Much ado about Obiano’s Orange City MoU

Don’t expect much from Orange City

There has been so much noise from Governor Willie Obiano’s media handlers on his visit to Orange City, in the United States of America where he signed another Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with the Mayor of the town.

Orange City is a small community in the USA with a small population. Nnewi, Awka and Onitsha are bigger than Orange City in numerical strength.

However, despite the empty noise made by James Eze, the chief press secretary to Governor Obiano, much may not be expected from that visit. My prayer is that the signed MoU will not end up like other failed MoUs previously signed by His Excellency. Most of the MoUs are for propaganda sake just to justify sponsored media and chieftaincy awards.

Recall that Obiano was on a business tour of Vienna, Austria just last year where James Eze and his media handlers made this same noise. They hyped the Austria business trip in a manner that so many were deceived into believing that Anambra state and indeed southeast will become an investment destination for Austria investors.

An example was the visit to Waste-to-Energy Company in Vienna, Austria on July last year by His Excellency. At the end of the visit to the Energie Versorgung Margarethin GmbH, (EVM) Biomethan Station in Vienna, Mr James Eze, the chief press secretary to the governor in his media statement said, “Governor Obiano was looking for how to convert the huge waste generated in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka to electricity that we are dire need of as well as gas.”

James went ahead to state, “The CEO of EVM, Mag. Wermer Wenolf was delighted to receive Governor Obiano and his team and take them on tour of his energy plant. The Governor and his team later held preliminary conversations on the possibilities of setting up a similar project in Anambra State.

“At the moment, there are strong indications that EVM and Anambra State might go into a partnership that will turn the heaps of waste generated across the state into electricity and lead to the creation of jobs and more jobs for the people.”

It is about a year now, no Austria investor or businessman is sighted anywhere in Anambra state in line with that visit. Recall that Obiano toured Austria last year in company of Ozo Victor Oye, Senator Victor Umeh and many other politicians including some ndi Igwe and some aides.

The waste in Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and many other towns in Anambra are still waiting for ‘waste-to-energy’ company from Austria. Up till date, the Austria visit remains a waste of tax payers money.

Like the Austria tour, no businessman, no investor, no industrialist, no manufacturer, not even a trader was in their entourage.

Look at those that made it to Orange City in a business tour; Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of the governor, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Mrs Uju Nworgu, the Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Uche Okafor, the MD/CEO of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Mr Jide Ikeakor, the Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Chief Melie Onyejepu, the National Chairman of APGA, Ozonkpu Victor Oye and Mr James Eze.

Now that they have started another Orange City noise and signing of bilateral agreement, we shall all pray that this business trip will not go the way of Austria tour.

Below is the picture of the Vienna, Austria visit last year: