INDUSTRIES AND PROPERTIES GONE MORIBUND IN BIAFRA LAND

By Chidi Aloysius Nwosu (Abia Writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
It is sad that almost all the industries established in Eastern Nigeria after its independence for the people of Eastern Nigeria have gone moribund. It has been discovered that the reason for the deadness of these industries is a ploy by the Nigerian government to enslave, marginalize and make the region irrelevant in the scheme of things in Nigeria, politically, socially and economically.

The industries that have gone moribund in the region include the Seaports in Biafra-land, including the Port Harcourt Port in Port Harcourt city, the Onne Port located at the Ogu Creek near the Bonny river; The Calabar Port located at the ancient city of Calabar, Cross River State and the Sea Port in Warri Delta State. Besides the Nigerian government, frustrating the sea Ports in Biafra land, it went further to thwart several other industries as the Okirika refined petroleum oil jetty, IBETO jetty, kidney island jetty, Macobar jetty and bitumen jetty.

The only terminals and docks of the Sea Ports functioning in Biafra land are those that are used for oil and gas exploitation and exportation because of the revenues the government of Nigeria is getting from the oil and gas. Notwithstanding the revenues the government of Nigeria is getting from the oil and gas all these seaports are underutilised and closed for importations and exportations of general goods, its only used for oil exploitation and exportation.

It is only the seaports in Lagos, which are not in the eastern part of the country that are currently used for the importation and exportation of general goods. Lagos is about six hundred miles from the Eastern part of Nigeria. There is no international airport in the entire eastern States out of about eight international airports in the country. The presidential hotels at Enugu built as part of the eastern government industrialization plan under the leadership of the late Dr. Mike Ihuonuka Okpara is being used as a grazing field for Fulani cattle.

Ezinachi clay and burnt brick has also been abandoned for Dangote cement. The Nkalagu cement industry in Nkalagu has been abandoned and gone moribund also because of the negligence from the side of the government and to boost Dangote cement, who sells cement at an exorbitant price to Nigerians. The golden Guinea brewery, and the modern ceramics industry, both at Umuahia have gone moribund, and are presently used as Hausa/Fulani grazing fields.

The Aba glass industry among others has gone moribund. All of these industries frustrated by the Nigerian government are located in Biafra Land, intentionally to creating massive unemployment in the region. Almost all the roads in the region are in a sorry and worry state; travelling out through the roads of the region is like travelling through a rocky valley, these are a few of many reasons the Indigenous people of Biafra are clamouring for the restoration of the sovereign state of Biafra.