“Botswana is a land locked semi-arid country in Southern Africa. Eighty per cent of the population lives in the eastern hard veld, where livestock and crop production are in direct competition for land. Rapid economic growth since independence (1966) has boosted government revenues, led to higher incomes and decrease in food imports. Improved farming practice, including education, the provision of public services, agricultural support services and subsidised programmes have impacted labour costs, reduced purchases, prices and conserved the land, water, and improved understanding between the livestock and the crop farmers.”

(See Planning for Agriculture in Botswana, Odell, M. A. Gaborone, 1980.)

Lokoja, an old city standing at the conference of the Niger and Benue rivers, was the defense and military headquarters of the Royal Niger Company. At that time, when the colonial masters were yet to come up with the name Nigeria, all those vast territories, form the Atlantic kingdoms of Brass, Opobo, Aboh, Lagos up to the Sahel, the Royal Niger Company, especially from 1886 to 1900, through the instrumentalities of forced treaties, subjugated the Nigerian peoples and chose Asaba as the administrative capital. Subsequently, when the British crown took over control of these territories from the Royal Niger Company on January 1, 1900, the Jus Pax flag of the Royal Niger Company was lowered and the British Union Jack hoisted in its place at both Asaba and Lokoja.

With the development history of the country in the background, I thought it would be most appropriate to begin my development report card on Imo by starting from Lokoja and Asaba.

The late Governor of Kogi State was my relation. He was Igala who hailed from Uzonicha, spoke fluent Igbo. I am Ogbueshi Attahnigalla and the Okocha Mgbagbu heritage is Igalla! I had confronted him before his death on why he and subsequent governors failed and why has Lokoja continued to breathe in decadence? From Lokoja to Okene, crossing the borders of Edo, I shed tears. Nothing was happening there, until I crossed into Edo. These were familiar territories. I was in Edo College and we used Afuze Games Village for our camping during the Ogbemudia era. As we moved down in speed going past Auchi to Ishanland, you could see the infrastructural signposts.

The cement industry, established by Dennis Osadebay, is back in full operation. The people have a new University right there opposite the Comrade’s properties. Now, into Ishanland, where you have more local governments than anywhere in the South. I remember Augustus Aikhomu did it for Ishan people while Ebitu Ukiwe resigned from his powerful position.

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From Ishanland we entered through the new road to the OPEC president’s Onicha Ugbo community. His imposing edifice on the right is a caged mansion; Oil Minister, what next? Dr., you are going to be worse than Ngozi Iweala. Nothing has happened from you to show you are representing Anioma in that Federal cabinet! Arriving Asaba, the first capital, brought back the flowing tears. No university like other capitals, some of which have more than four universities and polytechnics in the state capital. No teaching hospital, this will shock my readers. No stadium. There is no place of sports activity in this over-stressed capital of one street, Nnebisi Road, where constant traffic hold-ups are causing chaos on that same one-street boulevard!

No football club for men or women sponsored by government to absorb the energetic youths of the capital city, whose land has been taken by government, most of time, without any compensation. This has been the pestilence Asaba has suffered from subsequent governors since the ugly hegemony of the Urhobo ascendancy to power, from Ibru to Ibori. We thought that Okowa, an Anioma man, would at least restore the Asabatex Mills like the Kaduna governors have given life to Kaduna Textiles; like the Comrade has done restoring Ukpilla Cement, and like the Delta governors have done to Delta Glass, Ughelli. I was shedding tears crossing over the great Niger Bridge. Now, on theb, you are at the best position to behold the new, clean Onitsha and compare it with the anguish that is Asaba, the first capital.

But Onitsha or Anambra is not my destination. According to the country singer Jim Reeves, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.” To Owerri Oke mba! The state where my tears rolled down in torrents of jubilation. I had passed Awo-mmamma and, heading to Mgbidi, noted for its “animal two legs,” only to accost pupils dressed like KC boys. Pupils oozing confidence, neatly dressed, all in white shirts and trousers. In matching colours around their slender necklines were penciled black-lined ties. KC in Imo State!

Because Imo State roads are not like roads in Asaba, I was able to arrive Owerri from the Bridge under one and half hours … maza maza!! With my simple Dr. Michael I. Okpara development template model in my left pocket and my laptop on my right, I went about this old town. In those days when Asaba, Lokoja, Abeokuta, Benin, Warri, Kafanchan, Enugu and Oshogbo were the cities seen on the map of Nigeria, Owerri Oke mba was the provincial headquarters, where the Shell Company located its pioneer headquarters. Port Harcourt was under the Oke mba province. Before landing town, I had built up a rich correspondence with the authorities and various experts in the areas we were going to use as fabrics in redefining the Imo development indices.

These areas, as in the Botswanian example, we would analyze at the educational, infrastructural and agricultural programmes of Governor Rochas Okorocha. Already, we have talked to the Commissioner for Agriculture and he has taken us to the Nekede Farms and the Songhai Farms and we intend to get to Ohaji Farms, among others, and see how Okorocha’s agriculture programmes could be jump-started, synergising with the progress so far registered in the educational and infrastructural development going on in the state.