… Charges them to Emulate Gov-Elect, Soludo
By John Ugo, Awka
The apex Igbo Socio-Cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Friday lauded the Governor-elect of Anambra state, Professor Charles Soludo, on his ‘far-reaching policy statement’ that Innoson vehicle will be his official car while in Office as the governor of the State.
The body frowned at the way the Federal Government and its organs have rejected desired patronage to IVM, describing the development as morally reprehensible.
They described the rejection of IVM as the worst form of self-inflicted imperialism for Nigerian governments at all levels to prefer and patronize foreign companies as against the locally manufactured products.
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd (IVM) is a Nigerian automobile manufacturer based in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria and was founded by an Igbo entrepreneur, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.
Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide Chief Alex Ogbonnia in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka acknowledged that the Innoson vehicles, have gained wide market and acceptability, especially in African countries, namely; Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana, etc.
He said “In July 2017, the Malian government placed an order for 400 Innoson vehicles and they were duly supplied.
“Also, in August 2020, the Sierra Leone government placed an order to the IVM worth of over $4.7million and were delivered. A lot of other transactions with IVM by African countries are replete.”
The apex Igbo group lamented that while other African countries patronize IVM, the Nigerian Lawmakers in 2019, placed an order for Japanese cars valued over N5.5 billion.
The group said that the aggregate expenditure on foreign cars by all the levels of government in Nigeria is over 200 Billion per annum.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo argued that it is common logic that when the volume of import into a country far exceeds its exports, the balance of trade is distorted and the value of its currency severely threatened.
“The self-induced imperialism and mass poverty by the Nigerian leadership takes various forms: most people in government own buildings in the USA, UK, Germany, France, etc, and their children attend schools in foreign countries; the fuel for cars, gas for bigger machines, including kerosene; health care, etc are sourced from foreign countries.”
“In fact, almost everything which can be sourced within are imported without corresponding effort for meaningful exports. This obnoxious self-inflicted injury has already thrown Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world and fragile states index status; and counting.” He added
It would be recalled that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had in October 2019 urged the Buhari-led Federal Government and other state governments to patronize locally manufactured goods.
The group hailed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, of Enugu State and his Imo
Counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodimma who procured 100 vans and several trucks each for security and other purposes.