Ogbodi chaa na uzo!...a Deputy Governor and a stolen wrist watch…The South East Turnaround and Leapfrog…the 2023 Ofala…plus South East Digest…

August 2023 in review

Our Special Correspondent, Dr Ifediora Amobi takes a look at the key highlights of last month: 

August 2023 – A Unique Month with a Series of Fascinating Events

by

If the month of August was a precursor to what we would witness in the EMBER months, then the world must brace itself because the ride is going to be bumpy.

From the death of Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash over Russia, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft marking India's first landing on the Moon, and former U.S. President Donald Trump being indicted for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election, to BRICS snubbing Nigeria and inviting six countries to join the bloc. And from two coups d’etat in Africa - Niger and Gabon to the ongoing upheavals and conflicts raging across the continent in Ethiopia (the Amhara and Oromo conflicts), Cameroon (the Ambazonia War), the Somalian civil war, Sudan (armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces), Mali civil war, DR Congo (Kivu conflict) and Mozambique (insurgency in Cabo Delgardo), August really set a record for breaking news and fascinating events! And as if all that wasn’t enough, the World Health Organization classified the new EG.5 variant of COVID-19, which has been spreading rapidly in the United States, as a ‘variant of interest’. In the same month, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison, while the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie, separated. Phew!

Here in Nigeria, the month of August was not without its own series of events. The month kicked off with President Bola Tinubu swearing-in his ministers who had been earlier screened and cleared by the Senate. Then there was the drama and noise surrounding announced demolition of structures in the FCT, a serving NYSC minister, a defence minister without military background, and the suspension of the Air Nigeria project. We are preparing for the devastating effects of the Lagbo dam water release from Cameroon, with its downstream impact on lives and properties and its consequences on food security. And then there was the stir caused by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio when he inadvertently announced on live television that the clerk of the National Assembly had sent money to senators to enable them enjoy their holiday. The 'All Eyes on the Judiciary' movement seems to be gaining momentum as the nation awaits the judgement from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Last week the nation was jolted by the ‘revelation’ that Nigeria’s unemployment rate dropped overnight from 33.3% to 4.1% because the methodology for calculating unemployment had been revised – a classic case of Voodoo Economics. Meanwhile, the Tinubu Tsunami rages on – from shakeups at the Central Bank of Nigeria to the EFCC, and from the NNPC to NDDC and NASENI, and just yesterday all of Nigeria’s Ambassadors were recalled. Who’s going to be next?

Finally, on a sad note, in August Nigeria lost Dr. Vwaere Diaso in an elevator accident as well as Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi OFR, designer of our national flag. We also console with our military on the loss of over two dozen soldiers when a Nigerian Air Force MI-171 helicopter on an evacuation mission crashed in the midst of insecurity and insurgency. As we enter the EMBER months filled with glee and high expectation, let us also brace ourselves for the possibility of a series of unfortunate events along the road, for the ride will surely be bumpy.

Photos of The Week

A Deputy Governor and a stolen wrist watch!

We hear the Deputy Governor wore a wrist watch stolen in Nigeria to an event in US recently!!

The future is here!

A new meaning for “Nigeria”

Ogbodi chaa na uzo!

“Let the uninitiated give way”!  That was the key chant at Dublin last Sunday as the Igbo Union in Dublin held its 2023 New Yam Festival.

The South East Turnaround and Leapfrog

There is a wind of change going on all around the entire South East of Nigeria with all the States trying to catch up with socio-economic lost years.  Apart from the rejuvenation of the South East Governors Forum, Anambra State is leading the charge.  All the key socio-economic stakeholders seem to have their eyes on the Anambra State Investment Summit coming up in Awka on September 7, 2023.

Enugu State started what some may call “testing the waters” last week.  We bring you two stories in this edition from two events where Enugu State featured last week.

FAAC: Federal, States, LGs Share N4.37trn In Six Months – NEITI

The three tiers of government – the Federal, States and Local Government Councils, LGs, shared a total of N4.37 trillion from the Federation Account as statutory revenue allocations between January and June 2023.

This is contained in the latest report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, on the Federation Account revenue allocations for the first half of the year. 

Dr Orji Ogbonnanya Orji, Executive Secretary, NEITI, who announced the report on Thursday in Abuja, said total distributable FAAC allocations to the three tiers of government in first and second quarters (Q2) of 2023 stood at N2.32 trillion and N2.04 trillion respectively. 

The NEITI quarterly review revealed that inflows into the Federation Account in Q2 of 2023 declined by 23 per cent which affected the distributable revenue which fell by 12 per cent when compared with the total revenue disbursed in the first quarter.

