Anambra State Government Demolish Illegal Shopping Mall In Onitsha

By Ejike Abana

Anambra State Government joint Taskforce has pulled down an ongoing Shopping Mall in Onitsha.

The mall which is under construction is situated at Nwangene Stream/River Niger Water Ways Niger Street, Fegge in Onitsha South Council Area.

The Joint Taskforce led by officials of Anambra State Physical Planning Board stormed the area at the early hours of Friday; September, 22, 2023, to stop the action of a developer who was erecting the unapproved shopping mall.

The structure is being built on original waterways and drainages thereby endangering the lives of unsuspecting future occupants and the people around the area.

Recall that the Taskforce team had before now served stop work notice on the developer who remained recalcitrant.

Speaking on the development, Chairman the Board of Trustees of Progress Market, Mr. Ekene Okoye and the Chairman of the market, Mr. Nnamdi Igwebuike  claimed not to know the builder but condemned the action of the builder, while commending government's effort to restore normalcy to the area.

Government of Anambra State, especially under the current administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo had been advocating the need for controlled development across the state.

"I DID NOT FALL OUT WITH GOVERNOR SOLUDO" Ifeatu Onejeme, former Commissioner for Finance, Anambra State

Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, formally received the resignation of the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Ifeatu Onejeme, on Thursday, 14th September, 2023 with emotional remarks and robust commendation for his contributions to his administration. But in spite of the cordial disengagement, mischief makers have been prowling the social media, spreading lies and figments of what they wished would have happened. Paul Nwosu engaged the former Commissioner of Finance in a very frank exchange to elicit directly from him the circumstances that led to his voluntary exit and his next move. Below are excerpts of the brief conversation. 

Q: You resigned and Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, accepted the resignation on the 14th of September with apt commendation. This notwithstanding, some are writing that the reverse was the case. So, my question is: Why are you leaving in the middle of the game? Why didn’t you wait till the end of the tenure?

A: Thank you very much, Paul. I think the answer to your question goes back to nine and half years. In the beginning, the former Governor invited me to come. I didn’t want to come after we won the election. We’ve known ourselves since the Fidelity Bank days in the early 1990s. I told him that our place is a difficult terrain, and dealing with our people can be quite a challenge. But he said: “Look, if you don’t come, you lose your right to criticize.” And because of what he said, I decided that I must come so that I don’t lose my right to criticize. Also, that I can contribute my quota to the development of our state. That was how I accepted the offer to work under Governor Willie Obiano for two years. After two years, he refused to let me go. He said I should complete the one term of office. After the one term, he still refused to let me go. And each time, I had to go back to my family to renegotiate. When I initially came, I told my wife and children that I was coming to serve for two years and will be back. So, it’s been a huge personal sacrifice for me in the past nine and half years. I travelled to see my wife every two weeks, either by road or air. 

Then coming back to your question... When this administration started, I knew it was going to be a huge task convincing my family that I have to go again. But I said to them that it is for a higher calling. We need to fix our homeland, and people have to make sacrifices. I have started making the sacrifices already. Just give me a small window to help the administration which I know would transform Anambra State to settle in, and this was what I said at the Executive Council valedictory speech. I worked to help many of my colleagues and counterparts to settle in because I know what the higher calling is. And when it was done, I felt this was the right time to rejoin my family, and they have been exceedingly happy (laughs) since the announcement was made. After nine and half years, I think I have contributed my quota. Someone else can come and build on what I’ve done. I feel a sense of fulfillment that I have been able to contribute something and that I have also contributed my time and effort in the process.

Q: So what’s your reply to skeptics who have been expressing figments of their imagination on social media as the real reason for your resignation? 

A: I have been seeing a lot on my WhatsApp and SMS, and I just shake my head. I've been wondering – is this how people devote their time and energy doing negative things? First of all, to state facts and set the record straight. I did not fallout with Governor Soludo who is a visionary and transformational leader. In fact, he is a man I have tremendous respect for, who is a mentor to me. These skeptics need to understand that. This is a country where people have a sit- tight mentality. They don’t believe that somebody can wake up one day and say, “ I think I’ve served long enough; let some other persons play their roles,” and they start insinuating that there must be something - somebody is blocking him or trying to take his job, or he’s fighting with someone, and so on. I want to make it clear that there was nothing like that. I had a good relationship with the Governor, a very good relationship, a professional relationship. We also had a very good personal relationship. So what people are writing in the media is wrong. I’m even shocked to read these things. 

