asha80:
where exactly is this?

Abagworo:
"Akachi" tower which translates to hand of God. From the top of this tower one can have a view of Owerri municipality from all angles. Government should encourage a private investor to invest in luxury garden around the tower for weekend grooves and events. Owerri already witnesses high influx of weekenders but with limited sceneries.

Ikengawo:
^imagine. A pile of mud with a dying human hand on top in an untreated grassy field that looks like it has snakes. for N31billion. Our entire IGR is N8 Billion, don't forget.

lygn19:
quote author beremx post=39621949]31billion naira for "hand of God" ?

Lord have mercy!
when we were telling u guys about how fraudulent rochas was u thought it was because he was in Apc and nothing more, now u see for yourself, that hand dat wont even cost 10million naira a poorly built structure and they are telling us 31billion, I wonder the economic benefits of building a statue inside a bush ...
Rochas Igbos need a leader but it can never be you.

LordMecuzy:



How are we sure it's up to 31billion? is there any real evidence? cos I doubt if imo has up to 31billion even in 4yrs ooooooh, even that tower doesn't look up to a 50million edifice

Abagworo:


I decided to make a remark here because I don't consider you as a non entity like some others. The original Akachi with all the accompanying projects which amounted to that 30billion was cancelled on the advice of community leaders and laxity of funds. You can read up on the protest at the proposed site in Umuguma.

http://www.imostateblog.com/2012/05/17/blood-clash-owere-nchi-ise-umuguma-in-land-ownership-tussle/

The 31billion was for all the projects previously aimed at building a new city center outside Owerri but concerned Imolites adviced the Governor against it. Imo State is not rich enough to waste such money on a tower.

Uchenna is an Engineering student at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, (FUTO). Daily, he receives a barrage of assignments from his lecturers but, there is always an angel to his rescue. That is his laptop with which he roams the cyberspace to gather all the information he needs to satisfy his often-fastidious lecturers. All was going on well until the bad guys of the cyber-world paid him an unsolicited visit. One day, while he was trying to download a file online, his system got corrupted and stopped working completely. His consolation was that there are always good guys around to fix what was wrong. These guys are located at the Tetlow Owerri Computer Village.

Tetlow is, to a large extent, a privileged street. It is less than five minutes' drive from the state governor's office (Douglas House) and connects to Douglas Market, the biggest in Owerri.

The street comes with regular houses with lock-up shops all over and forms intersections to Njemanze, Ajoku, Okorie, and Odor-Agu streets.

Describe Tetlow as the business district of Owerri and you will not be mistaken. Mondays to Saturdays, it is a beehive of activities, with cars parked at any available space and people carrying all sizes and types of computers, laptops, and iPad inclusive, moving from one place to another.

While many come there to buy computers, others come to fix computer related problems and yet there is the other crowd of those who earn their living offering services in Tetlow.

Tochi Uzoigwe is a computer engineer, certified in hardware and software maintenance and trained by Data Tech Computers in Owerri. He is a director at a computer firm on Okorie Street involved in computer hardware and software maintenance, hardware training, networking, information communications technology (ICT) consultancy, amongst others.

According to him, he attends to an average of 15-20 customers daily and in most cases, can fix almost 95 percent of the problems (except a computer that is totally irredeemable). On his charges, he said there is no fixed price for any service. "Here, after all, is a market in the heart of Igbo nation; everything depends on a customer's bargaining power." He explained that computer problems can range from RAM (Random Access Memory, the place in a computer where the operating system, application performs programming and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor problem and motherboard problems. Every computer problems, he said, could be traced to one of the aforementioned issues.

In his early 30's, Tochi is not married yet, but he fends for his parents and siblings from the earnings from this job which he loves doing. He has raked in a 10-year experience in this business of solving computer-related problems and in the process, helped people to smile home with their hitherto ailing computers which are then ready to be flogged on again.

Tochi is good at what he does. He fixes problems within minutes but in extreme cases, a job may also take him up to a week to finish.

His customers throng his office from all over the state and even from as far as Calabar, Enugu, Aba and Port Harcourt, mostly through referrals. He said he goes out of his way to satisfy them to ensure he keeps them and even gets more customers from them. Tochi also works for corporate organisation whose systems he maintains and fixes.

There is also another computer wizard, Chibuzor Nnaebuka who is in his early 30s. A native of Orlu East Local Government area of the state. Uzor, as he is simply called, works also as a computer engineer. With a workshop on Okorie Street, he boasts of being able to fix almost anything concerning a computer, saying that not even distance is a barrier to his exploit. He disclosed that once using remote desktop connection, he fixed a computer for his customer in faraway Indonesia, adding that he receives jobs from other states across the country like Ekiti.

According to Uzor, customers are usually skeptical about giving their systems to strange people for fear of incursion into their official or private files. They would rather to trusted persons, wherever they may be. This is where referrals play a huge role. Thus, he said many customers send their computers through waybill using established transport companies where he constantly goes to pick up consignments sent to him from different parts of the country.

Just as this reporter was interacting with him, a customer walked in with a job. Smiling and calmly, he explained the problem to the customer and insisted on a price. He told the customer he can open any system provided a customer can truly prove ownership.

What's his experience with customers? 'A mixed bag', he said. He has had implacable customers, to be sure, but he has never had to take anybody or be taken to the police over a job.

To get Uzor's attention could be quite a difficult task especially with the load of customers thronging his office demanding his service. These customers come through referrals or are attracted by his signpost, or on receiving his bulk text messages or on seeing his adverts on face book and other online media. Needless to say, his efforts are paying off: he makes as much as N20,000 on a good day but also as low as N2000 on a bad day. His success can also be seen in the three apprentices he already has, young as he is.

Almost every shop or office on Tetlow has at least a young man in his 20s, 30s or 40s working as engineers.

Collins Azaka, in his 20s, hails from Delta State but lives with his parents in Owerri. He is an apprentice at Tetlow on computer hardware and software. According to him, he decided to gather some practical hands-on knowledge before going to the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) to study Computer Engineering.

Though he started in April 2015, he disclosed that he paid N30, 000 to learn and that now, five months after, he can fix computer problems associated with charging point, integrated conductors as well as a system unable to come up.

While he learns and works on people's computers, he is careful not to cause any damage in a system. Collins intends to write the unified Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination in 2016, when hopefully he would have completed his apprenticeship and start earning an income through which he can save up some money to aid his return to School.

Indeed, there are many young men on Tetlow building their skills and capacities by learning how to fix computers and or install software programmes.

The other group of Tetlow computer whiz comprises the dealers. Rafael Odimegwu is one such dealer. He sells computers and related accessories. According to him, there was no deliberate plan to turn Tetlow to Owerri Computer village. Rather, dealers of stationeries in Owerri stumbled into it between year 2000 and 2005 and made it so.

Odimegwu who appears to be in his 60s recalled that by 2000, Tetlow was practically empty as not much was happening there. But 15 years later, it has become the headquarters of computer and wine businesses in Owerri.

While most of the soft and or hardware engineers on Tetlow are young men, including FUTO students on IT, the ladies appear content with selling computer accessories, as no shop as yet boasts a female computer engineer, although their entry in the next couple of weeks can't completely ruled out.

Indeed, Tetlow has become the veritable computer hospital for Owerri and its environs, a place where computer manufacturers, sellers, buyers and repairers cut lucrative deals for themselves and the government into whose coffers they pay huge bills. But, the long stretch of houses on Tetlow is also home to other types of business. As all these businesses boom so does the Owerri Municipal Council, which collects sundry fees ranging from sanitation fee, local government revenue fee, community revenue, office/shop rent to electricity bill, whether monthly or annually.

For what it described as believable intentional neglect to its host communities in Imo State, the State Government has chided Nigerian Agip Oil Company, saying it was not showing good Corporate Social Responsibility to its host communities.

Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere made the remark yesterday during the 19th Farmers Day celebration, which held at the Green River Project Plant Propagation Centre, a facility of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Ogba-Egbema, Ndoni Council Area of Rivers State.
He said it is the first time Imo State would be attending the programme just as he described it as commendable and expressed hopes that it will lead to a more rewarding relationship between the State and Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

Madumere said the State Government cannot vouch for Agip as a Corporate Socially Responsible Company in its dealings with her host communities in Imo State.
He described as surprising the discovery that Agip in its effort to increase food sufficiency and security, teach latest farming techniques, offer extension services and micro credit with human capacity building, has covered over 120 rural communities and empowered over 35,000 farmers as disclosed by the Chairman, Managing Director, and GMD in their desperate remarks and querried the place of Imo State and her people in the whole statistics.