UK Govt, World Bank, Afreximbank, AfDB, others pledge to support Enugu achieve $30bn Economy

The Enugu State Government at the weekend took a bold step towards the actualisation of a $30 billion economy in the next four to eight years, as the state successfully hosted an inaugural Enugu State Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholders Roundtable.

This was even as the administration of the state governor, Dr Peter Mbah used the occasion to unveil 30 investment opportunities worth over $2.1 billion, which it said were projects that would directly impact the lives of the people and change the economic fortunes of the state.

The event saw a large turnout of community of investors, development bankers, international development agencies, and other critical stakeholders, including the Government of the United Kingdom (UK), the World Bank, African Export-Import Bank (AfriExim), African Development Bank (AfDB), United Kingdom Department for Business and Trade, and the Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company.

Speaking at the event, which was attended by prospective local and international investors, development financiers, and members of the diplomatic community, Mbah said that the theme of the event, “Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships”, underscored the administration’s vision to accelerate sustainable economic transformation powered by the private sector.

He urged investors to look towards Enugu as a preferred investment destination, saying the state was taking deliberate steps to create a friendly and de-risked business environment that would guarantee impressive returns on investment.

GE threatened exit from TransAfam power project for lack of gas says Elumelu

General Electric (GE), the American multinational company working with the Federal Government of Nigeria on some strategic power projects in the country, had threatened to exit the TransAfam power project over gas shortage.

This revelation came from Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Group, the owner of the TransAfam power plant, which has an installed capacity of 1000 megawatts.

Elumelu, speaking at the official launch of the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which took place on Sunday in Lagos, said that GE, which is helping the Federal Government acquire 240 megawatts out of the 1,000 megawatts, may not be able to do so because of gas shortage.

The chairman of Transcorp Group was irking out his frustration over the country’s lack of seriousness when it comes to facilitating the much-needed vehicle of change.

First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu, attends Imo State August Meeting

The First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu attended the August Meeting in Imo State last week.  She was accompanied by wife of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Ogbonna Nwifuru.

The 2023 Imo state August meeting with the theme “Umu nwanyi na akwado ibe ha na-eme ka ihe na-eme” was held at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, Owerri, Imo State and hosted by the First Lady of Imo State Barr Chioma Uzodinma. 

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Sen Oluremi Tinubu, thanked the Governor and wife of Imo state for their invitation to come and experience the 2023 August meeting.

She appreciated the Imo people for voting massively for the All Progressive Congress during the last election.

She explained that women should take cognizance of the struggles other women face and support them to ensure that their legacies are preserved.

In her opening remark, the wife of the Imo State governor, Barr Chioma Uzodinma, appreciated all dignitaries and women during the grand finale of the 2023 Imo state August meeting.

Barr. Uzodinma appreciated her husband Sen Hope Uzodinma for his support in carrying Imo women along in his governance and further thanked women in the state for their massive involvement in the polices and programme of the present administration.

Ofala festival ‘ll showcase cultural heritage of Onitsha people – Igwe Achebe

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, says the 2023 Ofala festival slated to hold between Oct. 14 and 15 will showcase the cultural heritage of Onitsha people.

Achebe, who said this on Thursday at a news conference on the level of preparedness for the Ofala at his palace in Onitsha, said arrangements were in top gear to celebrate the festival.

The Igwe, who was represented by the Chairman of sub-committee of the Ofala Steering Committee, Mr Nnaemeka Maduegbuna, said that the Ofala was an annual festival of the people of Onitsha where they displayed their rich cultural heritage.

According to him, the celebration of the Ofala festival is billed for Oct. 14 and 15, and will be held in his Palace, situated along Awka road, Onitsha.

100 Nigerian artistes to attend art exhibition in Onitsha

No less than 100 Nigerian artistes are expected to participate in this year’s 2023 Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe’s Ofala Art Exhibition.  The exhibition is part of activities to mark the Monarch’s 21st Ofala Festival Celebration.

Chairman of the Ofala Strategic Marketing and Communication sub-Committee, Chief Nnaemeka Maduegbunam, who disclosed this during a press conference in Onitsha, on Thursday, said the artists drawn from the five states of the South East region, comprises: Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi, will be presenting artworks showing the elrich cultural heritage of Igbo land and Onitsha in particular. 

Obi of Onitsha calls for establishment of Creative Arts Festival in South-East zone

Buhari seeks INEC-traditional rulers’ collaboration on sensitising electorate

Also, there shall be the Ofala annual lecture series at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University at Igbariam which will be delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese Rt Rev Felix Demi Ajakaye.

 

(A digest of latest reports on the Economy, Industry, Politics, Sports, and developments around the South East of Nigeria)

ANAMBRA STATE

Soludo meets with Anambra Manufacturers, Importers, Exporters, encourages more efforts towards Production for Export

By Christian ABURIME

Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR says his administration has a huge agenda of encouraging production for export.

Governor Soludo gave the assurance during a Business Roundtable with manufacturers, importers and exporters in Anambra.

The event which had the theme; From Import to Industrialization for Export, was held at the International Convention Centre, Awka.

The roundtable session was organized to ascertain the challenges facing manufacturers, importers and exporters with a view to solving them.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Soludo said that the meeting was called for government to know what it can do to assist investors and their partners to invest in the state.

The Governor promised that reforms are on course to make sure that the processes for approvals in ANSIPPA is sped up without bottlenecks, pointing out that his government is also taking a second look at facilities in the agency to ensure existence of "multi doors" for easier access by prospective investors.

He cited the present administration's huge agenda in agriculture including the palm and coconut revolution which will ultimately create a new ecosystem around the state.

Prof. Soludo revealed that government is building up its land bank, pointing out that they are also making efforts to ensure that the processing time for acquiring land C of O gets down to 72 hours.

While assuring that government will create road markings to differentiate red zones from free Zones for motorists, he stated that government will address the issue of abuses by ARTMA officials including taking another look at their fines, though bearing in mind that what they are doing is for the overall interest of the public.

He noted that discussion is ongoing to explore the possibility of generating captive power using gas, promising that by December, Upper Iweka will wear a new look and become the safest place, to make Anambra a true investment destination.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Industry led by its Commissioner, Mr. Christian Udechukwu who revealed government's vested interest in attracting more investors to develop the state and achieve more growth trajectories.

Speaker after Speaker raised issues militating against them to include Monday sit-home, bad roads in and around Onitsha, especially Owerri Road, difficulty in processing VISA, difficulty in procurement of C of O, insecurity, touting, revival of the Onitsha Seaport, among others.

They suggested to government to look into insecurity and erect CCTVs at Upper Iweka, Bridge Head, Borromeo, Nkpor Junction and other entry points, establishment of integrated trade platform, facilitated by the state, provision of incentives for more people to go into industrialization, creation of a contributory scheme for manufacturers for greater impact.

Other suggestions were opening up Ogbunike to Oze road, to ease traffic pressure on New market road, among others. 

The event was attended by Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, Chief of Staff to the Governor and some members of Anambra State Executive Council, among many other business moguls.

International Organisation for Migration intervenes in Anambra State Flood Disaster

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) paid a courtesy visit to Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu at his office, Jerome Udorji Secretary Complex, Awka on August 29, with the aim of sensitizing the populace on impending flood disaster.

The Focal Person, Mr. Hezekiah Samuel informed the Commissioner that the organisation partners with other establishments such as UNICEF, UNDP, RED CROSS, WHO, WASH to sensitize and create awareness on flood disaster and other crisis management.

He further elaborated the need to use radio, television, billboards, fliers, town criers, churches, and markets places to reach out to the populace, especially those in the flood disaster prone areas. 

The Focal Person also said that they have been able to assist the victims in some communities with cash assistance, provision of make shift shelters, stakeholder capacity building, provision of sanitation materials in IDPs Camp, distribution of Agricultural Kits, and animal restocking.

Responding, the Commissioner for Information, Sir Nwosu, expressed appreciation on the intervention made so far by the organisation, saying that the state government has done so much in mitigating this ugly situation through provision of IDPs Camp, foodstuffs, healthcare delivery, etc

He reiterated that the Ministry of Information has gone further to create and disseminate jingles on the flood disaster, suggesting the use of town criers as an effective means of sensitization and awareness creation in dissemination and management of the forecast flood disaster. 

He also said that the state government has already put in place a committee headed by the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim that are already working to protect lives and meagre properties of the affected areas.

The Commissioner, who noted that it is becoming an annual occurrence, appealed for more funding from other international partners to enable the state government to engage more media outlets in sensitization and creation of awareness to the populace.

He further assured the organisation of the state government’s readiness to assist in the sensitization and creation of awareness through the use of state media outlets.

EBONYI STATE

Ebonyi Airport not affected by sit-at-home order – Commissioner, Obichukwu

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Aviation and Technology, Ngozi Obichukwu has said there is no sit-at-home order in Ebonyi that could prevent or affect Airport activities and flights movements in the state.  Obichukwu made the claims while speaking to newsmen at the Chuba Okadigbo’s Airport Onueke, Ezza South LGA of Ebonyi State.

