Dredging of River Niger: The solution to low foreign investment in the eastern part of Nigeria. By Ibe Smith (ISB)

Recently, I had a conversation with a motorcyclist who wished I could pay him fifty Naira higher than what I was supposed to pay him. After a little argument, he asked are you Igbo? Yes, I replied, and he said Nwanne (my brother) we are suffering in Lagos. Curiously, I pressed to find out what the matter was and he told me that since the day broke, he just started his bike business around 6:30 pm just to avoid being caught by Lagos state Law enforcement agencies.

The quest to turn Lagos state into a mega city grossly affected  the majority of the Igbos  who reside in Lagos as a result of a Law that was recently passed banning Okada business, demolition of some market places, banning street trading, and deportation.

Even in the midst of suffering and toiling to survive, none of the mega city policy victims wish to relocate back to the east because they feel that the level of business opportunities in the eastern part of Nigeria is very poor. The level of poor investment, and lack of business opportunities within the four eastern states of Nigeria resulted in a high level of migration to Lagos State. Lagos is a city for all they say, and as such they enjoy to suffer in as much as they have a place to lay their head at nightfall.
Obviously, the issue of overpopulation in Lagos is not just as a result of high migration from the eastern part of Nigeria rather over population in Lagos is a global issue. Investors all over the world wish to invest in Nigeria, the first city that comes to any foreign business man is Lagos. An adage in Igbo, says “Onye ji igu ka ewu na eso” (he who has the palm leave attracts the goat)

The question now is what is in Lagos that pushes  people  to come down here to invest? The cost of living is very high, to establish a company in Lagos is not an easy thing, the tax rate is very high and life very difficult in Lagos.

I can say that it is very hard to make it in Lagos as a corporate body. In spite of all these challenges and struggles to survive, foreigners are still willing to invest in Lagos.

Logistics is not an easy one either, bringing a 40ft container from Apapa to my office in ikeja is about N 130,000. Depending on the type of container, you pay a certain amount per a day to the shipping company until the last day the empty container is returned. If the container is a reefer container you have to pay about 35,000 each day.

Logistics inconveniences are the major reasons investors cluster here in Lagos.

E.g. when a foreign company imports some goods containerized in a reefer, A trailer driver will charge about N 700,000 to convey a 40ft container to Aba. Each day the container spends on the road, the customer pay about N 35,000 the shipping company.

When you put all these expenses into consideration, the chances of a foreigner investing in any part of the eastern Nigeria are very slim.

When I was a boy, I prayed to graduate from the secondary school early so that I would have the opportunity to work in Golden Guinea brewery. That was the only functioning factory in Umuahia Abia state as at then but now one hardly sees a foreign factory or company in the east again.

Travelling from Aba or Umuahia to Akwa Ibom, you see vast empty lands because no one is willing to invest in such areas as a result of logistics inconveniences I pointed earlier.

Dredging of River Niger, the solution.

Like I said before, people’s quest to come down to Lagos for investment is not because all are rosy, but because of easy logistics and access to the port. The sea port in Lagos is what attracts people to come over here.  

Recently, many companies moved to Ogun state just to flee from high taxation in Lagos state. Many more are willing to move to Onitsha, Aba Owrri and Enugu if the means of conveying the raw materials are affordable.

It was announced early this year that President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the dredging of the Niger Bridge. Frankly, I was very happy and I wished it was not one of those political promises.

If the River is dredged to become a seaport, it means that one can stay in Onitsha and place an order, and the container is received in Onitsha.

An Indian man who also wants to cut costs will quickly move his factory down to Onitsha to avoid high taxation in Lagos.

People will not be forced to relocate to the east again, rather they will willingly move back to their states.

I believe this should top the agenda of the Igbo governor’s forum.

Germany vs Argentina: Predict and win

It has been a long and impressive road for both final competitors and now Germany and Argentina are set to lock horns in a match that has all the elements of a World Cup classic. The Germans are looking to finish something that they have started since 2010 whereas the Argentines are determined to return to the top by avenging an embarrassing 4-0 thrashing by the same opponents, which happened four years ago.

Germany manager Joachim Low is fortunate enough to have all hands on deck and is expected to feature the same line-up he did against Brazil with legendary striker Miroslav Klose up front with the support of Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil behind him. Defender Mats Hummels has been dealing with tendonitis but is expected to compete.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella saw Real Madrid player Angel Di Maria return to light training but remains extremely doubtful to start after suffering from a thigh injury. However, Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has completely recovered and could start instead of Ezequiel Lavezzi or even Gonzalo Higuain. Left-back Marcos Rojo is dealing with a sore ankle that would not allow him to complete training on Friday but he is nevertheless considered fit enough for the final.

Here’s how to predict:

1. Like Page, Like Post and Share!

2. FOLLOW THIS LINK TO PREDICT https://a.pgtb.me/mzcHPD

3. Only fans who use the link above to predict stand a chance to win!

4. Entries For Prediction Ends when the match starts.

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Kefee buried amid tears (RIP Kefee)

The remains of the late popular gospel singer, Kefee, were finally laid to rest in her home town, Okpara Inland of Ethiope East Local Government, Delta State on Friday, as so many people could not control their emotions.

Most of the mourners, dressed in black tee-shirts with Kefee’s picture printed on them, carried placards and posters of the late singer as they trooped to the burial site.

Before the interment, a homecoming service was held in her honour at Akpevweoghene Educational Centre, Okpara Inland of Ethiope East Local Government, Delta State where family, colleagues, friends and fans gathered to pay their last respect to the late singer.

Her remains, in a white casket, were first taken to one of the classrooms in the school where some pastors prayed for the repose of her soul. Thereafter, the casket was brought to an open field for the lying in state ceremony before she was buried.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that her widower, Teddy Don-Momoh, dressed in white attire, couldn’t say much all through the ceremony as tears kept rolling down his eyes. Our correspondent learnt that her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Obareki, stayed away from the burial as their custom demanded that parents should not see the corpse of their children.

Some Nigerian entertainers who travelled to Delta State for the burial ceremony include Tony Okoroji, Daddy Showkey, Azzezat, Aity, I go dye, Princess and Nikky Laoye.

Born Irikefe Obareki, Kefee passed on in the United States of America last June after being in a coma in an undisclosed hospital for few weeks.

Kefee would be remembered for her popular song, Branama and Kokoroko, which earned her so many awards.

Previously married to a music director, Alec Godwin, Kefee got married again to a Lagos-based on-air-personality with Star FM, Teddy Don-Momoh, in 2012.

NIGERIA: CONFAB PRODUCES LOVER BIRDS

Although the ongoing National Conference will soon come to an end, history is about to be made. When President Goodluck Jonathan made up his mind to convene the confab, he probably never knew that some people had another positive agenda.

While some delegates came to contribute their quota on how to solve the problems facing the country, some others have different missions. A delegate from one of the vocal geo-political zones aged between 55 and 60 has fallen in love with another delegate aged between 60 and 65.

It was learnt that these love birds have concluded arrangements to tie the nuptial knot and will soon say, “Yes I do” to each other before the end of this year.

It was not clear what the marital status of one of them was as of the time of this report. But the other was said to have lost the spouse to the cold hands of death.

When contacted, one of the new lovers confirmed the relationship, saying, “My son, Insha Allah, you will hear from us soon.

Doctors Will Call Off Strike On Monday, Says Health Minister (Good news)

MINISTER of Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Friday said that the nationwide strike called by medical doctors on July 1 would be called off beginning from Monday next week.

   The minister who briefed journalists in Abuja after a series of meetings with health sector stakeholders and representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said  that the ministers of Labour and Productivity and the Health Ministry held a 10-hour long meeting with NMA Friday and they agreed to call off the strike but on condition that government meets certain key conditions.

    Professor Chukwu who restated the Federal Government’s commitment to the growth of the health sector, disclosed that the three key demands of the striking workers have been addressed.

   Although the minister noted that most of the earlier demands of the striking doctors have been addressed, he said that government in the interest of the public has accepted to grant the doctors the outstanding demands.

    These, he said, include the signing of a fresh Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to state that the FG will no longer stop skipping, and that no medical doctor or House Officer should be barred from belonging to any medical association.

   “At the end of meeting which lasted for 10 hours, another MOU was signed Friday . As I speak with you, the Federal Government has met its own side of the MOU and it is expected that the members  of NMA would from today begin to respond and attend to all emergency cases in public hospitals in the spirit of this understanding. It is expected that the NMA will call off the strike after its emergency delegates’ meeting scheduled for next Monday July 7th 2014”, the minister said.