THE NEW NNEWI SEVEN (7) BY TOBE OSIGWE

THE NEW NNEWI SEVEN (7) BY TOBE OSIGWE

Dr Akwaeke Abyssinia Nwafor Orizu in his masterpiece, Without Bitterness, which I will enjoin any true nationalist to read argued about who makes history: Is it man that makes history or is it history that makes the man? He finally came to this conclusion in one of his treatise: “Every society, every nation grows red or pink, yellow or white according to the colour, stuff and genotype of the leading personalities at each particular stage of its growth”. The present-day modern Nnewi has been shaped by some leading personalities. I can state unequivocally that these men through acts of omission or commission are presently lighting the torch, keeping the fire set by past Nnewi patriots burning and blazing.
These men through their individual enterprises are the new face of Nnewi. They are the present who is who. One remarkable feature about these patriots is that, they hate publicity.

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Before I proceed to reel out their names and contributions I must say there is one thing they lack from the past Nnewi patriots and that is: having a unified vision for Nnewi.
Whatever contribution they have done presently is more beneficial to them first, which then, in turn, extends to Ndi Nnewi. What I am saying is that should these men ever come together to promote and implement a unified vision for Nnewi, Nnewi will be transformed into a little London in not less than one year. The intellectual capacity of these modern patriots, their financial and political connection, their traditional roots and followership literally have no limits. These Nnewi twenty-first century patriots are:

1. Chief Cletus Ibeto- