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AT ION MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012
"~~~~~~!~m"t~~=U",,"'" Osun cocoa industry must not die
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I gmtl ~I"ud~ /0 m"nll pt'Qp1~ in gottrmmml "nd "1&1 Millt"ry Govern1flL711 WIU tony .rdml 10 brmk • ~y ofbrldforluna for.Elkby «Imdy tlllf'T""rl"'R I~ qUn! , to Cllt tht mdutll'Y ~ /I 1$ my ·,.mrst pfllYtT llud I't¥TyDnr .. conntdtd Wllh tilt ~"onof tht {ac1tKY In tJ.ohalnxr OIltgory llVOuld find lOY lind h/rrrinm In alltlill1 ulld~tQk"'KS,,~
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IIAT was HIS Majesty, late Oba TIjani Oladokun O)'ewusi, Agbonflln n, TImi o( Ede's mesage ofhopt' delivered al ~ mmmiMiomng of the multi-million nairaCC)C(I;I ProdUCblndustry, Ede(ll'lOctobt-r 17, 1982. with late ChId Bola Ige as old Oyo Statt' governor in attendance. 1'hh wntll"r cuv~ thr evml for Ibdio NilSena, lbadan. 8uI thai hope i!! now llmost losl, as Ihis promlSlI1g major foreign II!)(change earner for thr eronomy of Osun Slate i!! nol ~brlg the yearnings Ind asplfllhom of Ils founding fa~ The r~t state of "P't'f'lhon In the n>nIp;m)' ~ not t'fICOurilgmg fIn'eral avoidable (actors wrre r~ponsible for the <:Itu.ltion. as the mdustry W/IS a child of Clr~umsta~. from lhe onsf'l. t"In€' squilbble Of the otMr reared its ugly hf!ad The fir<t t'X~triate Managmg DiTector of lhe comr-nv, K. W Sheldon tri~ hIS bt!st 10 pullt on sound footings but lost nul in II dirtr. bnilrd-fOOm pohtlCS In a drnmatic manner ~~:le=I~~t'f of the company thereaftt'f dl'cided
ThiS brought about a marriage of !;trange ~'partner!l round o( squ.bbles en!!ued The two principal lessees of the fadnry. Worldwid~ Industrial.Venhul5 I ..miled ;md DaJanu (Nig.1 Umil~, got embroiled 10 aliegahOf\li and hrontt'T-aI~ations. WIth two legal lumll1aTle"l' - late Chief frednck Rohml Alade Williams (Tlml IhE' UlW, SAN) and Chief Af~ B.balolll (SAN) repre<rnung the partie'! !;Iugging It out at an ~bo f-liJth CoUrL l1le admlJUSlrahon of Alhaji Isiab Adeleke, first t'Xl'CUlive governor of Osun State 1111("1" took the bull by the homs by giving Ihe final nod to Worldwide Industrial Ventut.. Urniled. to run the affal" of the company. Dalaml eNlg.) Umlted as"tn wenl to court to conle! 11.0; tt'nmnal.J('In. ..net this wmt on for yeat5 before It WiI$ ~Iy~ by Oyinlola government R P Singh and his managc" .t Worldwide Industrial Venture Umited would !att'"!" breathe a new 1 _ of hfe to lhe hitherto troubll!d com~nr. following an ngre.-menl 11 _struck with the government t starl~ opera lion fully On Fri1ruary I, 1992'1 At the lime Worldwide Venlure!'; Llmiled took over, production capacity WIlS at five ~t level. Bul il rilised Ihr produCIJon capacity 10 60 ~t, by injecting suh!\lantial Anoth~r
~ Governor Aregbes ola will als o write his name in g old, in the industrial hall of fame of Osun, b y acting decis ively and promptly on the affairs of Cocoa Product Indus try'
By O lum ide Lawa I funds Inlo Imrortatl('n of spare - Farts .u well ;IS Ion II)' !!O\.Irred fine'; from the Nigeria Machine Tool Limlloo Osogoo and Nigena Sugar Compllny Foundneo., Baola The unell"peclro happened m 1995 when Ihe agreement of WorldWide Vmlur~ LimIted wa .. crudely temllnated by some over-:r.ealou!; offiaalsaf the Mln15try of Commerce and lndu~lry, ..,dmg em the Instructwn of the th('l'l military admlni.!llrator, Anthony: Udofia Worldwide VcnlurE''l Limited Wit.... thrown out of Coma Product IndU5try pn'm~ In a fungle mannf'f What followed could be beller imaginnt than described Th~e and Ihl'n began Ihe unending and protrncted problem of the ,"du.~lry hll today 05un State gOliemmenl's <'Oly iridU5try, which In fad is a goldmlne, if properly managed, i'J the COCm! Product Tndu... try. Ede. It Ie a l'eritllble soun:-e of fOn'lgn e:o:chrmge
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af iI'J development II.lore sa, With tht' bad ,late of mfr.tSl.rncture 10 ma~ lowns of the .. tale 8ul then. It IS left for the ~llIte govrmment and the State 11011.'"'' of A'W:!mbl}". to teillhc ~le of O<un whllt a Chine5e promoter - QUIAN GtuAN tiving 'i'nng COCOIIlnve!\lmcnt Company Umitrcl. ~ doing In the'foYtury sIte for upward of me>re than th,", rear.; now. They .... crc brought In by tht' admtni~tration 0 fonner govcrnor Olagun<iOyr Gymlol/l SlI"lCe they lookph)'l'iatI ~<;('«S"'n of the C(lmpany. OnOOdy M!o dt"t'lllro It fit 10 I"<)"",n to the mnnber< of thr put-hc ("IfI what terms thr Chlnt'<'of' pcorlt' are ~ 10 I\In the Induo;try. So mMy things al"l".'hroudrcl in~. We need to know Is the 4~ equity .. hilre participati(\'ll. that th~ gOVl'rnmcnl 13 aIlegl'd to be I~l~hng upon from the compo,nl, thr filet"'" deilt}'!ng the signmg of d~ Memorandum e>f UndCl"""tilndlng {MoU}?
So many quesllon... afl'. beJ;8mg fnr al\SlYer!l. Afl' the Tille Deeds documents 'mlS5mg somewhere In tN- MinIStry of Commerce and IndU5try? ThIS IS one major obstacle that should be fe50lved WIthOut further drllly, Nobody, no matk'!" how highly placl!'d. shollid be allowcd 10 con"lilute tN>msel\'e$ IOtO clog in the wlw-el of progu·~." of transforming the COCOiI firm from lne-rtnr'i.~ mto an active t"/"Ihly. b thIS nat another subtle .ttempl 10 scare IIwa)' foreign investors? Whal we need in O"lIn State IS IIccelE'rntE'd IOdu."lrial devei('flmftlt We jU51 need to be bnefed on how much thr 0l1nt'W m"('SIOTS paid to Omn Stale government through tht' admm,o:;trallOn of fonner governor Oylnlola before it was given the nod to coml!' 10 The Cocoa "Product I.nduo:;try eutwhile rnDMgeu and worker<, who have been (\'II fol"Cf"d holiday for mort' than lII"Ven yearo:;. <;hould be .sh·en the right of a nn.llto take the company to greatt'T ht'lghl<l If CoriJ't!rati,·c CC)C(I;I Indu!otry Akuft', which is just a quartcr of Ih~ size of Ede IndU5try could produCt' unmterrupt~ly for 0;0 many year<, nothmg
slQf"!- the &Ie complex from being a Irad.'T in lhfo ~tor, Ill' Oluli Cocoa Industry IS waxing <;Ironger Kudos should go to llio:; I Jjgh~.latrON r!iam OIadokull O)~, lilt' Time of EdE', and the Fedt'Tlll CounCll of Fdl:' ~dant.s'. Union and otht'f ooncemed o..un Indigen~. for their unltnng dforts m gelhng solution... to the: ailing industry. Their effort should be complem"'t~ t-v the Stat" HOU5r of A.o;.sembly CommlUe.- on Commem" and Industry thrcough its own independent inquiry II" WMt i.. haprentn" right now In the comrany. Ovt'f to YflU. 'Inn. K."lmorud~ 'Oebo A kanbi Governor Art'Jlbesola Will al'" wnte h.l~ ~ In gold. in the mdustrial hall of (lime of ~un. by acting drrisivcly lind rromptlyon the affaJrs of COCNI Product Indu~lry lie shOuld not allow hlm5elf to.be dcutv~ by government bureaucrat"', who may not gh'e him the tnle pICture of alfall'" m Ihe company for r.t'a5l:,"" be<it known 10 Ihem Cocoa Prrouct Industry Ede IS a COffip"ny 01 ft'!ilt'lday. today and tome>fT{)W for tN- people of Osun State. 1t i.. ro"lC:tity·bOund. pt1\'liperity-mclined Osun 5t"le Mlnl'<lry of Commerce lind Indu!;try !>hould endeavour to. pay ur all <;tiltutor) t>Ill!t1nnen~ due Ie> lhe w('rker<. laid ('ff fpr til" J"l"t !<I"Ven yearo; o..un Cocoa I'roduct Indu.<:try. fM" whalever r...a50~, ha~ no caUSl' to die prem.turely The dream of It~ founding falher;, under the leadnshlp of late ChIef Bola Ige., '<hpullJ h.. e on Gnv('mor Ar'-'S~la o;h(lUld act With rrr'n~lon bring the industry back to productKm {"Io\un Contit rrodum Indu.~ mu~1 not dHo. it df5eT\l" to live" "The <:Wt't'I awma YIould endu",
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Uaw;al wro te from r;de, OSUIl Slate.
~ Osun Cocoa Product Industry, for whatever reas ons, has no cause to die prematurely, TIl e dream of its foundin g fathers, under the leadership of late Chie f Bo la Ige, s hould live on . Go ve rnor Areg bes ola s hould act with precis ion to bring th e indu s try back to production. Os un Cocoa Products Indus try mus t no t die, it des erves to li ve . Th e s w e et arom a should endure'.
Orji Kalu and the burden of history MUST have to say ;t that formt'f gOVt'fnor 01 Abla State Orji UUI Klilu is wasting his 11I1f:nt. My strong belief is th.l sirIce; he has II!ltMusted all hI!'! hap 01 tncb and df'ttll in the political a~a, the only option avallablc 10 him. Slnct' he i~ bent on arculabng public misdUd is to pick a role in thr t'f'ter-Unnment indu."'!Y .lind give /Ifr. 1&" Oohn ObfOl") and 05u0fiA (Nkem Owoh) of the NoUywood famf:, a nm for Iheir mont!)' in acting IlS clowns. AJways dabbling IOta political gambit- on the deluded impresstoo thai every body is capable of being hoodwinMd, KIll .. appear5 10 be a very poor sh.rdent of hi.!'tory. In the past weeks, he holS embarked on Iht' Nicodemus ml!osion to launch hlffiSf'1f mto reirvall«' wilhin the pohltcil l firmamenl . And whal other topic could have presented him~ platform than thebuming is!oueoi2015 Presidency. Whalin Irony Of mgk comedy
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By Eus tace Amanwand i that of all the serioU5-ound~ leader! of IgOO e:o:lToIIctmn, il is Orji Uzor Kalu thai is now shoubng hoax that an Igba should be pre1<ldent In 2015. Good talk and r<'5~ible mi,sion, one will say. Bul the truth will in future hunt ~ who 10 bury il )'estndOlV for loday's 'VainglOrious acqUiSItion, whtch is what Orjl Kali.. h.u doll(' with the Igbo conscience_
Wlule the inlention of thIS p~ is nol the on his IAtesl C'OrItnv~ mischief, il is pertinent to remind alllgbo including thOIt' who hild oot come of ag(' Ihen,that 1M onl)' time an Igba man h.d u... iduously worItcd to clinch Nigetla's Prrstdency (or real, was III Iht' ~uary 'Z7 1999 Jos Convention of the rulins reople Democratic Party" where ;rn when the untaInted and authrntx: IISOO son, Alit)( Ekwut'mt' ran a ptJWt'f(ul ClI:mpalgn fOl" the lideet of the! PDP' then, but !oil"" Iht' god-father of belntyal from Ilk (IWl1 brother Kalu who in allillncr with hi!! masters. pla)'t'd out hIS spoilt'f-nature, oIIJId as a ~ emtnd bor, mad~ sure Ekwuerne did not 5tICCft'd. Thll 0II1so dll~ 10 the personal ambihon he had which he fdt thft\ will dash with OVt'f.11 inlerest of Ndigbo. That was how he sold out his brother and d~1
'And if only Kalu had remembered that his day o f reckoning will come, he would have spared a thought to serve the people of AGia with aU his heart. He would ~~~:~h.!1 't~e:eU!~~i~~~kr!i~~~~ when In the fKeolhydra-heiKled Qlamihave spared the resources of life ties one is forad In throw away the haby the state. He would have alonpide the bath Wlltt'T, which IS the stilge Ndig"bo .should dcal with Ott; U7.o !CIt!u now saved the people of Abiriba In feadiM to hl3 latest ntnhng. from the manipulated crisis to~~~trc;.~~~~~;.Et~ that took toil on the economy whom KaJu hllteo to lovt' is a loud attestai.h.al Ndigbo truly know tM1r destinaof the s tate un ti l th e incum- h(lll hon df:!pite whilt ~ and evil riots the bent came and restored the mi!<chievou!< eleml'nls among them are hatching. How am a race of intcllt'Ctually years lost to the locust'. endow~ and superb mCtrtals "t'ttle fCtr ~~ in thetr "t'arcli fOl"
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leader? Cod forbid.
Who lilly!! il rail\!l? No, it potJl'5. A .. if that is not enough, feelen indicate that Abia State government hllli roncluded plans to probe the era !Calu called the shots 10 lhE' stillt', even i!..~ lhe! authorities and the judiO4Iry a~ yet to condude his ntmmal trial for embe:izltmtnt of funds belongmg to the stolte. from thr rt'forts from Umullhia, lhe resenl admifllstnhon belirv" Ihat the onner- soyemOT should be made to explain and unbe kno~ behind Infrastructure> Devl!'lopmmt Fund!! during his time This Is money alIrged 10 have been diverted by tht' former governor whilr in office: move by tht' slate St"t'ms 10 be the JOker that has starlrd siving Uzor Kalu the pimple.. He has immediately fired b<tck lit the aulhorities In Umullhia. But I"ilIther than ..ddft'55 lhe issue IlIisfti by hIS act'lIWfli, he ~ 10 et"ISIIge in .rgp", .." t agll;n, ' t h.. "' ..... by h.ullng uolound~ ;al1egilltions against the gm,'1l"rI1OT" and hi!! family . In. RCftIlstiltnnent, Kalu alleged \.h.i!.1 thr governor has u!!C'd up rf:-
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Th,s is quile fntt'Te5ting. A mon~w COltchel monkeys.. II is oII!.so s ~ign of Annageddon to heM a character like lCa:lu pontificate about whal he did in Abia llli governor when;t is com-
~e~":ffi:'~iII:OI~~f~~u~:'~ a!~d
economy of a once budding stair WII'I brought pl"O"'trate and comatme owing 10 the 8'ft'd of thIS 0I"\t'-Cha1"lCC! politlCUln ilnd hi!! riI~OU5 family. Kalu Illsa spokE' of roads he did lIS well iU obligatory payment of sollhllie~ Yel, h~ ~ the honour which is t'Vm a ~'irtu~ among thicvt'!! 10 .c!lyutlhat he bequealhed unlmagmable nplwCtrk of dnllpldllted road<: and infr.utructure ru; well as yeaB of arrea~ of pern;ion and ~\'ernnc-e alkrwitnce
Or!J:ubhC officen who 1erved. undpr him.
~m~~I~ Im~~h~~~~~~:~~:~:J~k'
rupley, an O'li Kalu dllred to lalk about
~d~:~s~~::~. t~h!~t~ r:.,r~~~r,:Id:fa~~
coming from It IMn who presided ",.t'f Abia If fighting an ancn;tral war with lh~ people of Umuahla, a reason many thought m,de him relegate thl:' CIIrilal nly to the status of a glo6lll villllge, whilr channt'!· ling resourcrs and .tlmlitM"l t{l his native Igtiere P(l5terity will always be the judge. Thank God tMt tOOIlY the governor whO 13 an Ih~ saddle i!! con.~ of history lNtnk God he has put down mA"lumental-troctunos and edJr~ thllt will sav~ him the ~~ of un· founded claim. His work5 will sunty sf't'lIk for him.. And if only KiIIlu had remembered that hi!> day of reckonmg WIll come, he would have spared ill thmiithl to "'~n't' Ih~ peoplt of Abia with aJl his MlirL He ....ould have spared 1M, rt'SOUrct'"< 01 the state N~ would haVI' qvi'd 1M people of Abltiba from Ihe manipulated cri!oi.s thilt look toil on the t'COII("Imy of the stnl~ lIntii the incumbenl nme and rntored the yeal'5 lost to the locust li~ would have thought of a!!i
dh=gf~r ~;e;t:;:bi~t~':~~~hh;
bashtrdized Nr would have upliftl!d the infTll!otructuft' In the Judiciary , Ht' w(\'\lld
~~ ~~!iS~~Jerav':' b::':n::r~:r
this hellVY burdt'Tl on him which he wiJI continue to rue fOf • long time to romt' But for now that he io; G1ught in the wt'h, whrthC"r '" a repented aposllc of Igba emanCIpation or a man who took mpTI" WI tJvo ownt'r<(Ndl-AhIA) actUAlly notktod. Orji I(,.lu being the .rdillf'C1 nf hl~ CUrTCf'lt trllvilib remain.. the vt'fY ptm'OfI to pur,:::e hilTt5t'lf his m........
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• A'""tfT""ndi urrirn 1m'" Awlra.