In Obiano and Otti Igboland may finally Rebound

 

Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State

When the Civil War ended in 1970, the scientific genius that sustained the Biafran struggle for 30 months lay dormant until 1971. That was when the government of the defunct East Central State decided to establish the Project Development Institute (PRODA) Enugu, under Edict No. II of 1971. PRODA was established “to make Nigeria one of the acknowledge leaders of the scientifically and technologically developed nations of the world.” In actually, it was an attempt to harness the scientific gifts of the brains behind the astonishing inventions of the Biafran War. Sadly, like everything that has happened to the former Biafran enclave after the war, PRODA has remained largely a wishful thought; its grand vison of making Nigeria one of the scientifically and technologically developed nations of the world has suffered a stillbirth. It is so because the war genius that gave it life at birth was stifled by the Nigerian experience.

Dr. Alex Otti, Governor Elect, Abia State

Interestingly, the creative ferment that the Nigerian system tried to kill off found temporary expression in the informal sector where artisans and craftsmen flooded the markets with assorted household goods that soon became famously known as “Igbo-made.” So, from the middle 70s to mid-80s, there was a wave of manufacturing explosion across Igboland that spiked the interest of the attentive world in the war-ravaged old East Central Sate.  In both scale and ingenuity, the array of products from Aba and Onitsha that arrived most markets across West Africa at the time held an impressive industrial promise. To date, that era represents Nigeria’s brightest hope of becoming anything else but a country of consumers who would import something as mundane as toothpicks. That there was no conscious effort to nurture that burst of energy to anything of value today is a tribute to Nigeria’s well-known reputation as the cemetery for gifts and talents. There seemed to have been a conspiracy to allow that moment pass; to drown it all with silence. And it worked. What we now have of the once popular Igbo-made are a handful of leader-works in shoes and some tacky designs from Aba. Indeed the story of Aba gives a different heartache on its own. The city that once had the largest concentration of artistic talents and a bustling social scene sticks out today like a festering thumb; wilting away from the gangrene of neglect.

Hopefully, after a long, interminable spell of groping in the dark, we are beginning to see the signs that a comeback is possible. We see glimmers of hope here and there. Hope that South Eastern Nigeria which reportedly had the fastest growing economy before the war would experience a renaissance or the beginnings of it. Hope that Igboland would repossess its destiny under African skies. We saw rays of hope in Enugu under the focused leadership of Sullivan Chime. We are seeing it in a more compelling way in Anambra under Governor Willie Obiano and we hear a loud sound of it in the rhetoric and promise of the Governor Elect of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti. Yes, to many Igbo, Otti’s recent Appeal Court victory is the very birth of hope. This is because it is common logic that the economic future of Ndigbo lies in Anambra and Abia States. Once there is a resurgence of life in Onitsha/Nnewi axis and Aba, Igboland will rebound.

Since he took over the reins of leadership in Anambra State on March 17, 2014, Governor Willie Obiano has blazed a trail of excellence, establishing himself as a candle of hope for Ndi Anambra. Obiano’s pragmatic approach to governance has shown that change is possible when a leader comes prepared. Heavily influenced by his technocratic background, Obiano came into office with a vision. His vision is to make Anambra State the first choice investment destination and a hub for industrialization and commercial activities. He also spelt out his mission as to make Anambra State a socially stable, business-friendly environment that would attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth-creating opportunities. In less than two years in office, Obiano has almost fulfilled both statements. He has retrieved Anambra from the choke-hold of violent criminals and created a friendly environment for business that has attracted $2.5bn in investments. He has swiftly nudged the accelerator of progress to a point where a police helicopter hovers over the skies, punching coordinates down to sophisticated patrol cars on the ground to enhance the general sense of safety. In fact, Obiano’s efficiency in crime control has turned the once dreaded Upper Iweka into a garden where a tumultuous Christmas carol heralded the Yuletide season a fortnight ago. He has built great legacy projects like the three flyovers that are nearing completion in Awka and Anambra’s longest bridge in Aguleri Otu. But what may be even more revolutionary here are the captive power projects that will form the very backbone of industrialization in the state. The most promising of this is the 80 megawatts UDIPPCO power plant in Umerum which will be powered by the untapped gas reserve in the community. With steady power supply guaranteed by this project, the industrial clusters in Onitsha, Ozubulu and Nnewi will finally draw a fresh breath of life. This will stimulate economic growth. Also, through the Anambra Small Business Association (ASBA), Obiano has disbursed N1bn micro credits to select MSMEs in the state. Knowing the catalytic role of cottage industries, when properly nurtured, these MSMEs will jump-start productivity in the industrial areas and create more jobs for the youths.   

Although I have not read Dr. Alex Otti’s blueprint for Abia, I have paid attention to his rhetoric. Otti speaks the language of change; the message of rebirth.  Otti is from the same background as Obiano. He knows that his reputation would be at stake once he is sworn in and above all, he seems to know what to do. At least, that is the sense I get when I hear him say - “We have plans to build an industrial cluster, where our young people can fully and meaningfully engage their creativity and, in so doing, create a better life for themselves, as well as a more vibrant economy for Abia. The time has come for us to look beyond oil. In fact, International Finance Corporations (IFCs) have already indicated their interest in taking up the Industrial Cluster project to the tune of One Hundred Million Dollars! This money is not made available to everyone, but only to experts and organisations these corporations trust. At the risk of sounding immodest, permit me to say that they trust my proven financial management skills, having extended the same facility to me when I headed Diamond Bank, and having seen how judiciously their funds were used then.”

I am also assured of Otti’s competence when I read the following remarks - “In my interaction with fellow APGA members, I spoke about our plans to build three flyover bridges in Aba. These flyovers will be located at Abayi (near Ngwa High School), Port Harcourt road and Ogbor Hill (near Enyimba hotel). These bridges will decongest traffic in the city, as well as create alternative routes for those going to Port Harcourt and Enugu, saving them precious time as they go about their businesses”. Indeed Otti comes with all the tall dreams of a change agent, brimming with ideas that might frighten the timid and tentative. His plan to build three bridges reminds one of what Obiano has done in Awka. He talks of plans to relocate the Ariaria market which has become a blot on the memory of people who know Aba’s glorious past. He says “our plan is to build a new Ariaria International Market across the express road. This new Ariaria will be a world-class shopping mall, and all occupiers of the present Ariaria that bring valid, verifiable papers for their shops will get new, air-conditioned shops in the mall”.

 Isn’t it about time somebody thought like this in the South East? Didn’t we all witness how Babatunde Fashola transformed the decrepit Tejuosho Market in Yaba Lagos into a glittering pizazz of commerce? Didn’t we all watch Donald Duke build Tinapa? Is Igboland bereft of leaders with supersized dreams? I don’t think so. The truth however is that such men had not been given a chance to take a shot at leadership until the emergence of Obiano and Otti.

This is therefore one good reason why every truly discerning and concerned Igbo must stand up for the preservation of the Appeal Court judgement in Owerri which firmly placed the mantle of leadership of Abia State on Dr. Alex Otti. With Obiano in Anambra and Otti in Abia, Igboland is bound to rediscover itself.