ONWUASOANYA FCC JONES

Yesterday, Nigeria was in Oguta Ameshi. The President of the Federal Republic might have been there if he wasn’t in faraway London, taking a “deserved rest” less than 18 days before he leaves office and expectedly go on a lifelong retirement. But, he was represented by Yemi Osibanjo, his man Friday and the poster boy of the most decadent and deceptive presidential tenure in Nigeria’s political history. The Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Navy Staff and some middle of the class officials from the military and civil service were all there.

Among all the dignitaries that were at Oguta to be entertained by the beauty of our natural lake and probably to deceive the people about their love for them, all the key agencies responsible for the development of inland waterways and waterway transportation or even general transportation were prominently absent from that event. The Navy whom I know the promoters of this obviously fraudulent venture would point out as being present, are responsible for waterways security and not the commercial aspect of our waterways. To the best of my knowledge, Imo State is not facing any immediate threat of piracy, and the project advertised by the government is not a maritime security outpost construction, so the Navy’s presence is insignificant or merely ornamental.

The development of our inland waterways is the exclusive function of the NIWA, the National Inland Waterway Authority, which is currently headed by a responsible and respected Igbo son. I should know that if this project is real, the NIWA boss would be one of its major promoters, as he would deservedly share the credit as one of his achievements for his longstanding loyalty to Buhari and the APC.

Ordinarily, one should be excited to hear of such project coming to Imo State, as its actualization will see to an explosion of opportunities for Imo people and would mark a major leap in the Southeast’s desire for economic emancipation, but most Imolites and Ndigbo are not excited about this, because many of them have reached a conclusion that this is a mere campaign event or an avenue to fritter away our scarce resources rather than a groundbreaking development it has been advertised as being.

I think it is more respectful of the governor to assume that this flagoff is a mere campaign event aimed at advertising his closeness to Aso Rock, because it would be foolhardy for anyone to flagoff a project without having concluded all the initial analysis, including, the survey plans, the costing, the bidding process and also the award of the contract.

Going by all official communication from the government, none of the above has been done. While I read something filled with technical jargons trying to indicate that some surveying had been done, what I can deduce from that communication is that government’s media staff simply unearthed some basic information on the geography and economic advantages of the Urashi river and uploaded same as what they described as “desktop survey” or analysis. In the real sense and by the confession of government spokespersons, there has not been any proper survey, cost analysis or even contract bidding process.

By our own peculiar federalism, the management of waterways is exclusively the preserve of the federal government, hence, if any contract for dredging of a waterway that would harbour international vessels is to be awarded, it has to be done by the federal government and not the State government. So, the federal ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance and other strategic agencies, including, especially, the Nigerian Customs Service, etc must be a part of any activity or discussion that has to do with a major work being done on our waterways. This unfortunately didn’t happen.

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In fact, sometime in September 2022 when the idea of dredging the Oguta lake/Orashi river was first muted, the Minister of Transportation, Engr. Muazu Jaji Sambo came out to distance the FG from knowing anything about the project. I wouldn’t be convinced that a project of that magnitude would be discussed and finalised without the involvement of the key ministry in charge of it.

It is disappointing that Professor Osibanjo whom a lot of us have come to recognise or assume as a man of integrity would always want to lend himself to be used to lend credibility to controversial projects like this one. The RCCG Pastor, SAN and professor should have asked to be given some background on the project before he came to give credence to what is likely to be another fraud by the Uzodimma illegality.

In order to make it look real, I expect that the government will move some equipment to that site at least to give an impression of ongoing work, but we also know that the Ikedi Ohakim administration also brought some equipment to Nworie river to show evidence of ongoing work in the controversial Eight Billion Naira Nworie river dredging scam and the Okorocha administration also got the same Osibanjo to inaugurate warehouses at Imo airport as the full construction of Imo International cargo airport. Imo hasn’t been very fortunate with governance.

MAY IMO WIN!