Madumere stated that there have been poor management of pollution crises caused by the explosion of two crude oil storage facilities of the firm that polluted the water accessed by about 13 communities in Egbema noting that it was the intervention of the State Government that restored peac the affected communities.

He frowned at the refusal of NOAC to agree to terms of working relationship with their host communities, regretting that where such existed, the company is accused of breach, and urged them to review its modes of operation and relationship with Imo people.

Madumere suggested that NAOC opens an office in Imo State where people can always reach them, and appealed that they partner the State I human capacity building, development of infrastructure and other important areas to correct wrong perception of the company by Imo people and warned against taking the peaceful disposition of the people for granted.

First civilian governor of old Kaduna State and elder statesman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, on Saturday declared that it was time to end decades of injustice against Ndigbo by ensuring that the South East geo-political gets the Nigerian presidency in 2019.

Speaking exclusively with The AUTHORITY in Kaduna, Musa who is also chairman Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), warned that the prolonged marginalisation of South East would bring disunity and other serious threats to the nation.

Although, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) had zoned its 2019 presidential candidate to the North three years ahead of the polls, Musa calling on all political parties to zone its 2019 presidential candidates to the South.

He advised the Southeast zone to stop 'sit-and-wait' approach but should be proactive in the struggle for power shift to Ndigbo who he described as being also competent to rule Nigeria.

Musa faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for not appointing any person from South East into his kitchen cabinet, stressing that the present administration should rather heal the nation's wounds than adding more salt to the injury which would not augur well with the country.

According to him: "I am not happy the way South East zone is been marginalised for a long time. "Some said it was because of civil war but It happened for a long time and since then South East did not participate in any thing against the state.

"Now it is high time to give South East chance to rule Nigeria just like other zones" " I expected President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint some few South East people in his so-called kitchen cabinet but he did not and it was unfortunate.

"The injustice meted against South East zone must be corrected because injustice brings grievances that may threaten the unity of this nation"

Musa added: "I expect South East to produce credible presidential candidate which can emerge president of Nigeria in 2019 elections.

"But I have observed that South East zone always give up so easily on struggle. You cannot sit and expect food on your table,you must work for it. "All political parties should zone their presidential candidates to South East to correct the long time injustice.

"I strongly believe South East too has credible and patriotic people there just like other zones. What I know is that they should keep on the peaceful struggle for presidency.

South East should not relent." On the appointment of Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chairman, Musa said under normal circumstances South West should have produced the INEC chairman for sake of fairness.

"To me, INEC chairman can come from any part of the country if the person is patriotic and competent for the job. But if fairness must apply South West zone has never produced INEC chairman", he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that work begins for the upgrading of the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport to an International Cargo Airport.

Speaking on the issue, on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, who visited the airport on inspection, said that works would commenced immediately.

She said the super structures of the cargo terminal would soon arrive, explaining that once the foundation was completed, the super structures would be fixed.

She disclosed that all the contractors handling the cargo terminal had been paid up to 80 per cent of the total sum of the contracts.



According to her, apart from the fact that the new status of the airport, when fully completed would increase economic activities, it would also create employment opportunities among other benefits.

Governor Rochas Okorocha said the long-time dream of the people of Imo State to see the airport upgraded to International Cargo Airport was about to be a dream come true, and thanked Buhari for seeing the need to upgrade the airport.

Ofodirinwa:
Road work in Imo

asha80:
I dont think this is recent because this place looks like mcc road from wetheral junction

Nedu09:
I THINK THAT AIRPORT HAS BEEN INTERNATIONAL CARGO SINCE?? I THINK THAT BUHARI WILL NOT SEE THAT OWERRI/PH FEDERAL ROAD....

asha80:
I dont think this is recent because this place looks like mcc road from wetheral junction

millionaireman:
This is Orlu; precisely, Amaigbo Road at St Joseph's Catholic Church junction - the most traveled road in Orlu.

The Lady Lawyer leading the Umuna women in protest about this road said she was a child when Imo state government started work to channel the flood to Urashi River; that subsequent govts ignored the completion of the work, and that's why they voted Rochas Okorocha.

But Rochas is rather building flyovers in the state capital.

When one turns to old Owerri Road in Orlu, the same story.


If Rochas contractors had not scrapped these areas and abandoned them, things wouldn't be like they are.


http://theleaderassumpta.com/2015/10/05/uzoubi-women-storm-orlu-council-hqr-over-erosion-menace/