It is no more news that Professor Barth Nnaji, the chairman of Geometric Power Group, is trending for the very right reasons.
While others are trending for kleptomania and making the country supine, Nnaji chose a much more glorious path. He located his power station in the nondescript city of Aba, instead of more profitable areas like Abuja and Lagos. However, today, posterity has lined up to honour him across generations.
Speaking at the leadership colloquium on “Igbo Leadership and Development,” on why he chose Aba for the $800m power plant, the professor of Manufacturing Engineering and former Minister of Power said it was because of his passion to contribute to industrial development in Igboland in particular and to also speed up Nigeria’s development.
“I am passionate about the rapid development of Nigeria, starting with Ala Igbo because of the structural problems it has faced since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970 and also because of its enormous technological and economic potential,” he said.
“Geometric Power Limited is making its contribution to help reclaim the old economic days of the Great Zik of Africa, Dr. M.I. Okpara and many others.”
Nnaji linked the prime daughter of Ala Igbo, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to the Geometric feat. Okonjo-Iweala was the one that initiated the thought process and asked him to consider building a 50-megawatt power plant in Abia, resulting in uninterrupted power supply to Aba today.
We still have many Okonjo-Iwealas out there in Igbo land. It is time they raised up their hands and be counted. We still have many more Bart Nnajis across Igbo land, who would not baulk at opportunities to make Ala Igbo better. This is the time to stand up and be numbered among the noble.
The Bart Nnaji challenge has been well documented. Ala Igbo needs a few committed patriots to steer the land to glory. The self-atrophying quest and agitation for Biafra needs to be redirected.
The truth is that we are all Biafrans; what is at issue is what manner of Biafra? The Biafra of the Nnajis or those that are auto piloting us to perdition? The Biafra that wants to build enviable estates on the ashes of federal hate and spite or or the Biafra of evil forest that consumed its own or the Biafra that incinerates the sweat and blood of fellow compatriots. Indeed, this is ‘thought for food’ and we must use our ‘teeth to count our tongue’.
We have to direct our minds towards developing ourselves instead of looking up to a Nigerian state that hates our guts and deliberately ensures that we get nothing. This can never be done through the ongoing carnage that has crushed us and enabling our haters.
The Nnaji challenge is calling all men of goodwill in Ala Igbo to join the crusade for the liberation of Igbo land, not through the elusive Biafra republic but a mental reset.
Dr. Alex Otti of Abia State is redefining governance in Abia by setting off a vortex of revolutionary projects in the state. It is exciting to read him say his intention is to put Aba, the Enyimba city on the same pedestal with Dubai, not Lagos or Abuja. That is the true spirit speaking.
The Igbo must intentionally band together regardless of party affiliation and set up a truly South-east development commission and sponsor projects that will enhance the livelihood of the people. The five governors of the region should be in the lead. They must put ego aside and move in concert to rescue Ala Igbo from the ruinous destruction of the Nigerian state. The Igbo say, ‘onye ajuru aju anaghi aju onwe ya’ (a rejected person does not reject oneself). In other words, Ndigbo for Ndigbo; we need to turn the hatred by others to our advantage by helping and building ourselves. We can because we are Igbo, the indefatigable ‘Jews of Africa’.
The only national politics Ndigbo should indulge in is to lobby for enabling laws to enable them do what the Federal Government refuses to do for Ala Igbo, such as motorable road net network, seaport, inter-state rail network, international airport, cement manufacturing, even refineries, etc. and such other vital areas that the South-east is deliberately schemed out of. It is possible!
It is possible because the Igbo have all it takes. They have the men of means in all sectors of life. I think what is lacking is the mindset to do like Nnaji has done and the selfless pragmatism of Otti.
There is no doubt that with the Bart Nnaji challenge, many would be stirred to take up transformative projects across the five South-east states individually and collectively. You can imagine what would happen if the Geometric Power plant is replicated in several towns across Ala Igbo.
Nnaji should lead in mobilising Ndigbo in the Diaspora, even locally, who would be eager to do one or two things here but for lack of trustworthy men and women to lead.
Furthermore, it is true that many investors are afraid of insecurity in the East. Truly, nobody invests where the security of their investments is not guaranteed. However, this has not deterred the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in last November’s sham election in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu, whose Akuruolo crusade is both in words and in deed, as he has multi-billion investments in Imo State.
Nevertheless, this is one issue that must be addressed decisively without the unnecessary dramatisation and politicisation that has characterised such efforts. Achonu also has a blueprint to rid the land of insecurity, using local vigilante.
The Yoruba security outfit codenamed Amotekun is doing well but the so-called Ebubeagu in the East was hijacked by discredited politicians to maim and kill opponents. This plague in Ala Igbo must cease if we must get it right.
Mor importantly, we should not overlook the fact that idleness and hunger feed hooliganism and social deviance. No gainfully engaged youth would want to sit at home, wasting away or chasing away busy people from their business places.
Therefore, the Igbo must strategically relocate some of their heavy offshore investments to Igbo land and create jobs for their people. When the youths are gainfully employed, they would not have time for petty crimes and, in fact, would be at the forefront of protecting these investments.
Nnaji talked about his passion and desire to reclaim the economic prowess of Ala Igbo, as driven by great minds, such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, etc. This evokes nostalgic feelings and one could wonder if God destroyed the mould used to craft such men after their demise. Since the Dr. Sam Mbakwe days in Second Republic, Ala Igbo has tumbled from one locust governor to another who have done nothing but to further impoverish the people while feathering their nest.
Fortunately, Otti has lit a ray of hope that redemption is possible after all. Coupled with Nnaji’s very bold signature signed on the sand of history, Igbo land would excel even without Federal Government handouts that even end up in private pockets anyway.
Otti has shown quite early in the day that he could be a reincarnate of Mbakwe, the weeping governor of the then Imo State. Within a space of four years, Mbakwe voraciously littered the landscape with signature projects.
Otti has raised the bar. One may ask, where are the other governors? If they are not catching or distributing rabbits in Owerri, they are being disgraced in Benin for trying to export the electoral heist they are adept at to the South-west state.
All well-meaning Igbo should buckle up and embrace the Nnaji challenge. He took that risk so that the motherland would breathe. You too can key in, even if not in gargantuan level like he did, you could at least pray that God should send us willing men, and that their labours must not be in vain. You could pray that all pestilent urchins in power that have stolen sleep from our eyes should repent or their breath taken away.
For Prof Bart Nnaji, let us all stand in awe and give him thunderous ovation. Let us also salute the new Mbakwe in Abia, Dr. Alex Otti. May their tribe increase, and may those who would take up the Nnaji challenge multiply and be blessed too. Igbo kwenu!
NB: Re- Is there still balm in Gilead?
Printer’s devil cut off one of the texts last week: Jeremiah 8:22