She said the state government led by governor Francis Nwifuru has provided adequate security in the airport to ensure the protection of all travellers in the state.

The Commissioner also announced the operation of foreign airlines at the airport, adding that Ebonyi State is the safest state for travellers.

She said the Chuba Okadigbo’s Airport is posing threats to other airports in the SouthEast region, due to its strategic significance and proximity to Cameroon and Trans-Saharan borders. 

According to her: “The Airport’s popularity has soared, partly due to the disregard for the sit-at-home order within the state. This situation has drawn considerable attention from neighboring states such as Ogoja, Ikom, Okigwe, and Enugu, where individuals can conduct business without the constraints of the sit-at-home order.

She called on travellers to disregard the rumours making the rounds that a sit-at-home order will prevent them from boarding from Ebonyi State. 

“The Ebonyi airport poses a notable challenge to numerous other airports in the South East due to its strategic location. People from various regions will be flocking here, primarily because of the absence of sit-at-home restrictions.

“With the Trans-Saharan route and its international classification, the airport provides easy access for investors, students, and locals to engage in their regular activities,” she said.

ENUGU STATE

At LCCI Int’l Conference and Expo, Gov. Mbah woos Investors with Economic Opportunities in Enugu

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has assured the local and international investment community of abundant investment opportunities in the state, stressing that the state was making fast progress in de-risking investment and making its ease of doing business more attractive.

Highlighting the state’s abundant investment opportunities in agriculture and agro-industry, logistics and aviation, tourism, real estate, mineral resources, and information and communication technology (ICT), among others, Governor Mbah said his administration was minded on a paradigm shift from “the traditional model of relaying on allocations from the Federation Account” as the state’s future and new growth plan rested on leveraging its extensive human and material resources.

Mbah made these known on Tuesday at the ongoing 2023 Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) 2023 International Conference and Expo, which also had in attendance an array of members of the international community and investors.

Recalling the discovery of coal in Enugu in 1909 and construction of railway to power the European and national economy, Mbah said his administration was building partnership with the private sector to unlock the capital market, attract investments, and retake its place in the local and global economy.

“Enugu is now open for business. We are markedly revisiting our ‘ease of doing business’ indicators to ensure the environment is conducive for business. For example, our new land title processes will facilitate the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy in not more than three days or 72 hours.

 “Processes for the procurement of building approvals will also be revisited and markedly reduced to achieve improved efficiency.

“We are automating all our major government processes to ensure transparency in all aspects of engagement with government and facilitate self-service by the public with little or no need for physical engagement with public servants.

“We are also willing to de-risk business investment in key sectors by providing access to land, providing support infrastructure, handling engagement with host communities, among others”, the governor stated.

In the area of agriculture and agro-industry, Governor Mbah said the state was currently “positioning to take advantage of our proven strong factor productivity in the areas of some key segments of agriculture by opening up another 300,000 hectares of farmland for cultivation of focus crops and animal production”.

These focus crops and animal production opportunities include cassava, soyabean, oil palm production, cashew, which he said had a projected $7bn global market size by 2025, and Nsukka pepper, which he said had become “a veritable export commodity as well as an industrial raw material for various spice brand”.

He said investment opportunities in poultry, piggery, and fishery were large, while Enugu’s geographical position as the gateway to the North made it attractive for agro-processing investments.

Dr. Mbah noted that survey showed that about 40 per cent of the air cargo imported via Lagos was actually destined for the South East and South South, thus making investments in logistics and aviation quite lucrative.

“In the area of logistics and aviation, we are investing extensively in our logistics and aviation sector to make transit through and to Enugu efficient and seamless.

“To achieve this, we are prioritising development of a cargo terminal for the Enugu International Airport to facilitate the direct receipt of cargo in Enugu as opposed to the current practice of shipping into Lagos airport and then undertaking the arduous and expensive overland journey to the South East by truck. The terminal will also facilitate the export of agro-produce direct from Enugu”.

He also listed the planned development of light rail in collaboration with other South East governments and development of modern logistics centres at key cross-roads like Obollo Afor and Ninth Mile Corner as other investment opportunities.

The Governor also emphasised opportunities in tourism where he said the state was in the process of refurbishing and reactivating Presidential Hotel, Enugu and completing the International Conference Centre; real estate where the state would be developing a New Town, which would offer 60,000 household living spaces.

Governor Mbah equally explained that the administration was working with the Federal Government to attract investors for the production of natural gas and crude oil as well as abundant solid minerals such as ironstone, zinc, lead, limestone, kaolin.

He further listed investment opportunities in ICT, which he said remained a priority to the government.

 

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