Nigeria: Ebonyi State Regaining Her Taste As The Salt Of The Nation

Abakaliki City Carnival/ebonyivoice

 The federal republic of Nigeria is blessed with vast ethnic groups in the 36 states that made up the West African country, with each of them contributing it's quota of their natural resources to make the country a truly sovereign state capable of addressing the needs of her citizens. Among these 36 states is Ebonyi State which is going to be the focal point of our discussion on this very post.
Ebonyi state is in the eastern-region of Nigeria and is inhabited by Igbo ethnic group. The state was created on the 1st of October 1996 from the then Enugu/Abia state during the military era. Ebonyi state has a population of about 1,740,000 with 9 languages and many dialects in its 13 Local Governments, which are all subgroups of the original Igbo language spoken throughout the eastern Nigeria.

Substantial Facts About Ebonyi State

Ebonyi State has many historical sites and natural resources such as the Ganymede Chapel where the first governor of the Eastern Region was buried, Ebonyi Hotel, Modern golf course etc.

The state has produced many notable sons and daughters in the past and present. The likes of Sir Akanu Ibiam, (1906-1995) who championed the Bible Society of Nigeria and the Christian Medical Fellowship, with Airport and Polytechnics named after him because of his achievements while alive.

Akanu Ibiam Poly/nigeriaschool.com.ng

  Another notable son of Ebonyi was the Nigerian-American anthropologist and professor, Prof. John Ogbu who was born in the village of Umudome in the present Ebonyi State (1939-2003).

 He was a force to be reckoned with in the 1996 controversy surrounding the use of African American Vernacular English in public schools in Oakland, California. He was focused on as one of the "four intellectual giants of the 20th century".

Prof. John Ogbu/ogbu.com

 When you come to actors/actresses, Ebonyians are fully represented as well. Osinachi Kalu (Sinachi), Ishiagu born Angela Okrie, Nollywood actress Grace Amah, Chita Agwu. You just name them. Even the late popular musician, Prince Nico Mbarga has traces from Abakaliki in Ebonyi state because his mother hails from there. 

 Natural mineral resources of Ebonyi includes Cement, Lead, Zinc, Salt with Groundnut, Rice, Yam, Cocoa yam, and water yam as agricultural resources. These are facts about Ebonyi state that are beyond questioning.

The 21st Century Ebonyi State In Nigeria

When you look at the sighted achievements of Ebonyi state above, if care is not taken, one would begin to question the present state of Ebonyi due to such notable pasts. The question that readily come to mind concerning Ebonyi state is this, are the sons and daughters of the state doing everything within their reach to build on the good foundations that they have?

 The answer to this question is, 'Yes n' No!

 (1.) Yes, in the sense that since May 1999 when democracy returned to Nigeria that many of her sons and daughters who had been privileged to mount to the stage of leaderships, had tried their best to make sure that the state retained her past glories and build from there in spite of various oppositions both from within and outside the state.

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Prior to the present dispensations, which started from 1999, most elites from Ebonyi state often prefer to remain in other states of the federation that are more developed and have their investments there while looking at their people as bushmen and women that doesn't know their left from right.

 Some even travel abroad, nationalize there and forget home entirely because back then, Ebonyi state used to be known as the hubbub of every water born diseases imaginable and poverty stricken.

 The Ebonyians are beginning to know the value of real life education and not necessarily the university educations which often times expose people to other wrongs ideas instead of the common sense that our fathers used to train us to become what we are today. Yes, common sense has enabled most of them to realize the follies of spending all their active lives outside their state of origin and only to come back when they are already looking downwards on to their grave yards.

Look around and you would see the influx of Ebonyi sons and daughters back to the state of their origin due to the common sense that tells them that 'Together they can make Ebonyi great and could compete favorably with other states of the federation, while living comfortably in their father's land with less distractions.

 More to that, in addition to the 13 L.G.A in Ebonyi state, there also sixty four (64) Development Centres scattered around the state for the benefits of having the government closer to the people. These are the 'YES' part of the answer to the above question and Ebonyians are testifying positively to them.

The 'No' Aspects Which I Stands To Be Corrected If Proven Wrong

(2.)  NO, in the sense that most of the indigent of Ebonyi state are still doubtful of what is possible at home. Most of them are still living in the past thinking that being educated is only by attending the four walled classes that are now being replaced with schools without walls; because lots of graduates are outside already discharging what they learned in school for free with those clever enough tapping from their experiences. TWEET THAT.

Most of the Ebonyians are still on the streets and farms in different villages in Nigeria with hopes of coming back to show their achievements to those at home not knowing that the "homeboys" per say had left them behind in terms of achievements and other things in life.

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If you have been away from home for long, then do this and see things for yourself:  'Travel home and you would be certain to cover your face with shame because of what you would see in terms of development and achievements in various sectors of the economy'.

No still, in the sense that despite all his excellency, Dave Umahi is presently doing for the Ebonyians in diaspora, many are still clinging to the old and crooked methods of survival of the fittest just like in the jungle.

Ebonyi hawkers in Abuja/abujafacts.ng

They are still in every nooks & crannies of different states in Nigeria and around the world; (a.) Hawking different wares with tray pans on their heads as women, (b.) Necklaces/wristwatches roaming the streets and motor parks as men, (c.) Phone accessories/toys etc in the wheelbarrow as young men and it has become so common that no matter how affluent a person may be as an Ebonyian, any thing he does always has some references made or pointed out to him or her of how impoverished Ebonyians are because they are seen everywhere with their trade-marks. According to some statistics, about 1000 Ebonyi origin die annually in road accident as the result of hawking.This is an aspect of the blames that are shared between individuals and partly the state government.

 Most of the Ebonyians just like the proverbial 'dog with an already loosened chains on the neck' are still afraid of trying again once more; thinking that the chain would inflict more injury. Yes, some are still saying it that they don't want to go back home and end up making fun of themselves if things doesn't work out as expected.

 For the average sane persons, such reasoning is nothing but a lame excuse because if things has been working out well for the person, the evidence could have been open for all to see. Though some Ebonyians are doing wonderfully well outside their state no doubt but the ratio is 1 in 5000!

Inferiority Complex In Them

SEE WHAT EBONYI STATE IS DOING FOR HER PEOPLE

"I don't just know why most Ebonyians are like this, could it perhaps be that they are suffering from inferiority complex?" That was a remark from an Anambra friend, while I was compiling this post. He also cited an example of a discussion he heard between two friends who were contemplating of the type of business to go in.

They were just brainstorming various types until one of them came with a very good one which he backed up reason, an Ice Cream production! "We can do it and have these Ebonyi people employed to sell it for us, besides they are very honest and hard working and another good thing about them is that they are always comfortable with any job that keeps them trekking or cycling from one place to another". Hawking!

Another thing that he said but which I shunned him, was that Ebonyi people are mostly comfortable under someone as servants, which means that they wouldn't mind remaining with a boss as long as he is providing them with whatever peanut to keep them going.

 For crying out loud, Ebonyi people are hard working right from origin but how come they become a laughing stock among other tribes in Nigeria, especially the eastern parts of the country, still remain quite unclear and highly unfounded!

 Are they coursed or are suffering from the sins of their forefathers? That too was a question thrown by an Aguata trader at Onitsha main market during a fracas involving an Ebonyi hawker with a man who refused to pay after eating a plate of locally made salad that she hawks in the market.

The Overall Purpose Of This Article 

We need to get one basic fact clear from this write up. We are not discouraging the ideas of staying in another states or even countries as an Ebonyi person but the point here is not for anyone of them to go there and become too adamant to think home even when such ones know very well that they stand no chance in whatever that are going on there as much preferences are usually given to the true sons and daughters of the land even when with less qualifications than you, the stranger.

 Instead of remaining there scrapping for the left overs just like the famous prodigal son, why not come back home and have yourself rearranged, and get something doing with less expenditures in your home town? I'm sure that this very idea is applicable to every body and not just Ebonyians in diaspora.

There has been examples and still ongoing of those who left the so-called townships and headed back to their states of origin and things turned out so well for them that they regretted not relocating earlier than they did. Please if this is your experience or that of someone you know, kindly let others know through the comment box at the end of this article.
 
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Stop being or constituting nuisances in other places just for the sake of being abroad when you can do much better in your home soils. Things are not easy, we know and that is the main reasons why we have to look for ways to make it easy for ourselves.

 As for Ebonyi state which happens to be the main focus here, there are absolutely no reason why they have to continue lean in the land of plenty. Some of them outside their state of origin could not even afford transport fare to go back home, whereas the people at home are packaging themselves far much better than the so-called Aba, Onitsha, Lagos, USA, Canada, and London branches etc...

If we could flip open our history books about Nigeria, we would find out that Ebonyi State on their own, single-handedly saved many during the Nigeria/Biafra war when food shortages were everywhere with Kwasiokor on the rampage. With her salt and other agricultural produce to go with, many were not eliminated by the hardships of that era.Ask the war survivors and they would tell you more of what Uburu ome salts did for them.

Come to think of it, they are the salt of the nation and we all know what it is like to eat foods without salt in it. They don't just answer it as a name but have it in quantum as their mineral resources along with cement, lead, and zinc.

In terms of agriculture, the state is one to be reckoned with but it's just that the government has not really looked into that direction in the past.

 But with the present dispensations of Dave Umahi under the auspices of Bar. Uchenna Orji as the commissioner for agriculture, things are definitely looking differently and more so as Nigeria targets 2016 for self sufficiency in food production via farming.

If adequately supported and fully funded, Ebonyi state and other foods producing states in Nigeria could be able to feed her citizens with enough for exports thereby attracting more revenues and foreign exchanges for the country.

Ebonyi Rice/naijatowncrier.com

 Abakaliki rice mill is producing in excess of 3,600 metric tones per day with about 7,000 metric tones of rice husk as raw materials for animal feeds and building materials, that is different from other agricultural sectors like yam, cocoa yam, water yam, cassava, groundnut etc.

According to Hon. Joseph Nnunu, the executive chairman of Abakaliki Rice Mill Owners Association, "the mill is presently the largest rice mill in West Africa and is capable of producing more that could go round the whole country if given the opportunity. Call the agent for the board of internal revenue for more details regarding rice and rice husk on: 08120961505 

The benefits of farming is not to be overly emphasized because it speaks for itself. Most of the Northerners who didn't even have much of the secular education, are doing well with their families through farming of various kinds and are gainfully employed in agricultural, poultry and livestock farming.

Ebonyians are blessed and the earlier they know this the better for them because we are living in the information age and the eye of the world is in everywhere that things could come from in terms of investment opportunities.

Ebonyi solid mineral resources/ebonyistate.gov.ng

 Every other states of the federation is unique with their own natural resources waiting to be tapped. All it requires is for the indigenous people to look inwardly and see that they have in quantum, all that they have been erstwhile flying up and down right there in their door steps.

Look around and get up with what God has blessed you, your sate, your country with instead of  remaining slaves all through your lifetime.