival was in continuation of government’s resolve to make Anambra the safest state in Nigeria.

He warned criminal elements to flee the state or risk being smoked out and dealt with according to law. He also announced that aggressive road rehabilitation would start across different parts of the state once the rain stopped.

President General of Onitsha Improvement Union (OIU), Sir Chike Ekweogwu, described the Ofala as an opportunity for the Igwe to speak to his people; bless and tell them that God has been kind to them in the traditional new year of the community:

“My advice is that the culture and festivals we hold in our hearts should continue to be exhibited, year in, year out. We should not all forget that change is inevitable and culture is not static, culture is dynamic. If it is not dynamic all the twins would be killed but they are all alive today.

“Today twins came to see the Igwe, before now it was abomination for twins to see or ‘cough’ before the Igwe. Culture is a two-way thing, which we have to manage them to balance them. Our culture should remain but there are certain cultures of our lives that should go into extinction.”

Other dignitaries at the event including the traditional ruler of Ojoto, Igwe Gerald Mbamalu and Chief Godwin Ezeemo prayed God to keep Igwe Achebe in good health. Ezeemo who described Onitsha culture and the Igwe Achebe Ofala festival as the most colourful that should be emulated by other Igbo traditional rulers said:

“My prayer is that the Ofala festival and custom will keep growing from strength to strength. We wish Igwe Achebe the wisdom, strength and grace of God to carry on until he hands over the baton to the next person.”

To the Chief Executive Officer of Lake Petroleum Limited, Chief Cletus Mbaji, it is only culture that can unite the Igbo as one indivisible entity in Nigeria.

SOURCE: SUN NEWS ONLINE

Anambra Takes Lead In Igbo Cattle Breeding

Image: Youtube

ALOYSIUS ATTAH

ONITSHA (DAILY SUN) -- Against the backdrop of incessant cases of rape, killings in the farm and clashes between local and Fulani herdsmen across different parts of the southeast, more entrepreneurs are getting involved in producing ‘local’ breed of cow known as Efi Igbo.

Eagle Farms Limited, Umuchu and Wonder Farms, Umunze, in Aguata and Orumba South Local Government Areas, respectively of Anambra state, are two places already deeply involved in livestock development.

Recently, the Managing Director of Eagle Farms, Prince Ugochukwu Okpaleke stormed the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, venue of the flag off of the 2019 farming season with fully grown Igbo species cows bred in his farm.

Both farms, Daily Sun gathered, had commenced the crossbreeding of Efi Igbo with the Hausa species for the production of large size cattle for increased meat demands.

The latest effort in this direction from Anambra state is the multi-million naira Nkeonyemetalu Farms and Agro-Allied Ventures located at Amaetiti, Orumba North Local Government Area.
The fully mechanised farm sitting on about 200 plots of land has gone into full cattle ranching of local cattle.

Chairman of the farms, High Chief Walter Chigbo recently played host to members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State council, who were on a one day working visit.
Conducting his visitors round the farms, Chigbo confirmed that ranching is a more profitable way of rearing cattle, pointing out that the Fulani herdsmen who engage in nomadic method of rearing cows do so out of ignorance.

His words: “The Fulani herdsmen either do not know that it is more profitable to rear cattle in a secluded place, or they have become used to be nomads and cannot adjust.

Here, we have a good number of cows including the native cows which we call ‘efi Igbo’, and you will compare them with the ones you see the Fulani people walking about with.

“Study has shown that it is better to rear cattle in a secluded place. Feed them well, and they rest well too, and before long, you will see how fat they will grow.

“In United Arab Emirate where I did a study, I saw a cow that is so big that this house cannot contain it. Such cows, you can get two drums of milk daily from it, but if they were to be taking the cow about on foot to feed it, you would see how tired it would look, and that will affect its size too.”

He disclosed of plans to expand the ranch in order to get the best from the animals, and charged the Federal Government to call for ranching rather than encourage open grazing. Since livestock production was a private business, he advised that herders should also be encouraged to buy land for construction of ranches in order to minimize conflicts between them and farmers: “Most of the richest people across the world are farmers, so herdsmen should also be encouraged to get land and ranch their cows as this will put an end to the constant clashes between farmers and herdsmen”.

Chairman of the council, who led the NUJ team, Comrade Emmanuel Ifesinachi, Secretary, Emma Udeagha and other members of the contingent were shocked to see first-hand the ranch with both efi Igbo and cross breed cows, the poultry section with over thirty thousand birds and the fish ponds said to house over one hundred and fifty six thousand cat fish.

The team also went to the piggery section, the plantain, pineapple, pawpaw and sugar cane plantations, as well as facilities for frozen fish and foods business including the dry fish processing section.

Earlier, Ifesinachi had commended High Chief Chigbo for his foresight in investing over N500m in agriculture; thereby creating employment for many and also boosting food sufficiency in the state.
The NUJ Chairman stressed the need to boost agricultural development by encouraging small, medium and large scale farmers in the country, through provision of credit facilities, access roads, electricity and pipe borne water, noting that lack of electricity and access road, were the greatest challenge of the farm.

Also, Special Assistant to the Anambra state Governor on Agriculture, Cyril Nwobu, reassured that the administration Chief Willie Obiano would continue to do its best in making agriculture the major source of revenue generation and in turn improve the living standard of Ndi Anambra.

SOURCE: SUN NEWS ONLINE

More Than 250 Igbo Jewish Youth Gather For Leadership Training

More than 250 Nigerian youth gathered in the city of Onithsa, Nigeria, for a Jewish leadership and learning seminar organized by the Jerusalem-based Shavei Israel organization, August 2019. Photo: Ron Manne/Shavei Israel.

BY AIDEN PINK

ONITSHA (FORWARD) -- More than 250 youths from the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria were brought together last month for a week of Jewish activities, classes and leadership seminars.

The youths, along with 20 adults, came together in Onithsa, Nigeria between August 18-25 thanks to Shavei Israel, an organization that does outreach to far-flung Jewish communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The activities included Hebrew and Torah lessons and Shabbat activities.

The Igbo are one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, and many believe that they are descended from ancient Israelites. A few thousand of them have started practicing Judaism in cities throughout Nigeria. A Christian missionary group claimed to have conducted DNA tests that showed no Jewish genetic markers in Igbo subjects, but the results were disputed by leaders in the Igbo Jewish community.

“In recent years, a growing number of Igbo in Nigeria have chosen to embrace Judaism and seek to learn more about the culture, faith and heritage of Israel and the Jewish people,” Shavei Israel founder and chairman Michael Freund said in a statement. “We decided to answer their call and we’re working closely with the growing numbers of Igbo Jewish communities that are now flourishing in places such as Lagos, Abuja and Anambra state.”

Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at pink@forward.com or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink