Emmanuel Ikechukwu, The First Igbo and Nigerian Language Lecturer in Oxford Expresses Gratitude

Emmanuel Ikechukwu, The First Igbo and Nigerian Language Lecturer in Oxford Expresses Gratitude

In a world that languages are constantly going extinct and dying off due to globalization, the need to keep native languages alive has been one of the greatest headaches and disturbances of those in humanities and linguistics in various universities across the world. One of the foremost universities in the world, Oxford University recently appointed Emmanuel Ikechukwu, a fellow in the university to spearhead the teaching of Igbo Language in the university at far away United Kingdom.

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Biography, The First Igbo Lecturer In Oxford University, Educational Background, State & Parents

Igbo spoken in sub-Saharan African, spoken by over 50 million Nigerians and also with some creole version spoken in Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and some adaptation in the Caribbeans.  This singular move has made scholars and lovers of language know that the Igbo and global bodies are desirous to see that Igbo language isn’t on decline or extinct in nearest future. This move has also made it possible for such a prestigious university to teach Igbo language to non-Igbos. This is coming at a time when catholic priest in Ikorodu a Lagos Suburb was relieved of his duties for chastising the Igbo for singing their hymns during the mass.

Showing appreciation, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Umenyiora took to his LinkedIn page and said, “My deepest appreciation to everyone who reached out to congratulate and celebrate with me on this appointment as the first Igbo lecturer in, University of Oxford, the world’s number one university. I’m truly grateful. This is a big win for all of us.”

He added “There’s a lot of work to do, and I believe that we would get it done collectively. This is for Africa, for a better understanding of ourselves and of the world. I encourage other African linguists do keep up their good works in fostering a better understanding of their respective cultures and of the world.”

“We must never relent, nor give up on our dreams. I am unable to keep up with all your congratulatory messages, yet I feel the unending warmth you all send my way. This post is an acknowledgement of it.”

“As we continue to celebrate, let’s continue to believe in great things, for whatever you set your mind to, you will achieve”, Ikechukwu concluded.

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

CULTURE DOES NOT MEAN A RETURN TO ANTIQUITIES

CULTURE DOES NOT MEAN A RETURN TO ANTIQUITIES

Fr Angelo Chidi Unegbu (29.01.2022)

Putting on an Isiagu dress, red cap, holding a local fan or even an Ikenga alone, does not make one a traditional person. Living in a mud house, performing a traditional wedding, naming ceremony or joining a masquerade group alone, does not make one a traditional person either. The main questions are: do you know the reasons behind those acts/ behaviour? Do you know the values they carry? Do you know that every culture or tradition tells a story, gives a direction or sounds a warning? Do you know the story, direction, warning and values behind the culture you are practicing today? Do not forget that customs/ cultures are not arbitrary. They are not done for doing sake. Culture does not simply mean a return to antiquities. It is not just about going back to the past. Even when we need to look into the past, the aim is to retrieve values that build the community and not to live in the past. The Chinese, Europeans and many others seem to have understood this very well. Our forefathers did not live in the past of their own ancestors. They rather improved on the past of their ancestors and made sure that the storyline was not broken. They were open to changes. They willingly borrowed traditions of their neighbours that they found useful. Some celebrations or groups like Ekpe cult or some food we have today like rice, cassava, beans, tomatoes, onions and so on were not there from the beginning. They were borrowed and indigenized. It is no longer a secret that some of our ancestors willingly accepted Christianity and Western education. We do not fight for the restoration of culture so as to remain in the past. Not at all. We do that in order to restore our core values and storylines so that we may base our growth on the achivements of our forebears; because it is only by so doing that we can achieve an organic, a stable and meaningful growth.

Man burns Bible after healing challenge with a pastor went wrong!

Man burns Bible after healing challenge with a pastor went wrong!

A Nigerian Man, Mathias Ezeaku, the founder of Igbo loves themselves Charity foundation and a freedom fighter, has renounced Christianity and burnt Bible to ashes after three days of healing challenge with a pastor of Fishers Kingdom Ministry Worldwide, Apostle Chinyere, which ended without result at Nkpor in Anambra State.

It all started when Ezeaku took to social media where he dared all the Pastors in Africa to prove to him that Jesus Christ truly exists and has the powers to heal. Many pastors rejected the challenge and paid deaf ears to him but Apostle Chinyere accepted the challenge.

He accepted and they both made an arrangement and hosted a three-day healing program. The young man brought four physically sick persons for her to heal and she insisted that they should be engaged in a dry fasting. Three days passed without a result, Ezeaku became angry and aggressively disgraced the preacher, and burnt his Bible.

WHO REALLY IS IN CHARGE OF THE SOUTHEAST?

WHO REALLY IS IN CHARGE OF THE SOUTHEAST?

By Charles Ogbu

The real tragedy of the suspended but still operational Monday Sit-At-Home in the Southeast is that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the organisation that initiated it has not only suspended it but has equally gone ahead to denounce and issue several threats against the terrorists still k!ll!ng and m@iming innocent Igbos and burning their cars and shops over the same Sit-At-Home.

Yet,

The Enforcers are still not relenting in their acts of terror.

This, here, is the scariest part of this whole thing; the realization that even IPOB appears to have lost control of the STREET.

I mean, from day 1, the Southeast governors were never in charge of even their own govt houses. To be fair, they no longer pretend about this. On Mondays, they hide in their govt houses for obvious reasons. Even their shopping malls, warehouses and filling stations don’t open for business.

The security agencies were never in charge of the Southeast, their modest effort at curbing the current security challenges notwithstanding. Truth is, since after the EndSars protest which criminals hid under to attack and burn police stations and steal their weapons which have been used to wreck havoc on them in recent past, the morale of the security agencies in the Southeast has been hugely depleted. Most police checkpoints are actually deserted on Mondays like say dem too follow dey observe the forced sit-at-home.

So in essence, on Mondays, the Southeast is not controlled by any governor or politician and certainly not by the security agencies nor IPOB whose several threats against the Sit-At-Home enforcers have been resoundingly ignored. Every Monday, the region is firmly in the hands of criminals, bandits and terrorists who can target anyone, burn any shop or car and take any life in the name of enforcing a sit-at-home already suspended by the initiators.

This is now our new normal.

The implication is that in the unlikely event that the Abuja high court decides to give the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu an EXTRA-ORDINARILY speedy trial by fixing the case every work day seeing as he was EXTRA-ORDINARILY renditioned, the entire Southeast will be on lockdown EVERY WORK DAY throughout the duration of the trial.

No student will be able to go to school

No business will be opened

Not even health emergency will be attended to.

And the so called leaders we elected and are paying outrageous salaries and allowances will pretend like it is just a phase. The Security agencies whose primary job is the protection of lives and property will just look on. IPOB, the group that promised us FREEDOM, the group that introduced the Sit-At-Home and its violent enforcement will be unable to do anything. (Giving a cup of water to the M0nkey has never been a problem. Retrieving the cup is where the problem lies) I guess IPOB has now seen that it is far easier to start a fire than it is to quench it.

Quite frankly, Ndigbo need to go inside and summon themselves to a meeting.

Outsiders have done us so much harm but whatever harm we’ve suffered from outsiders pales into insignificance when placed side by side with the unhealable wounds we have inflicted on ourselves. The effect of this current demon we summoned but which we can no longer now dismiss will be felt for generations to come. Eventually, we will see the full impact of the interruption in the academic calendar of our school kids. We will feel the impact of the disruption in our businesses and daily jobs and in no distant time, we will start feeling the impact of the normalisation of crimes and clear acts of terrorism.

A society that has lost its capacity for INTROSPECTION is a society that is headed for Golgotha.

A shame, isn’t it?

Nwanyiocha, Anambra Culture, Politics and Matters Arising

Nwanyiocha, Anambra Culture, Politics and Matters Arising

Soludo has been known as a man that has always fixed square holes in square peg and with the assemblage of the technocrats that he has, it will cement the position of Anambra as the light of the nation and the first born of the igbo nation.

Having said that, the issue of square peg in a square hole is becoming an issue when there has been rumours that Soludo is alleged to take the Swiss lady married to an Anambra man to be the Commissioner of culture! And this has raise various reactions in the state with some folks saying it is not right.

But, we must get this fact straight, Nwanyiocha has showcased the igbo culture for years, speaks igbo more than many igbo and have this particular love for the igbo people. Having been married to igbo man and Anambra man in particular, nwanyiocha is an Anambra lady by marriage which means she has the right to be commissioner

Well, she has shown love for igbo culture and have demonstrated it over the years and that means she is pure igbo lady and also loved by many igbo who supports her and are very appreciative of her role in putting igbo culture in the global cultural map.

According to Don Chuks Ibeh, he said “To me anybody that loves and promotes Igbo culture no matter how little or big is my best friend.But For Nwanyiocha she doesn’t just promote or talk about the Igbo culture, she eats, sleeps, talks and breathes Igbo culture.”

He added that “The attempt by agents of darkness with inherent wickedness who wants to pull her down because she is a foreigner who is doing what they cannot do for their people in the next million years should be totally frowned at.”

According to Maxwell Obi Okonkwo he said that” I like Nwanyiocha the way she’s promoting our culture both home and abroad. And also she’s teaching her kids how to speak Igbo language and culture too. I know many Igbo women both home and abroad who are not teaching their kids how to speak Igbo or write in Igbo language. I know many will be saying she’s not from Nigeria or Anambra state. But she is married to an Igbo man and also from anambra state. So for me she’s good to go for that post. “

In a new twist, Onyeazor Archangel said that” I suggest commissioner on diaspora matters. She will help to integrate our people offshore for investment, tourism and image making. Our culture will be ambiguous for her for now.”

Nazzy Frances added also that” She’s not well grounded in our culture yet, and she’s not Igbo born and bred. She just knows common things about our food, language and dressing. It will be a slap on the faces of Anambra ladies who have been promoting our culture even more than her if she’s appointed as the commissioner for tourism.”

While Sunday Nweke opined a serious question asking” Sure she will But the question is will she live her comfort zone and risk her family,her children education and the rest to live here in Nigeria ???

While Ugo Sọlọmọn said “She should be appointed for Culture and tourism at federal level not only State, let us join other races to promote the unity as many of our Africans has been appointed and elected in other countries.”

Promise Ihezie said finally that “By marriage she is Igbo and I don’t see the colonialism in making her anything in Anambra state. Secondly, who are the tourists? Them or us? How many Igbos spend good morning touring Igbo land and appreciating the culture and diversity? How many other tribes do? So, If the real tourists who will bring money are those who come from outside, maybe we should make one of them a poster child of our culture and tourism, especially when she is our wife.”

Anambra indigenes are one of the most enterprising and educated in Igbo land and Nigeria in general producing intellectuals like Chinua Achebe, one of the finest writers from Africa, he was a lecturer in USA, Chike Obi, the foremost professor of mathematics once had overseas appointment, Oby Ezekwesili the financial guru has been working overseas also. This shows that Anambrarians are well versed, exposed and travelled, just naysayers are calling out Nwanyiocha for political reasons but in real sense, she is an Igbo woman by the virtue of marriage!

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

Obi Cubana and Sustained Campaign of Calumny

Obi Cubana and Sustained Campaign of Calumny

When Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, was perfecting plans to gift his beloved mother a befitting burial, little did he know that such a sincere honour to his mom would shoot his fame to a crescendo and later open him up for barrages of needless scrutiny and vile propaganda.

The recent invitation, detention and subsequent release of Obi Cubana by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and later the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on allegations of cybercrime, money laundering, tax issues and drug-related offences, did not come as a surprise to many, including me. I saw it coming. Being a hitherto silent successful entrepreneur, whose mother’s funeral ceremony brought to the limelight, I knew the powers-that-be would want to vet the source(s) of his wealth.

There is absolutely nothing wrong if law enforcement agencies decide to probe an individual or a business entity, provided it is done within the confines of the law, where the suspect’s fundamental human right of “innocent until proven guilty” is respected in the entire process. After all, no one is above the law. No nation can prosper if some of her citizens are treated as sacred cows. I commend EFCC and NDLEA for being steadfast on their constitutional responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Obi Cubana has vehemently denied all the allegations against him. We have to give him the benefit of the doubt as being innocent of all the accusations while the appropriate law enforcement agencies do their work. Iyiegbu has verifiable businesses commensurate to his networth.

But beyond the ongoing scrutiny by the law enforcement agencies, it is clear that Obi Cubana is currently standing trial in the court of public opinion. Though no one is a saint, but people like us, who knew Obi Cubana’s startup cum success stories have no reason to believe the allegations. Yet we uphold the right of others who choose to believe otherwise.

However, whatever anyone believes does not justify what has become a full-scale propaganda attack on Obi Cubana. Yes, there has been a deliberate and sustained campaign of calumny to profile Obi Cubana with either internet scams or drug trafficking and related offences. It is a well-oiled vicious onslaught against him and his brand. It has become obvious even to the blind that there is a thickening conspiracy to stereotype and tag one of Nigeria’s rising stars of entrepreneurship and philanthropists along with dirty businesses of drugs and economic crimes.

I have seen, read and dismissed a lot of conjectures, innuendoes and prejudiced narratives wickedly put together to damage the hard-earned reputation of Obi Cubana.

As someone who understood this man’s early struggles and followed up on his entrepreneurial voyage; beginning in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT, I am as heartbroken as Obi Cubana on how some sadists and fifth columnists could be peddling barefaced lies and falsehood just to convict him in the court of public opinion and make him an easy prey to malevolent tendencies.

This is not only injustice and wickedness being meted out to Obi Cubana, but every hardworking Nigerian youth, who believes in entrepreneurship as the ultimate escape from poverty and self-actualisation. Why the media trial? If anyone has evidences against him, why not wait to present it in the court of law or even take them to one of the investigating agencies instead of rushing to the court of public opinion where jungle justice of vile propaganda and bile falsehood thrive?

Imagine such sensational and wicked profiling headlines and titles as: “NDLEA links Obi Cubana to drugs”, “Obi Cubana and drug pushers”, “Is Obi Cubana the king of nightlife or a drug kingpin?”, etcetera, being splashed all over the world by some Nigerian media and columnists not minding that it is someone’s reputation they are dragging in the mud. Without being reminded, crafters of such prejudiced stories and vile articles have one goal in mind—to destroy credibility of Obi Cubana and his businesses. It is not about crime-fighting, but to pull down a perceived entrepreneurial enigma. It is predetermined.

Let us do diagnosis and prognosis on one of the weighty accusations. From media reports, NDLEA alleged that a drug convict in Asia paid money into Cubana’s account. An allegation he has since denied. Juxtapose with Obi’s nature of business—clubs, hotels and entertainment, a discerning mind will wonder how Obi is supposed to know the sources of income of his customers and potential clients.

If a customer visits one of Cubana’s clubs, after drinking expensive wines and whiskeys, probably with his friends, and wants to pay with PoS, where else will the money go if not into Cubana’s bank account? Tomorrow if it is discovered that the said customer is a drug pusher, checking his financial transactions, Obi Cubana—the owner of one of the clubs he visited will be maligned for being a drug baron. What an imprudence!

In the foregoing context, if a married man decides to cheat on his wife, and because of the exquisite nature of Cubana Hotels, makes up his mind to lodge there, should women activists allege that Obi Cubana is promoting infidelity—just for running a hospitality business? Should Obi Cubana mandate his members of staff to vet sources of income of their potential customers before attending to them? where is it done across the world?

After a lot of media trial, EFCC lost its case against media mogul Raymond Dokpesi. The Court of Appeal quashed the N2.1 billion money laundering charges against him because the prosecuting team could not substantiate its case. The founder of DAAR Communications was accused of receiving part of arms funds allegedly diverting under then National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

One of the strong points of argument made by Dokpesi’s defense counsel, was that he got paid for services rendered by his media conglomerate to the Jonathan Administration. It was not his duty to question the source of funds used to pay for the services his company rendered. The case died a natural death. If a media company couldn’t be held liable for source of funds a client paid for a job, can a hospitality company like Cubana Group, let alone its owner, be held responsible for how any if his customers chose to make his money?

While we must collectively uphold the right of law enforcement agencies to do their work, we must also collectively rebuke the resort to media trial. It was not a crime that Obi Cubana chose to bid his mother farewell in the manner that he did. It was his choice. What was displayed at Oba was an outpour of massive goodwill invested in the youth over the years by this entrepreneurial colossus.

Obi Cubana should be commended for popularising entrepreneurship amongst graduates and for promoting the nation’s entertainment industry, instead of this sadistic propaganda targeted at his reputation.

By Chidiebere Nwobodo

Nwobodo writes from Abuja.

Past Seven years: A Missed Opportunity to Stem Elite Superiority (Nkali)

Past Seven years: A Missed Opportunity to Stem Elite Superiority (Nkali)

Femi Otedola and Aliko Dangote went to a Drivers Licence Center (DLC) in Lagos to renew their licences a few days ago. I saw the pictures online and called Aliko to verify the story. He confirmed.

I was happy. The reason for my happiness is that this was my goal in revamping the drivers licence. It was not only to provide a secured and verifiable document, but I included the more significant social issue of equality of all Nigerians—the removal of Nkali (superiority) in our society. The need for physical presence for data capture was a significant issue for me in the brief I gave PwC the consultants to the project.

In the past, big men like Femi and Aliko would have sent their staff or driver to procure a licence for them from DLC at a cost. They would not have appeared in person for data capture or verification. Their presence at the DLC was a good signal and example. I am sure they rarely drive and would not have been stopped for licence check by law enforcement officers. The public show also helps in building a culture of respect for rules.

The first test of my resolve to get everybody to come physically for data capture was the launch of the new Drivers License by President Goodluck Jonathan. After agreeing with him to go for the launch, I told his staff that I needed his old licence and details for the new licence. His villa staff flatly rejected my request, insisting that the President cannot go to my office for a ‘mere’ licence when other bigger agencies come to the villa for data capture.

They said he could only come to launch the licence and leave; if I want to issue him a licence, I have to come to the villa for the capture and present it to him on the launch day. I quietly left. I was resolute that the data capture at the villa was not on the table, even if it meant the President might not come.

As a young under 40 then and oblivious of the word fear, I went back to the President with the offer that if he couldn’t come for data capture, it would send the wrong signals about the new system. However, I am willing to accept a representative in his stead, though that will reduce the prominence we wanted for the event.

President Jonathan overruled his staff and came to FRSC Hq for his licence. We paid (I collected the N6000 from him, he asked his staff to pay) the FCT VIO and followed through the whole process.

Ten years later, the system is still robust and working despite known challenges. Femi and Aliko collected temporary licences and will get the permanent cards in about six weeks, if everything works fine.

When rules are enforced, everybody obeys. My team at FRSC and I set out to use technology to limit officers’ discretionary powers to bypass the system and benefit from offering elite privileges. We succeeded.

The greatest tragedy of the Buhari administration is in the inability to equalise access for all Nigerians. No Nigerian Leader was equipped like President Buhari in 2015 to restore order in Nigeria. He had a solid support base, a party in control of both Houses, and an unparalleled moral authority to redefine Nigeria.

Sadly under his watch, recruitment to government agencies are done without a competitive process. The Bureau for Public Procurement (Due Process office) have become another bureaucracy and checkpoint dampening the visibility around public procurement that was becoming a culture. Nigeria’s elite still move around with Mobile Policemen and pay scant attention to rules neither on the roads or other areas of our national life.

A pervading culture of impunity has morphed into a macabre, violent show of superiority. President Buhari’s most significant legacy would have been restoring law and order in our country. The total demystification and destruction of elite privilege is critical because lawlessness and a sense that there is no consequence for bad behaviour is at the root of the violent rebellion and the widespread corruption in the land.

His pledge to fight corruption would have been impactful if he made it clear that elite privilege was not acceptable. His tenure is a great opportunity lost. He had all the ingredients for creating a new society: soldier, austere, angry, overthrown from office, suffered electoral defeats many times and old enough not to care.

A missed opportunity, yet we need to restore order in Nigeria. 2023 presents another opportunity.

Osita Chidoka
January 2022

Neni Community: An Example of Private Initiative leads to 24KM of Internal Roads Tarred, Set to Rebuild Schools

Neni Community: An Example of Private Initiative leads to 24KM of Internal Roads Tarred, Set to Rebuild Schools

On the 7th of January, I was at Neni at the invitation of the Martina Chinyere Enidom Foundation. The foundation, led by Paul Enidom, Chairman of Paul B Construction Ltd, organised its 3rd lecture series, and I chaired the occasion. The lecture titled Government and Community Partnership in Development Initiative: The Neni Example was eye-opening.

Neni community, like most communities in Anambra, boast of eminent business people, scholars and entrepreneurs. My back of the envelope calculation shows a combined net worth of between 700 million to 1 billion dollars of Neni indigenes. It is the town of the owner of the Young Shall Grow Transport and Rockview Hotels, the owner of Chelsea Hotels and the late owner of Tonimas Group, amongst others.

Some years ago, Paul B approached some of the town’s rich men and proposed an internal road drainage and asphalt construction at cost using his expertise. He started with a road paid for by him. After initial scepticism, Chief Anthony Enukeme (Tonimas) joined the initiative with others.

Today, Ndi Neni have constructed 24km, and the Anambra State government, in a rare show of support, constructed 2.7km of asphalt road. These are internal roads within Neni town. To understand the impact of 24km of asphalt road, consider that Anambra State is the second smallest state in Nigeria after Lagos; most towns in Anambra are no more than 25sq KM. Neni is probably the town with the best stock of internal roads in Nigeria.

To ensure sustainability, the Neni community, under the umbrella of the Neni Town Union, approved the setting up of its road maintenance agency; Neni Road maintenance Agency, NERMA. The Agency’s mandate is not limited to the roads constructed by the town but includes other state roads crossing the town.

In what I consider a significant departure from typical attitudes in our environment, the town documented a maintenance protocol articulating standards. The road maintenance handbook contains guidelines, which they plan to harmonise with State and LGA standards, if they exist.

Success begets success; now, the town is focused on rebuilding and retooling the schools in the community. There are 7 Primary schools and a secondary school in Neni. The state government had handed over six primary schools to both the Catholic and Anglican churches, with only one primary school and the secondary school under state control. Initial studies reveal a sad state of affairs at the schools. The schools are crying for upgrades, and the quality of instruction has declined progressively.

The Neni community, from its experience with the roads, is set to intervene. The community has set up the Neni Development Initiative Group(NDIG) to raise funds for the immediate reconstruction of all the schools. Already, about #25m was raised this Christmas towards this plan.

The NDIG is also handling the upgrade of the three health care centres in Neni. The plan is to provide quality health care for residents at affordable rates while sustaining infrastructure and operations cost through the NDIG.

Last December, Dr Christopher & Mrs Victoria Anago, under their NGO, Lifecare Coalition Outreach in California, deployed over 100 medical personnel to Neni for free medical outreach valued at over 500 million Naira. Dr and Mrs Anago plan to intervene in their community Neni to provide health care services to the underprivileged and people from neighbouring communities.

The story of the Neni community is a profound expression of the idea of Unlock Naija. It is an example of community-based governance that Igbo communities and Nigeria should emulate.

The idea of coming together to delink from the moribund Nigerian state where the government has become the obstacle to unlocking our potentials is the path to the future.

For Ndi Igbo and Nigerians in general, I have preached the message of applying Uche, Uchu na Egwu Chukwu as the triple virtues that will unlock our capabilities and lead us on a sustainable path to development.

Speaking at Neni, I called on those who want to move to Naija Nation, that space where we do not wait for restructuring, secession or constitutional amendment to unlock our potentials, to come together now. We, in Unlock Naija Movement, believe in the fierce urgency of now, like the Neni community.

To achieve this pivoting from the gridlock of Nigeria, we must eschew the triple evil rearing its head in our society. The first is Nkali, the superiority syndrome where we all want to display our superiority over others through flaunting our wealth and the emerging income discrimination in our society.

The second is Nkpali, a disrespectful and abusive disorder growing like a stage four cancerous tumour. To disrespect and abuse elders and those we consider beneath us is now described as courage; we must excise it now.

The last is Mmegbu, that urge to oppress and suppress. Oppressing the poor and those beneath us is now a sign of success. The powerful and noveau rich identified by our convoys and retinue of hangers-on do not obey traffic or any rules. We have figured how to use state apparatus for our personal end. I will describe these vices in another post soon.

For our communities to thrive and our society renewed, we must eschew Nkali, Nkpali na Mmegbu. To shun these vices is critical in the effort to make the wealthy come together and deploy their resources for communal benefit and not impose their will on the community using their unfettered powers made possible by a corrupt and moribund Nigerian state.

Neni is an example to follow.

Osita Chidoka
January, 2022

Map of tarred Roads in Neni

GOV. UZODIMMA ON THE SPOT INSPECTION ON ROADS AND OTAMIRI WATER BOARD

GOV. UZODIMMA ON THE SPOT INSPECTION ON ROADS AND OTAMIRI WATER BOARD

The Prudent Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma as usual went on an Inspection of roads undergoing reconstruction especially MCC, Chukwuma Nwoha ballon underground drainage, the Imo State Water and Otamiri Regional Water Scheme.

The essence of this unscheduled visits is to make sure that the dividend of democracy he promised Imo people are delivered with class, quality and on time.

Governor Uzodimma inspected the Solar System on the facilities of Imo state water scheme as the MD/CEO ISWSC, Engr Emeka Ugoanyanwu FNSE FNIWE KSJI took him and his entourage round the facilities.

He was impressed with the standard of reconstruction at MCC road and Chukwuma Nwoha underground drainage technology which is fast leading the water channels to Otamiri.

He however frowned at the illegal Structures that are affecting the master plan of the Headworks which makes the Government spend a huge amount for the treatment of Water as the occupants of the illegal buildings pollute the Water with waste products on daily basis.

His Excellency moved by the sufferings of Ndi Imo, thought aloud as he narrated how Imo children carry water cans in search of water and his promise to supply clean water to Imo People swung into action as he directed the OCDA MD, Engr Ikpamezie to remove all illegal structures impeding the flow of clean water to Imo people.

The3RGovernment

HopeNewAndElectronicMediaCenter

OBINNA APPOINTED BY RWANDA TO PILOT THE BANK OF KIGALI’S FINTECH DEVELOPMENT

OBINNA APPOINTED BY RWANDA TO PILOT THE BANK OF KIGALI’S FINTECH DEVELOPMENT

Rwanda, one of the major Sub Saharan Africa’s reference point and a country that has demonstrated that it can rise out war seamlessly and building a resilient economy appoints a Nigerian , Obinna Ukwuani to pilot critical portfolio in their apex bank, Bank of Kigali. A testament of a nation putting square pegs in square holes which is rare in sub Saharan African nations riddled with tribalism and nepotism. No wonder Rwanda is making tremendous strides more than nations that have access to sea.

Obinna Ukwuani’s appointments would be the Chief Digital Officer of the Bank of Kigali. According to the announcement, he is replacing Regis Rugemanshuro at the new role.

This can be described as the Digital Factory division for product innovation and development in digital banking at the country’s apex bank. A core financial technology (fintech) space he would be in charge of churning and developing world class digital products and also upgrading their digital wallet called Ikofi.

Through Ikofi, the Bank of Kigali offers financial services that farmers, agro-dealers, Agri-businesses and other stakeholders in the country’s agricultural space and Obinna would be making (in)direct impacts on these sets of people and also deepening the good security of the Central African Nation.

With a degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and fantastic interest in Robotics. Obi is the founder of Exposure Robotics Academy where STEM programs were taught to secondary school pupils.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu