Why PDP may reclaim Imo in 2015

By CHUKS OLUIGBO

Between 1979 and 1983 when Sam Onunaka Mbakwe ruled Imo State, Imo people learnt the hard way that in our kind of politics, it pays to be in the same party with the government at the centre. For those four excruciating years, Mbakwe, as yet the best governor to have ruled the state, had earned himself the sobriquet “The Weeping Governor” because of his importunate but largely unheeded yells to the Shehu Shagari-led central government to extend a hand of help to the state. In spite of Mbakwe’s sterling efforts in the state, not much came to Imo from the FG in terms of developmental assistance. Reason: Imo was under the control of Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) while the Federal Government was controlled by the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Following that experience, therefore, Imo people seemed to have come to an agreement to always follow the party at the centre. So, when in 1999 Nigeria returned to civil rule, the state naturally joined the largest party in the country, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), whose only prominent figure then was Ezekiel Izuogu who became its guber candidate, was largely inconsequential in the state. The then All People’s Party (latter-day All Nigeria People’s Party and now part of the All Progressives Congress) barely managed to win a few local councils and some seats in the state House of Assembly.

By the time of the 2003 general elections, Imo had become 100 percent PDP, giving Achike Udenwa, the then governor, a smooth ride back to Douglas House. That situation has remained largely unchanged, and remains so even now, in spite of the fact of the ruling governor being in a different party.

Internal crisis hit Imo PDP prior to the 2007 elections, which led the party to declare that it had no candidate in the governorship election. In spite of that apparent predicament, however, it was clear, as events unfolded, that PDP was still in charge; that Ikedi Ohakim’s movement from PDP to Orji Uzor Kalu’s hastily-concocted Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and his eventual emergence as the state governor in the elections were all part of the grand ploy by the PDP to retain power through other means. This became glaring when Ohakim returned to PDP in 2009, a move which pitted him against Kalu. Of course, many Imo people would later confess that they never voted for PPA in that election.

The crisis in Imo PDP did not go away after the elections. Rather, Ohakim’s return to the party further aggravated its fractious state. From 2009 up to the time of the 2011 elections, the battle for the soul of Imo PDP assumed alarming proportions. The battle was fought on all fronts, with Ifeanyi Araraume, the PDP guber candidate in 2007 who claimed to have been deprived of his well-deserved victory, joining forces with his avowed enemy, Udenwa, to fight a common enemy. Araraume’s Destiny Organisation and Udenwa’s Redemption Group allied against Ohakim’s New Face Organisation – and it was speculated that Okorocha’s Agenda Group also joined the Alliance camp because Okorocha seemed closer to them than he was to the NFO.

The situation worsened when Ohakim hijacked the August 2010 local council elections in the state by imposing his hand-picked candidates against the wishes of the majority. Although the PDP won the election 100 percent, the discontent it generated stayed with the party, leading to mass exodus until, coupled with Ohakim’s numerous other misadventures, the party was toppled in the 2011 elections which brought Rochas Okorocha to power.

Okorocha, therefore, rode on the back of the people’s disenchantment with the then Governor Ohakim. It was not that the people had deserted the PDP. No, they simply voted the candidate of their choice, not the party. The votes in the 2011 election were not necessarily against the PDP but against the person of Ohakim – in favour of the person of Okorocha and not APGA per se. That was why President Goodluck Jonathan won massively in Imo and PDP retained majority of the seats in the state assembly in 2011, notwithstanding.

The death of APGA

In spite of Okorocha coming to power on the APGA platform, it was clear, even before his departure to join APC, that APGA was yet to have a stronghold in the state. That some members of the state House of Assembly cross-carpeted to APGA was a matter of exigency. They needed to be seen to be in consonance with their governor.

When he rode on the back of APGA, Okorocha called on Imolites and Ndigbo to join the party which he said was a distinct political party that the Igbo passionately believed in and followed like a religion. “All Igbo should join APGA for us to be identified, it is our culture. Every Igbo man is APGA before any other party,” he had said.

Barely two years into his tenure, however, Okorocha has not only joined the newly-formed APC but has also condemned APGA and declared it dead in the state.

Indeed, there is every reason to suppose that APGA may be practically dead in Imo, though some loyal party members still claim their party is intact. Since his younger brother and ex-deputy governor, Jude Agbaso, was disgraced out of office by the Okorocha government, Martin Agbaso, the strongman of APGA in the state, has migrated to political Siberia. He appears to still be licking the wounds he inflicted on himself via his association with Okorocha.

APC’s fate

But even the APC has no foothold in Imo. “APC is not trusted by Imolites. Imo people see it as a party of reactionary politicians interested only in power, e.g., Rochas Okorocha, Achike Udenwa, and Osita Izunaso,” said an analyst who does not want his name in print, adding that for now, Ifeanyi Araraume is standing aloof, although his body language shows he might return to the PDP.

As for the legislators who seem confused at this point, the analyst said they may not be willing to join the APC. Their likeliest move, therefore, would be to return to their original fold, PDP.

Meanwhile, a major crack has been reported in Imo APC, barely a month after the inauguration of its harmonisation committee. This is a fallout of Governor Okorocha’s recent nomination and appointment of commissioners and members of the state executive council which, reportedly, did not include any member of Udenwa’s group.

Some top members of the APC loyal to Udenwa were reported as saying the release of names of commissioners by Okorocha was an indication that they would not work with him in the party. They say the admission of Okorocha into the party had created some level of mistrust within the party ranks because, according to them, Okorocha had refused to allow any member of the ACN to occupy any position in the interim party executive. It was not until they took an internal battle to his doorsteps that he conceded the position of interim secretary to their camp, which is now held by Lambert Iheanacho, a captain.

They also allege that the governor would unilaterally appoint only members of his Agenda structure as interim excos of the party at the ward and local government levels, regretting that Okorocha’s admission into APC was a political miscalculation. They also claim Okorocha’s greedy attitude was the reason no prominent politician in the state has joined APC since its registration. “With this kind of attitude, we can’t allow him to have his way in 2015. We’ll present a credible governorship candidate to Imolites,” the aggrieved APC members were quoted as saying.

The Okorocha factor

Few months ago, Viola Onwuliri, minister of state for foreign affairs, described Okorocha as a rolling stone that gathers no moss and a man “in pursuit of personal vainglory”, saying the governor cannot be trusted in any venture.

Indeed, watchers of Okorocha’s style of politics have said his vacillations may cost him dearly in 2015. Already, analysts are saying that the governor’s rating among Imo people has dropped considerably as he no longer enjoys the kind of massive support that brought him to power in 2011. They point to a litany of sins which include his sacking of the 10,000 graduates employed in the state civil service by his predecessor, his shabby treatment of duly elected local government chairmen and councillors, the recent so-called ‘Abortion Law’ which drew the ire of the Christian faithful in the state, among others.

PDP’s resurgence

In spite of the earthquakes that have hit Imo PDP these past years, there are indications that the crisis in the party has been fully resolved, with every member now on the same page. The party is said to be waxing strong under the leadership of Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) as chairman and George Egu as secretary.

As an analyst put it, “PDP is intact, very strong, very much on ground in Imo. The pre-2011 implosion caused by Ohakim’s imposition of candidates in the 2010 LG elections has been resolved. PDP is 100 percent united. Ward tours are currently ongoing. Reconciliation meetings are being held across board spearheaded by PDP Reconciliation and Mobilisation Committee which has Jerry Chukwueke as chairman.”

Going by these facts, PDP seems to be the only party in the state with a formidable structure. As such, the party’s prospects in 2015 look bright. There are also predictions that all those politicians who were frustrated out of the party may return – even Okorocha himself. If this happens, it will be a plus for the PDP.

However, the party’s fate in 2015 may eventually be determined by the credibility of the candidate it presents to Imolites. Recent experience has shown that when faced with a choice between party affiliation and a credible candidate, the people may choose the latter.

Nigerian universities and the challenge of producing industry-ready graduates

CHUKS OLUIGBO

Nigeria’s university education system is faulty. Employers and human resources experts have been saying so. The system, they say, has failed to equip graduates with the right skills suited for today’s work environment. Today’s organisations hire people to perform specific tasks that help them in achieving their business goals. They don’t want graduates that parade just certificates, but graduates with the right working skills who can contribute to the development of the organisation. They want technical competence; they also want candidates properly equipped with complementary skills such as problem-solving ability, interpersonal skills, effective communication skills (oral and written), reflective and critical thinking ability, organising skills and ability to translate ideas to action.

Unfortunately, the average graduate of a Nigerian university lacks most of these skills. That is why we often hear employers lament that Nigerian graduates are unemployable. But the graduate is not totally to blame. What skills are Nigerian university teachers imparting? What skills do they themselves possess? Do they have a mindset different from civil servants in government ministries, departments and agencies? Of course, you cannot pluck palm fruits from an orange tree. And so, year-in year-out, the Nigerian university system churns out graduates without the requisite skills to fit into today’s challenging work environment.

One basic reason for this is that not much of teaching is going on in our universities today, due largely to the quality of teachers. The quality of teachers in the universities has dropped considerably. The old system whereby best graduating students in each department were retained as graduate assistants has been discontinued in virtually all the universities. As such, these would-have-been great academics find their way out of the education system and, in many cases, out of the country where they make immense contributions, while the average or below average graduates, failing to find jobs elsewhere, return to the university to get higher degrees and become university teachers. Niyi Osundare, professor of English at University of New Orleans, USA, captures the situation more succinctly: “The students we are producing now are half-baked not because they lack potential, but because those potentials are never actualised. It’s high time we began to examine those that are teaching in our university system. Mediocre teachers will always produce mediocre students. It is a logical process. Unless those students are lucky or they are extraordinary and so decide to learn beyond their teachers. Effective, conscientious teaching is vanishing from our universities.”

Another angle to the problem is that many university teachers do not bother to update their knowledge. How much research, for instance, is going on in our universities today? The truth is that many of our university teachers do not embark on any research. If they ever do, it’s for selfish reasons: for journal publications so that they can get promoted (the age-long “publish or perish” syndrome) – it’s nothing that benefits the students, nothing that benefits the society. And so, in this age of information revolution, university teachers keep regurgitating to students the selfsame notes they themselves had received as undergraduates ages ago, as though in slavish obedience to a certain cast-in-stone code: add nothing, remove nothing. The argument about government not funding research enough may well be valid, and one can’t excuse government’s dereliction of duty, but what have the university teachers done with the little that’s been available over the years?

Added to the above is the obvious lack of communication between the university (the gown) and the larger society (the town). Nigerian universities operate like islands – except, of course, when they demand better welfare from government, like now that ASUU is on strike. They don’t know what the society needs and so fail to tailor their curriculum accordingly. For instance, of what use have the tonnes of term papers, degree projects, Masters and PhD theses on varied subjects produced by students on a yearly basis been to industry, to society? How have these research works aided government in its policy formulations? None whatsoever. Instead, these efforts, every passing day, continue to gather dust in library shelves that even subsequent students don’t bother to visit – probably of their utter irrelevance. But these research projects can become relevant if they focus on particular problems that industry seeks solution to, and industry can actually sponsor such research works – for its own good.

There is, therefore, an urgent need for a thorough review of the entire system, not just the regular surface scratching. For instance, changing the Department of History to Department of History and International Studies, or the Department of Archaeology to Department of Archaeology and Tourism Studies without commensurate change in the course content or in the requisite skills of those who teach the courses is like pouring old, soured wine into a new wineskin: the sour taste remains. You have merely exchanged a monkey for a baboon. So, for any real change to happen, it’s the curriculum, not the name, that needs to change.

To achieve this, the gown and the town must communicate effectively to arrive at course content that meets society’s immediate and long-term needs. As Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State governor, rightly said in his speech at the Lagos State University (LASU) on June 6, 2013 to mark his 2200 days in office: “Our human resource is the most important resource we have and will ever have. Our students in tertiary institutions are in the generation right behind us. They are the ones who are being prepared for the job market and leadership responsibility. They are the ones who will replace me and the commissioners, the permanent secretaries, the legislators and the judges, indeed the entire public service. They are the ones who in a short time will bear the responsibility to refine our crude oil, generate our electricity, produce our water, manage this university, build our trains, secure our state and country and generally be responsible for our people’s well-being. All of these will happen very soon. The question then is this: Do these leaders in waiting and in training understand what we are doing? Do they understand why we are doing it? What are the choices of study that they themselves have made? Why did they make them? Does our society still require those skills they are learning? Is there an inherent flaw in the training we are offering in a way that it does not connect with our societal needs? Why do we have so much to do in our country and yet still have so many unemployed people?”

Therefore, as a way of bridging this gown-town divide, universities need to begin, from time to time, to invite industry experts to interact with both students and lecturers to share on-the-field experiences. There is no reason, for instance, why a fellow who has spent a lifetime in a particular industry, say, automobile, cannot get a place as adjunct professor in the Mechanical Engineering department of a Nigerian university. For all you care, such a fellow sharing hands-on experience with students might have greater impact than a professor’s whole semester’s lecture notes.

Finally, aside from interacting with the rest of society to ascertain their needs, our university teachers need to constantly update themselves with the latest developments in their fields of specialisation through research, conferences, workshops, etc. This is the only way they and the graduates they produce can remain relevant in an ever-changing world.

The art and business of shoemaking in Nigeria

All across the country, Nigerian cobblers are making exquisite pieces that are competing favourably with footwear manufactured in any part of the world in quality, design and patronage, writes CHUKS OLUIGBO

Tunji Oriade likes to dress classy, always a cynosure of all eyes. This Monday morning is no exception. As he walks through the expansive waiting lounge into his office dressed in his signature white shirt, red tie, dark suit, and shiny dark shoes, all eyes are on him, eyes shiny with admiration. But what catches the most attention to this young, fast-rising executive are his shiny dark shoes branded ‘Made-in-Italy’. Many of his colleagues imagine the huge amount he must have coughed out for the obviously high-quality shoes. However, it is only Oriade and his shoemaker that know that the shoes are not that expensive, nor are they from Italy or any foreign country for that matter; they are made in Nigeria by Nigerians.

Like Oriade, many upper and middle class Nigerians are increasingly patronising made-in-Nigeria footwear disguised as foreign shoes, consciously or unconsciously. All across the country Nigerian shoemakers are manufacturing exquisite pieces that are of equal – or sometimes even higher quality – with shoes manufactured in any part of the world.

Favour Adekola, a banker who resides in Ikeja, says she gets most of her shoes from a local shoemaker in her area. She, however, adds that she does not reveal the true source of her lovely shoes to anyone in her office for fear of being laughed at, reason being that most of her colleagues claim they are in love with Italian shoes and can’t wear made-in-Nigeria. “But the reality of the matter,” says Adekola, “is that there is truly no difference between what I wear and their so-called Italian designs. In fact, they are even the ones who most of the times turn around to admire my shoes and ask for the source. Sometimes it occurs to me they might as well be wearing repackaged made-in-Nigeria in the name of Italian designs.”

Indeed, the business of shoemaking in Nigeria is becoming a lucrative one. Nigerians today have increasingly shown keen interest in locally produced shoes and are beginning to patronise them instead of foreign-made shoes or second-hand imported shoes.

“Shoemaking business seems to be generally lucrative because everybody wears shoes,” says Okechukwu Ude, a lawyer who resides in Festac, Lagos. “The demand is continuous as no one can leave their house without wearing something on their feet. And some people can change their shoes every now and then. This is especially true of women who want a different pair of shoes for every single dress in their wardrobe.”

Before now, shoemakers in Nigeria relied on locally sourced materials. That was in the boom days of the leather industry in Kano, northern Nigeria. The supply chain was such that the wholesalers, who were mainly based in Onitsha, went to Kano to get the supply; dealers in Aba would then go to Onitsha to get their supply; and people from other parts, including Lagos, would then go to Aba. And Aba and Kano were known as epicentres of local shoe production.

In a 2012 article, Salisu Ibrahim refers to Dukawa and Kofar Wambai quarters in Kano Metropolis which have been known for shoemaking from time immemorial. Here, according to him, the youths pride themselves with shoemaking business, and observers believe there is no household which does not engage, one way or another, in the production of shoes and car seat covers or both. Products made in Kofar Wambai include various high quality leather shoes ranging from styles made for royalties, sandals for men and women, and different styles of cover shoes of different leather designs and quality.

Raw materials for the industry, Ibrahim reports, were normally sourced locally. Then, animal skins were processed locally into leather. However, things seem to be changing as the products are now processed and manufactured abroad, and many local shoemakers now have to source their materials from abroad. This has somehow apparently sidelined these artisans, and as these products are imported back into the country, their prices have become exorbitant.

But in spite of these challenges, the youths of the area are not daunted. "Our people are very hardworking; they are fully occupied, they have been producing shoes as was the practice by our forefathers and we are ready to continue with it in spite of the challenges," Ibrahim quotes Muhammad Awwal, chairman of Shoemaking Multipurpose Cooperative Society in the area, as  saying.

Simon-Peter Ogbede, director of Storms Climax Cobblers, Lagos, says he sources his materials from abroad. “Most of our materials come from abroad, mostly from Italy and Spain. We prefer these foreign materials because they are of better quality than the local ones. Some also come from China, but they are usually of lesser quality,” he says.

Ogbede, who is also the chairman of Young Cobblers Association in the Ojo area of Lagos, has been in the business of shoemaking for 18 years. However, according to him, he seems to have been born with the skill. He says he began practicing with his father’s old boots in the military barracks in his junior secondary school days. He would cut the boots into tiny pieces and then try to produce slippers or sandals with the pieces using condemned soles.

But there are still smaller practitioners in the industry who cannot as yet afford the foreign materials. One of such is Ahmed Oniyide, 24, who runs a small cobbling outfit in the Ojo area of Lagos. Someday, Oniyide hopes to grow big and register his proposed business name, Ahmzy Pumping Shoe Cobbler Built Boutique, with the Corporate Affairs Commission. But until then, he would have to continue buying his raw materials from Sadiku, Mushin. “That is where we buy our materials from. The dealers at Mushin in turn get their supplies from Aba. Besides Mushin, there are other smaller markets in Lagos where these materials are sold, but Mushin is the central market,” he tells me.

While many Nigerians still think that foreign-branded shoes are of better quality than Nigerian-made shoes, Ogbede says such people are deluding themselves. “Many of the so-called foreign shoes in the Nigerian market today are actually made in Nigeria, but we label them made in Italy or Spain for easy marketing. You know, our people are obsessed with so-called foreign products,” he explains.

“Similarly, most of the shoes that come from Dubai are made in Nigeria and sent to Dubai where they are somehow retouched and shipped back to this place. I have had to supply shoes, Pam slippers and sandals to friends who came from Dubai, UK and the US.”

The locally produced shoes, Ogbede says, have an advantage over the foreign ones, which makes it possible for the local shoes to outperform those from other countries. “We use the same quality of materials that they use in Italy and Spain. In fact, there is even no way of distinguishing between our products and the ones that come from abroad in terms of design and quality, but the advantage we have over them is that we understand the terrain better, so we adapt our products to local conditions. For instance, the soles they use in Italy cannot survive our rainy environment, but ours do,” he says, adding that he gives at least one-year guarantee on his shoes.

As the quality of these locally-made shoes improves, the patronage too is increasing. Even though a good number of Nigerians still complain that locally-made shoes are not there yet in terms of finishing, quality of materials, durability and glamour, many are beginning to think otherwise and are increasing their patronage for local shoes.

“A lot of Nigerians are beginning to realise that these Nigeria-made shoes also have very good quality and they are patronising us. I, for instance, supply to some boutiques and shops around, but they are the ones who make the gain. Because they know these shoes are made here, they price them very low, then go to their shops and sell at the same rate with the imported ones.” He, however, admits that the industry is not there yet. “At the individual level, many of us are still struggling. The government should in fact give out grants in form of machinery which we need for the work. So far, there has not been any form of government encouragement.”

But in spite of the bottlenecks, the future looks bright for the footwear industry in Nigeria, and Ogbede is confident that the country will soon take over the African shoe market. “Most African countries are using made-in-Nigeria shoes at the moment. I see Nigeria actually taking over the industry from Italy. The only problem currently is that the quality of some of our products is still very poor because of cost. Government needs to really help us. They need to come up with policies to protect the local shoe industry as well as organise exhibitions or establish shoe markets where we can showcase our fantastic products. Left to us, we might not be able to do these things on our own.”

Ogbede is not alone in this optimism. Tai Dehtiar, award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and a recipient of the Ontario Global Trade Award, who is famous globally for his footwear, Oliberte©, told young Nigerian entrepreneurs during his visit to Nigeria in 2011 to explore the idea of manufacturing local shoes for the Nigerian market, saying the market for shoes is so large considering the nation’s growing population. Dehtiar spoke at a forum organised by the Canadian High Commission in collaboration with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

Oniyide, too, is certain that Nigerian shoes can dominate the African shoe market if given the right push. “Why not?” he asks. “We have the quality, we have the designs, and our products are accepted both here and abroad.”

But while Ogbede is asking for government to organise exhibitions, some Nigerian footwear makers are already utilising online platforms to showcase their products. The site http://www.vconnect.com/nigeria, for instance, provides the following list of footwear manufacturers in Nigeria: Bimbo African Enterprises, Palmgrove, Lagos; Last Born Footwear Designer, Ogun State; Ata Gungun Productions, Ketu, Lagos; Oluwadamilare Shoe Works, Egbeda, Oyo State; O James Footwear, Ajegunle, Lagos; Itosco Shoe Works, Calabar, Cross Rivers State; Tomrhy Footwears, Ajao Estate, Lagos; Ben Michael Shoes, Bariga, Lagos; and Bis Place Shoes, Surulere, Lagos.

How much these local products are sold for, practitioners say, varies from shoemaker to shoemaker and depends on a number of factors – the shoemaker’s expertise, the value he places on his services, his location, the financial status of his clientele, and his strategy. “For me, it depends on quality. Here, you can get a pair of quality shoes between N4,000 and N6,000 or more; sandals sell for N2,000 and above, while slippers sell for N1,500 and above – everything depends on quality of material used,” says Ogbede.

But overall, as Bamidele Omeiza, creative director, Bambata Footwear & Accessories, tells Olaoluwa Mimiola in a report, “Footwear making industry is, and will always remain, a good business with enviable financial rewards.”

Many industry practitioners are agreed that footwear-making business requires a lot of creativity, artistry and energy. Yet, whether artistic or not, the skills can be acquired by anyone who puts keen interest. But how long the training takes also depends on how creative the individual is. Oniyide, for instance, does not see himself as born with the creative talent needed for this kind of trade, but he has learnt over time. However, he says he did four years of apprenticeship and another six months of serving his trainer before he could stand on his own.

For Ogbede, who has trained many in the trade, it could take an average of six months to learn how to make slippers and sandals, but for shoes and boots, belts and bags, it could take at least three years. “However,” he adds, “for a very creative individual who also learns very fast, the time can be much more reduced. I, for instance, learnt the basics within one week because I had already been practicing with odds and ends.”

It’s relatively cheap to enter the business of footwear making, Oniyide tells me. With as little as N80,000 to N100,000, one can set up a small shop. This is excluding the shop rent and cost of training, which varies depending on who is training you and the skills you want to acquire. The basic equipment needed by a beginner include sewing machine (industrial or manual), filing machine, adhesive gum, scissors, shoe-lass, hammer, pliers, etc, in addition to materials like leather, soles, lining, hollow punch, etc.

Indeed, locally-made shoes are here to stay. And they are ubiquitous – in high-class boutiques, in supermarkets, in the open market. So, when next you buy a pair of Storms Collections shoes branded ‘Made in Italy’, don’t be deceived, you are actually buying made in Nigeria.