Orashi Project: Emulate Owerri, Port-Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja; Opiah tells Community Leaders in Imo

Austin Okoro DDM NEWS

The former Minister of State for Education and former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Goodluck Nanah Opiah, on Wednesday, 12th February, urged leaders from Mgbara, Obokofia, Ekeugba, and Oforola – the host communities of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s Integrated Special Energy Free Zone (Export Processing Free Trade Zone), also known as Orashi Projects – to learn from the people of Owerri, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other developed cities in Nigeria and beyond, who worked with their governments to bring progress.

He pointed out that places people now rush to, including Owerri and Port Harcourt, were once rural.

But by cooperating with the government, they grew into thriving urban centres.

He lamented that many now leave their own communities for these cities while resisting efforts to bring similar improvements to their hometowns.

Opiah urged the communities to support the Shared Prosperity Government of Governor Hope Uzodimma, which is carrying out major development projects in their areas.

He made this appeal during a community engagement meeting with the leaders of the host communities at the Government House on Wednesday.

The Integrated Special Energy Free Trade Zone is a large-scale project approved by the President.

It includes a river port, petrochemical plants, an oil refinery, power generation facilities, an industrial cluster, a mini LNG plant, a methanol plant, the Orashi Special Energy Free Zone, fabrication yards, and housing units, among others.

The project spans four local government areas in Imo State; Ohaji-Egbema, Oguta, Owerri West, and Ngor-Okpala, due to the availability of key raw materials.

At the meeting, Opiah informed the leaders that work had already progressed in Abacheke Community.

However, the government wanted to involve other host communities to ensure broad support and maximise the project’s benefits for Imo State.

“My community (Abacheke) has gone far in our engagement with the state government on this project.

In fact, the project has gone a long way in Abacheke Community, but the government said that this project could not go ahead without interfacing with the other host communities.

This project comes with huge development that will change the face and fortune of the communities and beyond. This is a legacy project we will leave for our children to enjoy when we are no more.”

Addressing anxieties about farmland, Opiah assured the communities that the government would not take all their land.

He explained that development would create new opportunities, making farming concerns less pressing.

“Let me remind you that when development comes, where to farm is not a problem because the projects will bring development and introduce a new way of doing things. Owerri, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other developed cities in Nigeria and all over the world used to be like our communities, but development changed everything and we now run to those developed cities to live, work and do business.

Rivers and Lagos states used to be villages. Nobody would pray that his children would continue to be peasant farmers.

We would rather pray for our children to do better, and these projects are bringing development with them.”

He acknowledged past grievances over how oil companies treated host communities but assured them that the current government was handling things differently.

“It is true that our people were cheated by the oil companies which settled in our communities, but we are wiser today, and the government is very honest in their dealings with our people.

I have represented Nigeria at international levels as a Minister, and I know what I am talking about.

The investors that are coming are not like Shell, Agip and other oil producing companies, and they are not coming to build track roads.

The new investors are globally recognised investors, and they are coming with collaboration and a new idea of community development. There will be good roads in our communities, and life will be better for us.”

Opiah also announced new infrastructure projects to improve rural areas.

“Let me announce to you that as part of efforts to open up the rural areas and ensure that our people get the development they deserve, the governor has awarded the Ejemekwuru-Agwa-Obokofia Road.

The road will be built to the highest standard. The Egbema Power Plant is already providing electricity in some communities in Egbema, and the government is test running electricity supply in some other communities.

The idea is that Imo State will have a stable power supply all year round.”

He added that some existing infrastructure would be replaced with better alternatives.

“With the coming on board of these projects, some of the things we have in our communities will be pulled down for better ones. For example, the monopump we have in our communities will have to give way for better sources of water.”

Opiah warned the community leaders against being misled by certain politicians who might try to derail the government’s efforts.

“But bear in mind that everyone will never speak with one mind, especially when we have some people who think that good things will not come except through them.

Some of them have already failed to bring development when they were in government, but now they may want to sabotage what the government is doing. Don’t allow them to use you”, Opiah stated.

Written by Hon. Sir Collins Ughalaa
Special Adviser, Public Orientation
February 13, 2025.

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