By Brown Chimezie
United Igbo Traders, Artisans and Restaurant Owners of Nigeria (UNITRAN) has said that with the proposed Oji River Industrial City which on completion would be the first of it’s kind in the South-East zone and also with the potential of competing favorably on the global economy, Enugu would soon drop the tag of a civil servant state.
The multi-billion dollar project which is being pioneered by the Government of Enugu State in partnership with CEELUX group,an infrastructure development company will be established in Ugwuoba, Oji River Local Government.
Speaking on the multi-billion dollar project, Ukehe, Enugu State born president general of the association, Dr Chris Ezeh, said that the project would transform the economy of the state
According to him, in addition to being an international trade complex, Oji River Industrial City would also comprise of housing estates, recreation centers, schools, hospitals among other infrastructures.
Dr Ezeh said that from all indications, the dream of Oji River Industrial Park when put into use, would ginger investment flow from Anambra and other states in the country into Enugu state, thereby ending the description of Enugu as a civil servant state. He said that governor Mbah’s choice of Ugwuoba for the industrial city stems from his announced vision to stir a new direction in revamping the state’s economy through disruptive innovation.
“This stems from the fact that Ugwuoba, the host community is a border town between Awka, the capital of Anambra State and Oji River town in Enugu state. There are no difficult terrain hills or seas separating the two towns. By extension, the envisaged industrial City will equally stir a new wave of industrial revolution in the South-East economy and the nation at large, based on strategic location of the axis and available natural resources within Oji River town and neighbouring communities which have either remained abandoned, neglected or untapped, by previous governments at both the state and federal level, in the past four decades or there about. Oji River is blessed with over 99 percent natural purity water , currently under – utilised with over 98 percent waste as run off, is readily available to serve and support multi national and international companies which would relocate to Ugwuoba industrial park.
“Speaking further he said, It is worthy to note that pharmaceutical giants, brewing and other manufacturing firms always consider the proximity or distance of abundant source of water supply as one major factor in their choice of a new station. Similarly, the broad and ever flowing Oji river meandering across most of the communities in the local government constitutes another factor of production that will attract investors into Oji River town and the state at large.
He said that checks have revealed that there are already established network of roads that links Oji River town and other states in the South-East zone, adding that apart from the Enugu to Awka to Onitsha express road and old road through 9th mile corner to Oji River and Udi.
The Ugwuoba/Ojinato link road to Inyi/Akpugoeze communities in Oji River which runs into Anambra and Abia state communities.The Oji River to Achi to Awgu road links Okigwe in Imo state and Ishiagu town and many other communities in Ebonyi state and will surely open up new clusters of inter-state business ventures across the South-East zone and beyond.
According to him, the natural vegetation and plain topography of Ugwuoba and other communities within the local government would not pose a difficult terrain for various kinds of establishment by investor.
He said that he strongly believe that the choice of Ugwuoba, Oji River Industrial City by the present administration in Enugu state led by Gov. Mbah would play vital role in reinventing Oji River town to playing vital roles in the socio economic growth of Enugu state, South-East zone and the nation at large.
He also recalled that Oji River Thermal power station contributed immensely to the economy of the Nigeria and defunct Eastern Nigerian government with utilization of coal deposits from Enugu coal mines.
According to him, with the on- going effort to remove solid minerals like coal from exclusive list of the federal government, if that succeeds and Enugu coal mines are revitalized, the possibility of re- establishing Oji Thermal station is realizable.
He expressed optimism that the coming of Oji River Industrial City could influence the revitalization of the abandoned Oji River Federal Tannery.
He added that the abandoned tannery had contributed immensely to the economy of the defunct Eastern region.
“In the past, Oji River local government area used to be an industrial hub. Some of the key federal and state government establishments in Oji River communities includes the Oji River Forest Reserves at Mile 2, the Oji River water flow itself, the Akpugoeze Forest Reserve, the Cashew Farms/Industries at Ahani Achi, the Achi Farm School currently neglected and performing below standard, the Akpugoeze Teachers Training College, the revitalisation of drilling at gas deposit sites at Ugwuoba, the Enugu state College of Health technology, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Police Detective College, among others. I am very confident that governor Mbah’s initiative and vision of developing a new township outside Enugu metropolis can be fully realized with more investments in the abundant but abandoned potentials in Oji River LGA, most of which were discovered by the British colonial administration. That is why I feel that the coming of Oji River Industrial City is a step in the right direction