ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D.
“We need better reconstruction and maintenance of the Lagos-Onitsha roadway. We will know who is serious when they start talking about these projects.” – Magnus Ekwueme
Magnus,
I concur with the overall thrust of your comments. Electoral votes ideally ought to be predicated on concrete pledges from candidates regarding their future plans for enhancing wellbeing of the electorate. It is, therefore, natural to expect that Ndiigbo would not simply join any of the candidates’ bandwagon just for the ride. You and I, however, know from experience that things are done differently in Nigeria. Many a politician have made oodles of promises about which they have no clue about how to redeem. Sometimes, it may be due to lack of willpower but often, it is due to a lack of capacity to deliver the goodies in real time for sundry reasons. I don’t believe that any half-baked promises on an international airport for the Southeast, dredging of River Niger, 2nd Niger Bridge etc etc shall be believed by anyone anymore because it would just be mere rehash of what many have heard several times before.
The other matter is the true significance of the Onitsha-Lagos highway which you mentioned. In fact, this is actually the reason for my response to your comment. What I have to say may not settle well with some, but that has been my gut feeling over the years and I have seen no reason to change my stance. The highway in question ought not to be reckoned to be of strategic interest to the Southeast geopolitical zone for several reasons. In my books, that highway has become the nemesis of Ndiigbo; we have lost tons of money and previous lives on this road because we have become comfortable playing second fiddle to those who would rather regard the Igbo as mere itinerant traders and little else. The main reason for our heavy reliance on this dangerous highway for our economic wellbeing is because we wish to partake in the opportunities offered by the port city of Lagos. All parts of the Southeast are less than 200 miles from the Atlantic coastline and its seaports of Calabar and Port Harcourt. Why should our folks travel thrice that distance on a rickety highway that runs almost parallel to the coastline to another port city that is close to Benin Republic’s border in order to procure imported goods which should have been discharged at our very doorstep? The Onitsha-Lagos highway, I clearly understand, is the only hand we have been dealt but we don’t have to clamor for the perpetuation of this unacceptable and senseless status quo.
Glamorization of the deadly Onitsha-Lagos highway is a consequence of the Civil War outcome which the Igbo must boldly and forthrightly address because it is a slap in our face and an enduring source of national humiliation, not to mention the undue waste of resources incurred by our folks by heavily relying on it as we do till today. If you ask me, we need a political leader now who has what it would take to enable the Igbo to regain direct access to the Atlantic coastline nearest to Igbo heartland as we used to do decades ago, not someone who would promise to repair the deathtrap that links us to the Lagos port.
Many have written about and presented many practical ideas on opening the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor (http://www.osondu.com/VolumeThree/economiccorridor.htm) as the sure means of bringing a much needed balance to national development which has deliberately relegated the Southeast geopolitical zone to the backwaters for almost half a century. It is no longer okay for Ndiigbo to fold our arms and opt to plead for handouts from groups which ought to be receiving from us if the natural forces are made to be in play. I believe that is what the 2011 national leadership election ought to be all about as far as the average Igbo is concerned. I believe that Southeast governors are attuned to this when they joined their counterparts elsewhere nationwide to broker deals with the incumbent President in return for supporting his candidacy.
Unless Atiku and other presidential aspirants can make similar offers aimed at opening our home turf for internally driven economic prosperity, no Igbo should even dissipate time and effort listening to their song songs because they are all about maintaining or glamorizing the unacceptable status quo for our folks. We cannot afford to let this unique opportunity to slip by.
Okenwa.
From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Magnus Ekwueme
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 2:34 PM
To: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com; asa...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [IGBO_FORUM] Hausa,s in great trouble ?+: Revealed: Atiku Defeated IBB by Just One Vote!
Odera:
Look at this thing from a different angle: What if the North met and elected these ten men to make this decision for them? A committee of ten to decide and all agreeing to abide by the decision of this committee? I applaud this, enyi m! If it were in our SE, do you think only four men will vie for the presidency? You’d probably have more than fifty applicants. Would all agree to be bound by a decision without going to court right away? Most likely! How about “o wu turn anyi, unu achiala turn unu”? See how hard it will be for the Igbo to do what these Hausas are doing? And we think we are smarter? You watch the war that will be declared should Atiku win and yield to the SE in four years.
I hope no one misconstrues that I am in anybody’s camp. I support no one because I have not seen anything on the table as concession for the Igbo. We need a second Niger Bridge. We need Akanu Ibiam International Airport actually internationalized. We need payments for the oil and gas reserves in the SE. We need better reconstruction and maintenance of the Lagos-Onitsha roadway. We will know who is serious when they start talking about these projects.
Regards,
Magnus Ekwueme
It behooves a prudent person to make trial of everything before arms.....The Eunuch, Henry Thomas Riley.
Okenwa Nwosu, M.D.
“Again, we have been lied to so much I cannot but insist we get something before we support any camp. Right now, Atiku is asking us to take VP with a view to getting the P slot next time around. I am yet to read of any promises from GEJ………..
………… See, we are not making things easy for ourselves. On my last trip home to PH, we totally bypassed Aba. What use is that zone to us now? So, when you talk of opening up the ports or for our folks to use PH and Calabar ports, are we not opening up another line of business for the night marauders?” – Magnus Ekwueme
Magnus,
You have raised some good points, so permit me to weigh in on them from a somehow different perspective.
Firstly, I wish to remark that only the governors can publicize the understanding they have individually and collectively reached with President Jonathan. It is unlikely that mainstream media shall be privy to all the details of such deals anytime soon.
Now, to the excerpted piece above. It is not to the best interest of Ndiigbo for our political leaders to sit idly and await presidential candidates in the 2011 race to come to court us with promises of goodies before we can determine which way is consistent with our overall strategic interest. You see, the North has relapsed into regional politics when the going got tough for their PDP presidential aspirants. That’s a cue right there, my brother. If regionalism is good for the former North, what’s wrong with replicating the same thing for the former East? In politics, sometimes, you have to play according to the hand one has been dealt.
Igbo worldview has never been predicated on passivity; our folks simply don’t opt to sit around and wait for others to set the agenda and then come to woe us for our follow-follow support. That is not consistent with the authentic Igbo mindset that I am familiar with. I agree with your suggestion that we must first put our own house in order. Let’s then make the first move by re-staking our claim over our immediate neck of the woods east of the Niger and south of the Benue. This is actually the subliminal message being sent to Ndiigbo by this Northern consensus candidate thing. It is a challenge for our folks to demonstrate that we indeed have a functional regional base with which to back up our claim to relevance at the national stage. If the Igbo cannot demonstrate this in real time, rest assured that any verbal or written promises about Vice Presidency today or Presidency tomorrow are vacuous and inconsequential because they can be reneged upon any day without consequences.
What I am driving at is that it is up to the Igbo to relearn how to stoop in order to conquer. The quintessential strategic interest of the contemporary Igbo is to re-establish an unimpeded access to the Atlantic coastline. This can, once more, place us in a position to orchestrate a much-needed revitalization of socioeconomic fortunes of the Igbo heartland through global maritime commerce which our folks can easily excel in. If we cannot muster the will and capacity to do this, then the blockade of Igbo heartland, which was commenced during the Civil War, still persists, whether we realize it or not. Taking a plane or bus ride to Lagos and Abuja or even taking off from Alaigbo to an international destination of choice actually means little when you look at things quite critically. Wealth of today’s world is distributed through maritime trade in seafaring container ships and not by airfreight or suitcases, if you know what I mean.
The key ingredient in restoring security of lives and properties in Alaigbo must include massive infusion of capital, both foreign and domestic, in order to re-energize the domestic economy of this densely populated part of the world. We have lots of mouths to feed and millions of jobless youths who are looking for something to do to enable them to earn a decent living. Impoverishment and sense of hopelessness are driving the escalating spate of insecurity at ground zero and contiguous territories of the former Eastern Region which is historically our home turf. Seeking succor elsewhere in Nigeria while our ancestral base is left to the dogs is hardly the hallmark of a heritage that you and I should be proud of as Ndiigbo.
I agree with you that “economic prosperity goes hand in hand with safety to life and property”. The question is which one must come first? I would prefer economic prosperity to be the engine that drives everything else. To attain such prosperity for our folks, we must first muster the courage to break free from the psychological and physical cage in which we have become entrapped since the Civil War.
Okenwa.
From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Magnus Ekwueme
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 8:32 PM
To: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
Okenwa:
I did not know that the SE governors joined their counterparts nationwide to broker deals with incumbent GEJ. I may have missed that news. Could you repost those brokered arrangements?
Again, we have been lied to so much I cannot but insist we get something before we support any camp. Right now, Atiku is asking us to take VP with a view to getting the P slot next time around. I am yet to read of any promises from GEJ.
While at this, do you know that Owerri-Aba-PH axis is a no go area these days? Everybody bypasses Aba for reasons we all know about: Kidnapping and armed robbery. See, we are not making tings easy for ourselves. On my last trip home to PH, we totally bypassed Aba. What use is that zone to us now? So, when you talk of opening up the ports or for our folks to use PH and Calabar ports, are we not opening up another line of business for the night marauders? I also travelled by road from Ekwulobia to Abuja and would you believe that it is only in Igboland that road users are scared of being robbed? I was told that as soon as road users pass into the Northern States, they relax believing their worries are over. We are our own worst enemies.
Ka anyi hapu ihea because we have ourselves to deal with first. That is why I believe that no one is marginalizing ndiigbo but ndiigbo. Someone wrote somewhere that it is the Igbo who built all these major cities in Nigeria. I agree but do you know why we do that. We feel safe outside our own hometowns. Tell me anywhere in igboland where you will go to today and have a good night’s sleep. No where. But go to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and notice that people are getting fat just by being worry-free. My thing is this: Even if they rebuilt PH and Calabar to accommodate all shipments by igbo traders, you are not going to have a wholesale return of ndiigbo SEwards. Safety to life and property, which we enjoyed those days you talked about would go a long way in reversing this trend. Now, we have known that the NPF will not do this for us. They have been known to be part of this enterprise. We have to do it ourselves. We have suggested that the governors use the security vote they get monthly from the federal government strictly for that purpose – security. Give that money to the vigilante groups and let them man their towns and should robbery and kidnapping continue, their igwes and LGAs will be held accountable. This, as I was informed, is money the governor does not have to account to the state assemblies for. It is his to use as he wished.
Sorry if I digressed but you must agree that economic prosperity goes hand in hand with safety to life and property. Right now, there is no such thing in the entire SE. This is precisely why businessmen flock to where conditions are conducive for business. If that place is Cotonou, they will be there. If na Kaura Namoda, you will find them there even with the sharia laws watching over them.
Regards,
Magnus Ekwueme
It behooves a prudent person to make trial of everything before arms.....The Eunuch, Henry Thomas Riley.
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From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D.
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 3:14 PM
To: ANAMBRA FORUM; ASA USA; IGBO EVENTS; IGBO FORUM; WORLD IGBO CONGRESS
Cc: WIEF FORUM; IDU USA
Subject: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
“We need better reconstruction and maintenance of the Lagos-Onitsha roadway. We will know who is serious when they start talking about these projects.” – Magnus Ekwueme
Magnus,
I concur with the overall thrust of your comments. Electoral votes ideally ought to be predicated on concrete pledges from candidates regarding their future plans for enhancing wellbeing of the electorate. It is, therefore, natural to expect that Ndiigbo would not simply join any of the candidates’ bandwagon just for the ride. You and I, however, know from experience that things are done differently in Nigeria. Many a politician have made oodles of promises about which they have no clue about how to redeem. Sometimes, it may be due to lack of willpower but often, it is due to a lack of capacity to deliver the goodies in real time for sundry reasons. I don’t believe that any half-baked promises on an international airport for the Southeast, dredging of River Niger, 2nd Niger Bridge etc etc shall be believed by anyone anymore because it would just be mere rehash of what many have heard several times before.
The other matter is the true significance of the Onitsha-Lagos highway which you mentioned. In fact, this is actually the reason for my response to your comment. What I have to say may not settle well with some, but that has been my gut feeling over the years and I have seen no reason to change my stance. The highway in question ought not to be reckoned to be of strategic interest to the Southeast geopolitical zone for several reasons. In! my books, that highway has become the nemesis of Ndiigbo; we have lost tons of money and previous lives on this road because we have become comfortable playing second fiddle to those who would rather regard the Igbo as mere itinerant traders and little else. The main reason for our heavy reliance on this dangerous highway for our economic wellbeing is because we wish to partake in the opportunities offered by the port city of Lagos. All parts of the Southeast are less than 200 miles from the Atlantic coastline and its seaports of Calabar and Port Harcourt. Why should our folks travel thrice that distance on a rickety highway that runs almost parallel to the coastline to another port city that is close to Benin Republic’s border in order to procure imported goods which should have been discharged at our very doorstep? The Onitsha-Lagos highway, I clearly understand, is the only hand we have been dealt but we don’t have to clamor for the perpetuation of this unacceptable and senseless status quo.
Glamorization of the deadly Onitsha-Lagos highway is a consequence of the Civil War outcome which the Igbo must boldly and forthrightly address because it is a slap in our face and an enduring source of national humiliation, not to mention the undue waste of resources incurred by our folks by heavily relying on it as we do till today. If you ask me, we need a political leader now who has what it would take to enable the Igbo to regain direct access to the Atlantic coastline nearest to Igbo heartland as we used to do decades ago, not someone who would promise to repair the deathtrap that links us to the Lagos port.
Many have written about and presented many practical ideas on opening the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor (http://www.osondu! .com/VolumeThree/economiccorridor.htm) as the sure means of bringing a much needed balance to national development which has deliberately relegated the Southeast geopolitical zone to the backwaters for almost half a century. It is no longer okay for Ndiigbo to fold our arms and opt to plead for handouts from groups which ought to be receiving from us if the natural forces are made to be in play. I believe that is what the 2011 national leadership election ought to be all about as far as the average Igbo is concerned. I believe that Southeast governors are attuned to this when they joined their counterparts elsewhere nationwide to broker deals with the incumbent President in return for supporting his candidacy.
Alex Ikefuna
"Many have written about and presented many practical ideas on opening the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor (http://www.osondu.com/VolumeThree/economiccorridor.htm) as the sure means of bringing a much needed balance to national development which has deliberately relegated the Southeast geopolitical zone to the backwaters for almost half a century. It is no longer okay for Ndiigbo to fold our arms and opt to plead for handouts from groups which ought to be receiving from us if the natural forces are made to be in play"....... Okenwa Nwosu
FOLKS:
The commentary by Dr. Nwosu regarding IGBO relentless emphasis on Lagos-Onitsha roadway as being a significant project of economic impact is well taken. Continued dependence on the Lagos-Onitsha roadway would have a negative future impact on the Igbo nation. It is like US dependent on foreign oil. It is a fact that the primary reason why our traders ply the Lagos-Onitsha is trading due to the Lagos Seaport which the businessmen and women depend on for importation. This dangerous dependence warrants a new economic thinking order. The Nigeria-Biafra War would have prompted the Igbos to resign to the reality that what Lagos Seaport can provide could be equally accessed through Port Harcourt and Calabar, even Warri. The Igbos need to think strategically by focusing on what they have as a means to the end. A regional approach focused on the enhancement of the resources of regional importance and developments of regional impact in the southeast would provide lasting and sustainable solutions for the Igbo Nation and its neighbors.
The Igbo Nation must understand that what Lagos can provide that the southeast and south-south can do the same. All it takes is a visionary leadership that can plan, as well as assemble the needed human resources to help accomplish the vision. I submit that the Igbo's continued dependence on the Port of Lagos instead of working to make Calabar and Port Harcourt Seaports major competitive facilities - is detrimental to the future economic well-being of the region and its ultimate economic and political independent. With economic power and control of means of production, you can dictate your own destiny and political power.
The resources of regional importance in the southeast includes oil, natural gas, coal, River Niger, rich delta and marshlands, farmlands and productive plantations, palm trees, access to the Atlantic Ocean, educational institutions and trained workforce, and much more. These resources are further complimented by developments of regional impacts like existing air ports, network of road system connecting the Igbo states and south-south and the nation, Port Harcourt and Calabar Seaports, major growth and urban centers that could be seats of innovations and development, etc. What is missing is the need for the southeast leaders to recognize the importance of what they have been blessed with and build on it. The destiny of the Igbo Nation and its economic survival is not, and cannot be determined by Lagos-Onitsha roadway; it is in the hands of the Igbo people and can only be attained through the realization of the critical importance of resources within their own domain and plan accordingly. Japan and Germany lost the wars, look at them now. Israel was once a third world society that is, and still surrounded by hostile neighbors - look at the Jewish Nation now. The south United States was a very backward region with high degree of poverty before the World War II. It was President FDR, who in 1930s, commissioned the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and charged it with the development of the region. The legislation also resulted in the creation of Appalachian Regional Commission, a sister agency and Regional Planning Organization. Together, their initiatives led to the renaissance of the south, electricity supply, industrialization, poverty eradication, dredging of Mississippi River resulting in the development of 400 miles of navigable water ways and associated recreation and spurring of cities and urban development along the Mississippi River (Memphis, etc).
The Igbo leaders must come together to create a partnership with the south-south and work together to build a mega, vibrant and viable economic corridor and regional economy and political cohesion with its neighbors in order dictate what they want, how and under what conditions.
Accomplishing these objectives is not difficult; all it requires is leadership and vision.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday!
Alex Ikefuna, Concerned Citizen
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Alex Ikefuna
Nwanna:Just one question. If the 'guys' refused to fund second Niger bridge, Lagos-Onitsha road repair or Airport upgrades in the SE, what make you think the 'guys' will fund the upgrade of PH ports to supplant Lagos?
And I amEzeana AchusimSent from my iPhone
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Nkem Ejiofor
Concerned ndi-Igbo,
If I may chip in, I’d like to comment on Mazi Ikefuna’s “The Igbos have to have their priorities in order. Since after the civil war, the Ports of Calabar and Port Harcourt have never been a priority for the Igbo Nation”.