Q: So if you are called upon in the future to contribute.......(Ifeatu interjects) 

A: I’m an ambassador! A very passionate and committed ambassador of this administration! I believe so much in this Solution Agenda, and so people shouldn’t make that mistake. I’m sending this message out to the social media guys who are there to just misinform, disinform, and sell falsehood everywhere. They will fail with any message concerning me. People already know me. I have been around for almost forty years. People know my track record. So I’m not the typical politician who comes to sell lies. And that’s why they’re finding it difficult to deal with Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, our Governor because he shoots straight. He tells you this is what he’s going to do, and he comes out to do it and they don’t like it. They like it when you say you’re going left, meanwhile you’re going right.

Q: You have obviously not resigned into retirement. From your looks, I can see you’re still active and agile. What’s your next move after resting?

A: You got it right because that is what I was going to say. Everybody needs rest. So first, I will rest very well. After resting, I will be ready to work for Anambra, but not from a location in the state because I have been located in the state for nine and half years. So I’m open to such things. I’m also looking at private things that I've been doing which have incidentally suffered within this nine and half years that I was in public service. So, I will return to them and build them up. I intend to also tour the world. Our Igbo people are fond of “ oga alugido olu, lugido olu”, (they keep working, working………) until one day they drop dead. So, it's okay to just pull back and tour the world and enjoy life, move around and that’s also part of living.

Q: What are the memorable incidents/challenges you can recall in the span of your nine and half years in public service career and the major roles you played?

A: There are several of them. Many are covered by the oath of secrecy that I can't disclose because of the sensitive position that I held. Some of them are on the political platform under APGA. How we have contributed to getting APGA to start winning elections in both my Ward, my Local Government Area and the State. The second one is how we have funded Anambra State to get it to where it is today, both in the previous administration and the current one. You can see the prudent management of resources. People keep wondering how we’ve been able to accomplish what we have accomplished without breaking the bank. That took some financial ingenuity. When people have projects, they want it funded anyhow. They just want cash flow. But my responsibility as Commissioner for Finance was to advise government on the best way to finance those projects - how the cash flow will come. This sometimes brings me in conflict with them, but I don’t go there saying we can’t do this. I go there thinking we need to do the project, but what is the best way to fund the project? One such project is the Airport and partly the Convention Centre. So these are some of the things we did in the back office. 

Q: Let’s have a peep into your career in the corporate world before venturing into public service?

A: I was in the financial services industry as it was then called. I started out after my graduation, training in Arthur Anderson which was then the foremost accounting firm in the world. They had an office in Lagos, Arthur Anderson and Co, which later metamorphosed into KPMG. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, the then president Ibrahim Babangida had started licensing some new banks in Nigeria. So a bank called Diamond Bank was licensed. I was one of the 25 pioneer staff that started the bank with the founder Chief Paschal Dozie. From Diamond Bank, I moved to Fidelity Bank. From there, I worked in UBA. I went to Savannah Bank  to assist in the turn-around, but left them when their goals were not exactly the goals I saw that would turn around the bank for good. Unfortunately, a few months after I left, CBN closed down the bank. I went to UBA twice when Akeem Bello Osagie took over the bank in 1997. I joined the turn-around management team. Subsequently, I went to the Guardian Express Bank where I was an executive director. Later, when Tony Elumelu took over UBA, he brought me back. In UBA, I was the group treasurer and later in charge of African Expansion with my colleague and perfect gentleman, Rasheed Olaoluwa. Then I went on to head the investment and corporate banking as an executive director, and then retired in 2013. It was a few months after I retired that former Governor Willie Obiano invited me to come and work with him. 

So in the corporate world, I have seen it all. I worked in various parts of Nigeria. I supervised the New York operations of UBA, the London operations of UBA, and Paris operations of UBA. So that was the kind of training and background I had before coming to Anambra State. 

Q:Thank you very much, Mr Ifeatu Onejeme. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavour.

Soludo's Anambra State Is On The Verge Of Running An Export-Based Economy

By Ejike Abana

It is no longer news that exportation is a key driver of economic growth, not just for individual businesses but for entire nations.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of exportation for economic development, and state governments around the world, Anambra inclusive, have implemented a range of policies to support businesses looking to expand their international trade.

State government support for exportation takes many forms, from financial assistance to regulatory reform and trade missions. With the global market becoming increasingly competitive, state governments are taking an active role in promoting their businesses overseas to ensure that their economies remain strong and vibrant in the years ahead.

It was in view of these that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo through the Mr. Christian Udechukwu-led Ministry of Industry, convoked a business round table session with importers, manufacturers and exporters in the state. The meeting which was held at the International Convention Centre, Awka, was themed; "From Import to Industrialization for Export".

The session was meant to be used to ascertain the challenges facing manufacturers, importers and exporters in Anambra state with a view to assisting investors to solve them.

The Governor highlighted his administration's economic transformation initiatives such as pharmaceutical processing hub, Export Emporium, Free Trade Zones, Industrial Parks, Leisure Hubs among others.

On the ease of doing business in the state, the Governor revealed that reforms are ongoing in Anambra Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA to make sure that "multi-doors" are created to eliminate bottlenecks and speed up approval time for investors.

One of the most common forms of state government support for exportation is financial assistance. This can take many forms, including low-interest loans, export credit insurance, and grants to cover the cost of market research, trade shows, and other export-related expenses.

In some cases, states may offer tax incentives or subsidies to businesses that are looking to expand their international trade. These incentives can be targeted to specific industries or sectors that are deemed to be of strategic importance to the state's economy.

By providing financial assistance to businesses, state governments can help to overcome some of the barriers that can make exportation prohibitively expensive or risky. This support can make it easier for businesses to access new markets, increase their exports, and create new jobs at home.

Another way that state governments can support exportation is by undertaking regulatory reform. Many regulations can act as a barrier to international trade, either by making it more difficult for businesses to meet foreign market requirements or by creating unnecessary costs for exporters.

By simplifying or streamlining regulations, state governments can help businesses to access new markets and compete more effectively overseas. This can include changes to customs procedures, simplification of product standards and labelling requirements, and reforms to investment rules and regulations.

Other regulatory reforms that can be helpful for businesses looking to expand internationally include improvements to infrastructure, such as ports, airports and highways, as well as measures to address corruption and other trade barriers.

The Governor who said that his administration is already driving production efforts in agriculture, especially engendering an ecosystem around palm and coconut farming, assured that his government is working to reduce processing time for acquiring land Certificate of Occupancy down to 72 hours.

The Commissioner for Industry, Mr. Christian Udechukwu said that the session is in line with Governor Soludo's vision of transforming the state into one of the biggest industrial, financial, economic, leisure and entertainment hub in the continent, accelerating "Made in Anambra Export Policy Initiatives" to offer the state huge share of the African continental market.

One of the most effective ways for state governments to support exportation is by leading trade missions to foreign markets. Trade missions provide an opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services to potential buyers overseas, as well as to network with other businesses and government officials and learn more about the local market.

Trade missions can be organised by individual states or in partnership with other countries or international organisations. State governments may also organise seminars and conferences to educate businesses about the opportunities and challenges of exporting to specific markets.

Through these efforts, state governments can help businesses to build relationships with potential customers and partners overseas, as well as to gain a better understanding of the local market, culture, and business practices. This can be instrumental in helping businesses to develop successful export strategies and to identify new opportunities for growth.

Participants at the round table session took time to walk the Governor through their challenges including the Monday sit-home, bad roads in and around Onitsha, especially Owerri Road, difficulty in processing VISA, difficulty in procurement of Certificates of Occupancy, insecurity, touting, revival of the Onitsha Seaport, among others, and pleased with government to mount CCTVs at Upper Iweka and other entry points, to encourage investors to come in.

They also advocated the establishment of integrated trade platform, facilitated by the state, provision of incentives for more people to go into industrialization, creation of a contributory scheme for manufacturers for greater impact, among others as the way forward.

From the foregoing, despite the numerous benefits that state government support for exportation can offer, there are also a number of challenges that need to be overcome. One of the biggest challenges is the risk of creating market distortions. If certain businesses or industries receive more support than others, this can create an uneven playing field and lead to market inefficiencies.

Another challenge is the extent to which state governments are able to properly evaluate the success of their support programs. While it may be possible to track the number of businesses that receive financial assistance or participate in trade missions, it can be much harder to determine the long-term impact of these programs on businesses, the economy, and broader societal goals such as sustainable development.

Finally, there is a risk that state government's support for exportation can lead to a reliance on external markets, at the expense of developing local industries and markets. It is actually very good that the government of Anambra State currently emphasizing on production within the state and environs.

In conclusion, notwithstanding these challenges, state government support for exportation is likely to remain an important driver of economic growth. With the global market becoming increasingly competitive, businesses need all the support they can get to expand their reach and access new markets overseas.

Anambra state government can play an important role in facilitating this process, by providing financial assistance, undertaking regulatory reform, and organising trade missions to foreign markets. The Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA should truly be a one-stop-shop for potential investors. Through these efforts, government can help businesses to overcome the barriers to exportation and build strong relationships with customers and partners overseas.

It is imperative to note that as we move into an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, state governments that invest in exportation support will be well-positioned to reap the benefits of expanded trade and economic growth. By helping businesses to expand their international trade, state governments can create new opportunities for jobs, innovation, and investment, while strengthening their local economies for generations to come. Ndị Anambra, this is the trend that will potentially work and Anambra State under Governor Soludo is on course.