| NNEWI: … Waiting
for IBB’s N50m, 12 years after
By IKENNA EMEWU
Saturday, December 4, 2004
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••Outer
view of Chikason Industries, Nnewi
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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In Nnewi, the industries there are still waiting for the
fulfillment of the endless promises made by successive governments,
even as they grapple with the injustices perpetrated by law
enforcement agencies.
One of the many government deceits the people there cannot
forget in a hurry is IBB’s N50 million. During the days
of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) as military president, he
was reported to have visited Nnewi, and after touring the
factories and being impressed by the marvelous work, he made
a promise to assist their growth. According to the Administrative
Manager of one of the factories, IBB had promised to send
a N50m lifeline to the industries. But it’s about 12
years since he left office, the promise is yet to see the
light of the day. This is just one of the numerous kite-flying
that goes on in Nnewi whenever Nigerian rulers visit there.
Bizarre police
Moreover, the police did the bizarre recently by finding a
company guilty of an offence so weird. They closed down a
factory with over 500 persons in its employment, not because
it turned out fake products, or was found to be carrying out
illegal business. But because it ‘committed the offence’
of defending itself against robbery attack.
That is the fate of one of the biggest factories/manufacturing
outfits that make the Nnewi Light Engineering Industrial Cluster
powerful. The company/victim in question is situated at Uruagu
area of Nnewi. The said ‘offence’ was committed
after several attacks in which robbers carted away an inestimable
amount of property from the factory. Hence, the company, apparently
tired of police failure to protect it against the robbers,
recruited its own security personnel.
Fire for fire
When the dare-devil men visited the factory for the third
time this year, they never knew they were up against a brickwall.
Because of past losses, the giant manufacturing outfit, according
to the story narrated by the management had hired retired
soldiers. So on the hoodlums’ return, fire met fire,
and the lesser one “quenched”. The robbers, having
been overpowered took to their heels and allegedly reported
to the police to come against the industry.
Thou shall not defend thyself
The report to the police, allegedly by the robbers or their
godfathers, was that the industry employs and equips security
men with military assault rifles – AK-47. According
to the allegation, it was with the aid of such sophisticated
weapons that the company’s security overpowered the
robbers. Unknown to them, the security men had only double-barrel
guns, but excelled through their experience . Policemen from
Zone 9, Umuahia came down on the company with fury, allegedly
in search of the said illegal arms and ammunitions. The company
was reportedly under siege from the Zone 9 men for almost
a whole day. Every activity was disrupted and everyone in
the premises held hostage, yet after a thorough search of
the premises and no AK-47 found, the police still refused
to let go until the company parted with N300,000 as ‘compensation’
to the police for ‘wasting their time’.
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