Granted, since aftermath Biafra, we have not had leaders in ala-Igbo with their priorities in order. Having said that let me recall case Ibeto. We were all witnesses to how Obasanjo tried to insolvent him for relying solely on PH harbour (emphasis mine). What did Igbo ruler’s at the time do zilch.
Mazi Ikefuna et al, it is not that we lack entrepreneurs that have figured out to thrive; it must be PH or Calabar in the short run and in the long run dredging Niger River. We just don’t have smart thinkers or shall we say we are not “clever” Clever here means people that posses skill or talent.
Why do clever people matter?
And “Who are clever people”?
They are: highly talented individuals with the potential to create disproportionate amounts of value from the resources that the organisation/nation makes available to them.
Ibeto qualifies here. I have often wondered if our problem is that there are not many Ibetos’ in ala-Igbo (Ibeto is smart and clever). If we had more Ibeto’s in ala-Igbo we will not be wasting time singing marginalisation. Meantime we should strive to make cleverness central to our identity. I agree with Mazi Okenwa’s conclusion: “Unless Atiku and other presidential aspirants can make similar offers aimed at opening our home turf for internally driven economic prosperity, no Igbo should even dissipate time and effort listening to their song songs because they are all about maintaining or glamorizing the unacceptable status quo for our folks. We cannot afford to let this unique opportunity to slip by. Here I will add that we must ask the turf question, why should we be led by them. BTW, Okenwa’s Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor has been there since late 90’s or early 20’s and I can’t comprehend no Igbo governor has done any of the ideas proffered in that masterpiece.
Until recently I had thought “We” as a race are savvy. I get frustrated at the missed opportunities and the consequent consequences for our siblings back home.
Signing off, I am tempted to suggest that Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones “Why should Anyone Be Led by You? To be a must read in the Igbo nation.
Be yourself – More – with skill, ndi-Igbo.
My ten pence. Dee jee nu – Nwookem Nkem |
-- |
Alex Ikefuna
"Mazi Ikefuna et al, it is not that we lack entrepreneurs that have figured out to thrive; it must be PH or Calabar in the short run and in the long run dredging Niger River. We just don’t have smart thinkers or shall we say we are not “clever” Clever here means people that posses skill or talent".... Nkem Ejiofor
Alex Ikefuna
The commentary by Dr. Nwosu regarding IGBO
relentless emphasis on impact is well taken. --Alex Ikefuna* * *Brother Alex:I have not read what Dr. Nwosu said about Lagos-Onitsharoadway, and therefore would not comment on it. But wedisagree with you in toto that the "Continued dependence
on the Lagos-Onitsha roadway would have a negative
future impact on the Igbo nation." We have writtenon this topic many times in the past in Igbo Forum,and that is why we shall not go further into it inany kind of detail. Needless to say, if Ndiigboshould set their priorities straight as you propound,then, the Onitsha-Lagos road should be Number Oneon the list. Some, like you, do not think so, yet they "continually"deafen us with a "second Niger Bridge." What then is the pursposeof a second Bridge if the Onitsha-Lagos RD is not on top of the list?
You also equated the our [Igbo] clamor for the Onitsha-Lagos roadwith: "It is like US dependent on foreign oil." Once again, wedisagree with you in toto. Ndiigbo are NdiiNigeria, andthey are not depending on "foregn" road. Ndiigboare Lagosians, and Lagosians are Ndiigbo.Even if we agree with you that Lagosis a "foreign" land to Ndiigbo, ourmission is to annex it economically.And to do that, like a hole in the head,we need the Onitisha-Lagos upgraded toFIRST CLASS, just as bad as we need thesecond Niger Bridge (and the cureent-first NigerBridge upgraded. The point is this, just in case youmissed it: A second Niger Bridge without a sound pliableOnitsha-Lagos thruway, is of very little or no economicvalue to the Igbo enterprise. As such, we done withthe thread except of course that you have specificquestions that you wish for us to answer.Peace,"Ezii"(Obataosu)* * *
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**************************************************
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**************************************************
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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==================================================
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469 226 8275 . 888 206 6306 ben...@juno.com . Bend...@yahoo.com
===================================================
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For your Dream Home, call Johnson Ihemeremadu with Expedient Mortgage Today @214-349-3339 OR 469-358-1172. Remember-your credit is good with us.
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Nkem Ejiofor
Mazi Ezii, from a logistics perspective upgrading Onitisha-Lagos Highway to (FIRST CLASS- whatever that means), can never outweigh the economical gains for the Igbo nations socio-economic if their main harbor is Calabar or PH. I disagree with your assertion here. It is OK for Ndi-Igbo Lagosians, but we need to develop ala-Igbo.When I think of developing ala-Igbo rather than Lagos, Abuja or North of Nigeria; I think of Aggregate demand and suppy, with price fall; contended youths, less temptation to kidnapning, living wages etc.
I am surprised at your postulate. Mazi Ezii with all respect, your group should think outside the box – biko. To a lighter note, all you Yankees keep wishing each other “Happy
Thanksgiving”, may I also join in wishing you all a great holiday. Enjoy your
Turkey. Remember Turkey is also a country you can visit. It is just weekend in Europe. |
Nwookem Nkem --- Den fre 26/11/10 skrev Alex Ikefuna <iyio...@gmail.com>: |
Okenwa Nwosu, M.D.
“In my opinion, searching for an Eastern Economic corridor where Igbo land is re-united with its minority neighbors is putting the cart before the horse! With the way things are, why should the Calabar man pitch his tent with us? Why should the Ijaw or Ikwerre man pitch his tent with us? What exactly are we offering them?
There is only one way the Igbo man can unify the Eastern Region -and that is by making his home-land, the business destination of choice!” – Dominic Ogbonna
Dominic,
I am not aware that proponents of the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor have a goal of re-uniting Alaigbo with its minority neighbors, whatever that means. One does not impose unity with neighbors who cherish their autonomous existence as is the case in the former Eastern Region of today. But neighbors with identical existential needs have compelling need to seek collaboration wherever possible for mutual benefit. As a strong proponent for immediate opening of this economic corridor, I see many benefits that Ndiigbo and the minorities in the area can derive from this new vista for national development. By the way, the benefits of this corridor do not restrict themselves to the coastline states and the Southeast; the entire country, including those who are domiciled north of the Benue River, stands to benefit by opening a brand new avenue for new wealth creation in this naturally well endowed real estate of Nigeria.
It begs the question for anyone to doubt what the typical Calabar indigene stands to gain by partaking in operating the proposed Eastern Economic Corridor. I hope you would agree that the resources and effort invested in the Cross River-based Tinapa project would have been yielding greater returns by now if the undertaking had a regional support base, for example. A similar project has been on the drawing board in Rivers State for a while and the dimming prospects in Tinapa are giving some cold feet in making the next moves as we speak. I hope you can now begin to connect rest of the dots. What the Igbo can bring to the table in economic development of any part of the country has never been in doubt in the minds of our compatriots, irrespective of whether they are from the North, South or West. In fact, the resentment being nursed against our folks is engendered more by fear rather than anything else.
The main reason why our folks tend to migrate out of ground zero has little to do with criminality as you posit. Our folks commenced this outward migration since the early colonial era when the societal psychopathic malaise of contemporary Alaigbo was not in existence. Optimizing the average Igbo person’s ikenga is the underlying force that makes us behave the way we do. I hope you can now use your tongue to count your teeth regarding the preceding statement.
The Igbo are not blame-free, of course but we still have our heads firmly situated on our shoulders, if you know what I mean. All we need now is to go back to the drawing board so as to commence a dispassionate review of our life journey as a people. I trust that when we commence this process in earnest, great things shall start, once more, to happen again for our folks.
The Igbo are a resilient bunch because our ingrained sociocultural disposition makes us so.
Okenwa.
From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dominic Ogbonna
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 3:44 PM
To: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com; IgboE...@yahoogroups.com; UMU-IGBO UMU-IGBO
Cc: wi...@googlegroups.com; umu anambra; ANAMBRA FORUM
Subject: Re: [WIEF FORUM] Re: [asa-usa] Re: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
In my opinion, searching for an Eastern Economic corridor where Igbo land is re-united with its minority neighbors is putting the cart before the horse! With the way things are, why should the Calabar man pitch his tent with us? Why should the Ijaw or Ikwerre man pitch his tent with us? What exactly are we offering them?
There is only one way the Igbo man can unify the Eastern Region -and that is by making his home-land, the business destination of choice!
Today, the opposite is happening. Business men are migrating from Onitsha to Asaba or Benin, for obvious reasons. Entrepreneurs are moving from Aba to Port Harcourt masse, because of the way Aba has been criminally run down by the OUK/T.A Orji alliance. Even Akwa Ibom and CrossRiver States are doing much better than their neighboring Igbo States.
So what's in it for the minorities? Why should they align with us, when we have not put our own house in order ? I can understand why the Edo or Itshekiri man might want to align with Fashola, but why should the Ijaw man embrace an alliance with T.A Orji ?
My people, the way we are carrying on at the State level is NOT the way to earn the respect of our smaller neighbors, much less attract an alliance. If we are serious about a hegemonic Eastern corridor, we have to put Igbo leadership where our mouth is. We have to again become the kind of a people that our neighbours can actually look up to.
Dominic
On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 2:07 PM, Alex Ikefuna <iyio...@gmail.com> wrote:
"Mazi Ikefuna et al, it is not that we lack entrepreneurs that have figured out to thrive; it must be PH or Calabar in the short run and in the long run dredging Niger River. We just don’t have smart thinkers or shall we say we are not “clever” Clever here means people that posses skill or talent".... Nkem Ejiofor
Mazi Ejiofor:
The underlined comment above is exactly my point. We claim to be smart but when one takes a closer and serious look at the Igbo thinking and act, you can easily conclude that they have a serious problem with strategic and long-term thinking. They are blessed with everything that plays a role in the making of a great nation but lack of vision and smart thinking seem to doom their effort. The leadership elits end up muddling through and getting stucked in a deep hole.
I hope your Thanksgiving Holiday is going well.
Alex Ikefuna, Concerned Citizen
On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 5:09 AM, Nkem Ejiofor <umuo...@yahoo.dk> wrote:
Concerned ndi-Igbo,
If I may chip in, I’d like to comment on Mazi Ikefuna’s “The Igbos have to have their priorities in order. Since after the civil war, the Ports of Calabar and Port Harcourt have never been a priority for the Igbo Nation”.
Granted, since aftermath Biafra, we have not had leaders in ala-Igbo with their priorities in order. Having said that let me recall case Ibeto. We were all witnesses to how Obasanjo tried to insolvent him for relying solely on PH harbour (emphasis mine). What did Igbo ruler’s at the time do zilch.
Mazi Ikefuna et al, it is not that we lack entrepreneurs that have figured out to thrive; it must be PH or Calabar in the short run and in the long run dredging Niger River. We just don’t have smart thinkers or shall we say we are not “clever” Clever here means people that posses skill or talent.
Why do clever people matter?
And “Who are clever people”?
They are: highly talented individuals with the potential to create disproportionate amounts of value from the resources that the organisation/nation makes available to them.
Ibeto qualifies here. I have often wondered if our problem is that there are not many Ibetos’ in ala-Igbo (Ibeto is smart and clever). If we had more Ibeto’s in ala-Igbo we will not be wasting time singing marginalisation. Meantime we should strive to make cleverness central to our identity. I agree with Mazi Okenwa’s conclusion: “Unless Atiku and other presidential aspirants can make similar offers aimed at opening our home turf for internally driven economic prosperity, no Igbo should even dissipate time and effort listening to their song songs because they are all about maintaining or glamorizing the unacceptable status quo for our folks. We cannot afford to let this unique opportunity to slip by. Here I will add that we must ask the turf question, why should we be led by them. BTW, Okenwa’s Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor has been there since late 90’s or early 20’s and I can’t comprehend no Igbo governor has done any of the ideas proffered in that masterpiece.
Until recently I had thought “We” as a race are savvy. I get frustrated at the missed opportunities and the consequent consequences for our siblings back home.
Signing off, I am tempted to suggest that Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones “Why should Anyone Be Led by You? To be a must read in the Igbo nation.
Be yourself – More – with skill, ndi-Igbo.
My ten pence. |
Dee jee nu – Nwookem Nkem |
|
|
Okenwa Nwosu, M.D.
“Now, that brings us to the next "chicken" or "egg" question in the form of "politics" or "economics" dilemma, which one of the two important developments comes first. Once again, my answer now, remains the same as it was ten years ago in this forum. And that is: [Everything being equal], "politics power" comes first, then "economics power."” – Ezii Ochieke
Ezii,
Politics power and economics power, when you seriously ponder over the subject matter under discourse, are actually two sides of the same coin. The idea that one always makes the other possible, in practical terms, is illogical. Same applies to the chicken or egg issue you tabled. The chicken and the egg are, in fact, part of a continuum of existence for a given species. Whether you are into creationism or its counterpart, both phases of existence make it possible for the likes of KFC to be in business today. A chicken that has not passed through the egg stage probably never existed, if you know what I mean. Likewise, eggs can only be laid by chicken in order to avoid extinction of the species.
Now, let’s return to the matter under discourse. I believe that, somehow, you chose to read too much into the factual statement I had made in my earlier posting. Economic prosperity and acquisition of political clout facilitate each other in cyclical fashion. In practical terms, both usually evolve and grow together. One does not lay dormant until the other is fully situated before coming into play. Little prosperity assists in acquiring little political clout and the latter, in turn, helps to open access to greater prosperity and so on.
My initial point, which you obviously misconstrued, was not intended to convey the view that political power must be predicated on optimal wealth acquisition or prosperity. What I wished to convey was that my preference would be to kick-start the self-reinforcing process with seeking the ways and means of feeding the hungry mouths and providing jobs to the unemployed and underemployed amongst our kinsfolk first. Folks with empty stomachs don’t respond favorably and enthusiastically to political suasion. That’s all I had in mind and nothing more.
People who fold their arms and wait until they’ve garnered enough political clout before making the first move in search for prosperity often languish in perpetual obscurity. Opening of the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor, which has the potential of engendering prosperity amongst regional residents, waters the soil for planting the seeds for resurrecting the power base of the former East. Perpetuating dependence of the former East on Lagos seaport and the Western economic Corridor is hardly the smart approach for building a credible power base, both political and economic, east of the River Niger.
Okenwa.
From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of EOCH...@aol.com
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 4:31 PM
To: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
"I agree with you that “economic prosperity goes
hand in hand with safety to life and property”.
"The question is which one must come first?
"I would prefer economic prosperity to be the engine that drives everything else.
"To attain such prosperity for our folks, we must first muster the courage
to break free from the psychological and physical cage in which we
have become entrapped since the Civil War." --Okenwa Nwosu
* * *
Brethren:
On the face of it, there is value, and as such, nothing - at least in theory,
to quarrel over, about brother Okenwa's position. The question, however,
is in "fact," how sustainable is that position? By that we mean, yes, we
agree and would love economic prosperity to be the engine that pulls
the Igbo train. But what power protects this economic properity
train as to make sure it keeps running on time and unmolested?
We like it when we visit and revisit the same old debates. The
only problem is that time does not allow some of us the luxury
to go back into deatils as the first time. We do not have proper
cataloguing or serializing methods that would have allowed
us to simply reproduce these arguments that have been
previously hashed and rehashed, and trashed.
The question of the chicken and the egg! Which came first?
We tackled that dilenma once in this forum. My answer then
is still my answer now. And that is: "The chicken came first."
Someone asked me how I knew that and I told them to refer to
the Book of Genesis on "CREATION." God said that he created
the "chicken" first, which in turn, laid the "egg." Except you tell
us you do not believe in the Bible or that you do not belive in
its account of "creationism," then we consider the question
satisfactorily answered within the context of "economics."
Now, that brings us to the next "chicken" or "egg"
question in the form of "politics" or "economics"
dilenma, which one of the two important
developments comes first. Once again,
my answer now, remains the same
as it was ten years ago in
this forum. And that is:
[Everything being equal], "politics power"
comes first, then then "economics power."
Yet again, the rational is the same. As I said before,
Ndiigbo may have all the "econmic power" their capitalist
heart desires. But without "political power" to safeguard the
socalled economics, the endevour is all for naught. The examples
are numerous, and we shall not bother to name them. Suffice to
say that lack of "political" power is the reason that everytime
NdiiWestern Nigeria shout ole, NdiIgbo in Lagos hop on
Ekene Dili Chukwu and scramble Eastbound only
to die on the highways before they reach the
"Niger Bridge." We agree that a good Ontsha-Lagos Class A
thruway and a second Niger Bridge may reduce the carnage.
But the issue here is the "POWER TO PROTECT." And that
is where "POLITICS" or "POLITICAL POWER" handily
comes in. We admit that it is tough to keep rehashing
these old arguments with the same people, but we
shall keep trying, and who knows, some day,
things may begin to sink in.
The Indians and the Chinese and the Pakistanis and even the JIHADI
Arabs are so blessed that their investments are well-protected in
"thirdword" jungle "economies" where they have serious
political clouts to boot. Otherwise their investments
are as risky as the Igbo investment in Kano and Kaduna.
Sorry for the digression. Let us look again to the Bible
for answers if you still having trouble with the above
examples that "politics" trumps "economics"
for obvious reasons - already furnished.
In Genesis when God created man, the first thing that HE
did was give them "DOMINION." Dominion means "power,"
which includes "political" power to navigate and be
successfully prosperous. Moses left Egypt when the
safety of his people and their properties were no
longer guaranteed. Moses left to form a
new "political" power outside of Egypt.
The empire of "political" Isreal trumped and resonated,
and ensured that Israelite investments in foreign lands,
even in Egypt, were accorded protection through
treaties - arising from "political" credibility.
And that is why, as we have already stated, Goodluck Jonathan,
as the next president (unencumbered) of Nigeria is the closest
thing (at this time that) the Igbo would have to "political
power", and to promote and secure "economics" at
least in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Having said all of the above, we are in no way suggesting
that Ndiigbo should not pursue "economic" freedom unless they
have "political power. But what we are saying is that without
"political power" to protect, there is nothing like economic
"freedom" or economic "power" that is guaranteed.
Any kind of "power" that is not protected is not
an "empowerment."
So, our answer is this: Ndiigbo must pursue political
empowerment as if their life depends on it, and it
does. Politics, politics, politics, politics, politics.
Only then would Ndiigbo have any seblance of continuity of
progress in Nigeria. No BUHARI shall come in and topple
an arguably progressive "economy" as the old Imo State.
No regime in Nigeria shall take it upon itself to order
the massacre of Ndiigbo anywhere in Nigeria, and
still come around later to want to be our president.
No regime shall take it upon itself to sack Ndiigbo
and Igbo-controlled businesses in any part of Nigeria,
and then come around later to dicate how resources for
"ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT" is administered or shared.
Lately, we have been inundated with charts showing that the
Igbo-speaking states received less money allocations than the
other states of Nigeria. We could assure you that such is less
likely to happen if Ndiigbo had the "necessary" political power
to influence and shape events. We are not talking about political
positions in name only. We are talking about meaningful political
power. Ukiwe was IBB's second in command. But when he opened
his mouth he was 'rightfully' fired under the military circumstances.
The point here is that Ukiwe was not a meaningful political power,
and was in no position to ensure Igbo economic empowerment,
talkless of "protecting" it. He was there in name only. And
we have had numerous other like that after him serving
in various capacities under different juntas.
And we have the answer on how the Igbo
could achieve permanent political power in
Nigeria, And how it could use that political power
to drive economic prosperity. And how that economic
properity could be protected using the acquired
political power. Anyway, that is sufficient for
today, unless we have specific and
pointed questions to tackle.
Peace,
"Ezii"
(the way)
* * *
-----Original Message-----
From: Okenwa Nwosu, M.D. <okenw...@covad.net>
To: ANAMBRA FORUM <Anambr...@yahoogroups.com>; asa-usa <asa...@yahoogroups.com>; IGBO EVENTS <IgboE...@yahoogroups.com>; igbo_forum <igbo_...@yahoogroups.com>; WorldIgboCongress <WorldIgb...@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: WIEF Forum <wi...@googlegroups.com>; IDU USA <idu...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Nov 25, 2010 9:03 am
Subject: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
“Again, we have been lied to so much I cannot but insist we get something before we support any camp. Right now, Atiku is asking us to take VP with a view to getting the P slot next time around. I am yet to read of any promises from GEJ………..
………… See, we are not making things easy for ourselves. On my last trip home to PH, we totally bypassed Aba. What use is that zone to us now? So, when you talk of opening up the ports or for our folks to use PH and Calabar ports, are we not opening up another line of business for the night marauders?” – Magnus Ekwueme
&nbs p;
Magnus,
You have raised some good points, so permit me to weigh in on them from a somehow different perspective.
Firstly, I wish to remark that only the governors can publicize the understanding they have individually and collectively reached with President Jonathan. It is unlikely that mainstream media shall be privy to all the details of such deals anytime soon.
Now, to the excerpted piece above. It is not to the best interest of Ndiigbo for our political leaders to sit idly and await presidential candidates in the 2011 race to come to court us with promises of goodies before we can determine which way is consistent with our overall strategic interest. You see, the North has relapsed into regional politics whe n the going got tough for their PDP presidential aspirants. That’s a cue right there, my brother. If regionalism is good for the former North, what’s wrong with replicating the same thing for the former East? In politics, sometimes, you have to play according to the hand one has been dealt.
Igbo worldview has never been predicated on passivity; our folks simply don’t opt to sit around and wait for others to set the agenda and then come to woe us for our follow-follow support. That is not consistent with the authentic Igbo mindset that I am familiar with. I agree with your suggestion that we must first put our own house in order. Let’s then make the first move by re-staking our claim over our immediate neck of the woods east of the Niger and south of the Benue. This is actually the subliminal message being sent to Ndiigbo by this Northern consensus candidate thing. It is a challenge for our folks to demonstrate that we indeed have a functional regional base with which to back up our claim to relevance at the national stage. If the Igbo cannot demonstrate this in real time, rest assured that any verbal or written promises about Vice Presidency today or Presidency tomorrow are vacuous and inconsequential because they can be reneged upon any day without consequences.
What I am driving at is that it is up to the Igbo to relearn how to stoop in order to conquer. The quintessential strategic interest of the contemporary Igbo is to re-establish an unimpeded access to the Atlantic coastline. This can, once more, place us in a position to orchestrate a much-needed revitalization of socioeconomic fortunes of the Igbo heartland through global maritime commerce which our folks can easily excel in. If we cannot muster the will and capacity to do this, then the blockade of Igbo heartland, which was comme nced during the Civil War, still persists, whether we realize it or not. Taking a plane or bus ride to Lagos and Abuja or even taking off from Alaigbo to an international destination of choice actually means little when you look at things quite critically. Wealth of today’s world is distributed through maritime trade in seafaring container ships and not by airfreight or suitcases, if you know what I mean.
The key ingredient in restoring security of lives and properties in Alaigbo must include massive infusion of capital, both foreign and domestic, in order to re-energize the domestic economy of this densely populated part of the world. We have lots of mouths to feed and millions of jobless youths who are looking for something to do to enable them to earn a decent living. Impoverishment and sense of hopelessness are driving the escalating spate of insecurity at ground zero and contiguous territories of t he former Eastern Region which is historically our home turf. Seeking succor elsewhere in Nigeria while our ancestral base is left to the dogs is hardly the hallmark of a heritage that you and I should be proud of as Ndiigbo.
I agree with you that “economic prosperity goes hand in hand with safety to life and property”. The question is which one must come first? I would prefer economic prosperity to be the engine that drives everything else. To attain such prosperity for our folks, we must first muster the courage to break free from the psychological and physical cage in which we have become entrapped since the Civil War.
Okenwa.
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From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Magnus Ekwueme
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 8:32 PM
To: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
Okenwa:
I did not know that the SE governors joined their counterparts nationwide to broker deals with incumbent GEJ. I may have mis sed that news. Could you repost those brokered arrangements?
Again, we have been lied to so much I cannot but insist we get something before we support any camp. Right now, Atiku is asking us to take VP with a view to getting the P slot next time around. I am yet to read of any promises from GEJ.
While at this, do you know that Owerri-Aba-PH axis is a no go area these days? Everybody bypasses Aba for reasons we all know about: Kidnapping and armed robbery. See, we are not making tings easy for ourselves. On my last trip home to PH, we totally bypassed Aba. What use is that zone to us now? So, when you talk of opening up the ports or for our folks to use PH and Calabar ports, are we not opening up another line of business for the night marauders? I also travelled by road fr om Ekwulobia to Abuja and would you believe that it is only in Igboland that road users are scared of being robbed? I was told that as soon as road users pass into the Northern States, they relax believing their worries are over. We are our own worst enemies.
Ka anyi hapu ihea because we have ourselves to deal with first. That is why I believe that no one is marginalizing ndiigbo but ndiigbo. Someone wrote somewhere that it is the Igbo who built all these major cities in Nigeria. I agree but do you know why we do that. We feel safe outside our own hometowns. Tell me anywhere in igboland where you will go to today and have a good night’s sleep. No where. But go to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and notice that people are getting fat just by being worry-free. My thing is this: Even if they rebuilt PH and Calabar to accommodate all shipments by igbo traders, y ou are not going to have a wholesale return of ndiigbo SEwards. Safety to life and property, which we enjoyed those days you talked about would go a long way in reversing this trend. Now, we have known that the NPF will not do this for us. They have been known to be part of this enterprise. We have to do it ourselves. We have suggested that the governors use the security vote they get monthly from the federal government strictly for that purpose – security. Give that money to the vigilante groups and let them man their towns and should robbery and kidnapping continue, their igwes and LGAs will be held accountable. This, as I was informed, is money the governor does not have to account to the state assemblies for. It is his to use as he wished.
Sorry if I digressed but you must agree that economic prosperity goes hand in hand with safety to life and property. Right no w, there is no such thing in the entire SE. This is precisely why businessmen flock to where conditions are conducive for business. If that place is Cotonou, they will be there. If na Kaura Namoda, you will find them there even with the sharia laws watching over them.
Regards,
Magnus Ekwueme
It behooves a prudent person to make trial of everything before arms.....The Eunuch, Henry Thomas Riley.
Need borehole installation or service? www.odiche.com 0805-334-6475 or 0803-590-3126
From: igbo_...@yahoogroups.com [mailto:igbo_...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D.
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 3:14 PM
To: ANAMBRA FORUM; ASA USA; IGBO EVENTS; IGBO FORUM; WORLD IGBO CONGRESS
Cc: WIEF FORUM; IDU USA
Subject: [IGBO_FORUM] ONITSHA-LAGOS HIGHWAY IS NOT AN IGBO STRATEGIC INTEREST
“We need better reconstruction and maintenance of the Lagos-Onitsha roadway. We will know who is serious when they start talking about these projects.” – Magnus Ekwueme
Magnus,
I concur with the overall thrust of your comments. Electoral votes ideally ought to be predicated on concrete pledges from candidates regarding their future plans for enhancing wellbeing of the electorate. It is, therefore, natural to expect that Ndiigbo would not simply join any of the candidates’ bandwagon just for the ride. You and I, however, know from experience that things are done differently in Nigeria. Many a politician have made oodles of promises about which they have no clue about how to redeem. Sometimes, it may be due to lack of willpower but often, it is due to a lack of capacity to deliver the goodies in real time for sundry reasons. I don’t believe that any half-baked promises on an international airport for the Southeast, dredging of River Niger, 2nd Niger Bridge etc etc shall be believed by anyone anymore because it would just be mere rehash of what many have heard several times before.
The other matter is the true significance of the Onitsha-Lagos highway which you mentioned. In fact, this is actually the reason for my response to your comment. What I have to say may not settle well with some, but that has been my gut feeling over the years and I have seen no reason to change my stance. The highway in question ought not to be reckoned to be of strategic interest to the Southeast geopolitical zone for several reasons. In! my books, that highway has become the nemesis of Ndiigbo; we have lost tons of money and previous lives on this road because we have become comfortable playing second fiddle to those who would rather regard the Igbo as mere itinerant traders and little else. The main reason for our heavy reliance on this dangerous highway for our economic wellbeing is because we wish to partake in the opportunities offered by the port city of Lagos. All parts of the Southeast are less than 200 miles from the Atlantic coastline and its seaports of Calabar and Port Harcourt. Why should our folks travel thrice that distance on a rickety highway that runs almost parallel to the coastline to another port city that is close to Benin Republic’s border in order to procure imported goods which should have been discharged at our very doorstep? The Onitsha-Lagos highway, I clearly understand, is the only hand we have been dealt but we don’t have to clamor for the p erpetuation of this unacceptable and senseless status quo.
Glamorization of the deadly Onitsha-Lagos highway is a consequence of the Civil War outcome which the Igbo must boldly and forthrightly address because it is a slap in our face and an enduring source of national humiliation, not to mention the undue waste of resources incurred by our folks by heavily relying on it as we do till today. If you ask me, we need a political leader now who has what it would take to enable the Igbo to regain direct access to the Atlantic coastline nearest to Igbo heartland as we used to do decades ago, not someone who would promise to repair the deathtrap that links us to the Lagos port.
Many have written about and presented many practical ideas on opening the Nig erian Eastern Economic Corridor (http://www.osondu! .com/VolumeThree/economiccorridor.htm) as the sure means of bringing a much needed balance to national development which has deliberately relegated the Southeast geopolitical zone to the backwaters for almost half a century. It is no longer okay for Ndiigbo to fold our arms and opt to plead for handouts from groups which ought to be receiving from us if the natural forces are made to be in play. I believe that is what the 2011 national leadership election ought to be all about as far as the average Igbo is concerned. I believe that Southeast governors are attuned to this when they joined their counterparts elsewhere nationwide to broker deals with the incumbent President in return for supporting his candidacy.
Unless Atiku and other preside ntial aspirants can make similar offers aimed at opening our home turf for internally driven economic prosperity, no Igbo should even dissipate time and effort listening to their song songs because they are all about maintaining or glamorizing the unacceptable status quo for our folks. We cannot afford to let this unique opportunity to slip by.
Okenwa.