MAN Petitions Ihedioha Over Deplorable Imo Industrial Layout

The continuous deterioration of the Owerri-Onitsha Road Industrial Layout, Imo State, which initially comprised about 260 industrial plots, is now a serious concern to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

The industrial layout which was created and constructed between 1979 and 1983 by the administration of the late Governor of the old Imo State, Sam Mbakwe, is situated at Irete, Owerri West Local Government area, on the Owerri- Onitsha Expressway.

Some members of the Imo/Abia branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS correspondent on condition of anonymity during the 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Owerri, while applauding the economic contributions of Dangote Group of Companies in the African continent, especially in Nigeria, called Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, to help to lessen the suffering of the manufacturers, who are still doing business at the layout.

“Dangote is doing well, particularly in the area of creating job opportunities for the youths. Dangote group is contributing a lot to the growth of the Nigerian economy, but here in Imo State, as a member of MAN, one of the cement distributors is causing a great damage to the main access road to the Owerri-Onitsha road industrial layout”he said.

Another member of MAN who also spoke on condition of anonymity said, “I know your newspaper had written on this in the past, go there now and see, the internal access road had broken down completely due to the heavy trucks loading and off-loading cement there, one of the distributors owns a cement depot there; these heavy trucks carrying cement ply the internal roads on daily basis and park along the road there”.

“You can see that as a result of the damaged roads, many of our members have closed their factories and some have relocated to other states. Some serious investors, who are willing to come and establish their factories there, cannot because the main access road to the industrial estate had been broken down. We call on Alhaji Aliko Dangote to intervene.”

Delivering his farewell address at the 32nd AGM, as the outgoing chairman of MAN, Imo/Abia branch, Rommy Nwabueze Jones Anyanwu, a lawyer, simply called RNJ, drew the attention of the public to the deplorable condition of the access roads to the industrial layout and in the same manner called on the Dangote Group to intervene and reconstruct the road to save the remaining industries in the layout from fizzling out.

“Our MAN President (Ahmed Mansur), we welcome you to Owerri the Eastern Heartland. We appreciate what you and your team are doing at the national level, we say more grease to your elbow.”

“Sir, we have a big problem at our Onitsha Road Industrial layout, Owerri; where a distributor to your company has decided to put off many of our members out of business. We have discussed it at the national council meeting but we will urge you to intervene and ensure that justice is done to all stakeholders.”

“That matter would have been in Court, but for the mature counsel, our members are still waiting. After your visit and noting comes out, we will not only lose members and potential members but series of
litigations may follow.”

“Industrial layout is legally meant for industries and not for distribution/ trading. Kindly use your good offices Sir, to see to amicable resolution of the matter”RNJ said.

In a letter to Governor Emeka Ihedioha, titled “Poor state of the access roads to our factories at Onitsha Road Industrial Layout, Owerri”, signed by the new Chairman of MAN, Imo/Abia branch, Dr. Barr. JOC Eluwa, and copied to Makoju, the Managing Director of the Dangote Cement Ltd and also copied to the President of MAN, Mansur Ahmed, Lagos, the letter among other things said, “It is instructive to state here that, the commitment towards this maintenance (the internal roads) done by the few factories, who have doggedly and out of patriotism to the State, decided to remain in the industrial Estate rather than relocate to other neighbouring states like some others have done is now been condemned  by the activities of Dangote Cement depot located within the industrial layout and its attending effect of the operation of heavy-duty Dangote trucks rendering the road completely inaccessible to customers and staff alike”.

“This situation has grave effect both to the factories located within the layout and the State as a whole in the following areas: complete erosion of invested capital, discourage new investment into the State,
paints the picture of an irresponsible government toward wealth creation, capital flight from the State as companies continue to close shop and relocate to neighbouring States with better attention to
industrial activities and retrenchment of workers (citizens of the State) with its attending security issues.”

The Chairman, as a result, also called on the Governor to reconstruct “the roads within the estate, for ease of business, liaise with Aliko Dangote to ensure that the roads are fixed and motorable”.

Meanwhile, Mansure Ahmed, President of MAN, has decried the low level of industrialization in Nigeria, saying the manufacturing sector contributes less than 10 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) as against Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa etc which contribute 15-25 percent to their economies.

“This is indeed a cause of great concern, considering the fact that the manufacturing sector is undoubtedly the bedrock of any thriving economy and a major provider of jobs and economic growth opportunities. The manufacturing sector of emerging economies, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa etc are contributing 15-25 percent to their economic” he said.

MAN boss, however, said that Imo and Abia States should craft industrial policies that would establish a strategic nexus between infrastructure development and the attraction as well as expansion of industrial establishment in the two States.

He noted too, that the creation of an enabling environment for industries to thrive would improve the revenue generation capacity of Imo and Abia States.  To this he has urged Governors of Imo and Abia States to come up with industrial friendly policies on reviving ailing, moribund and closed industries in the States by focusing attention on the provision of infrastructure in the industrial layout in the states.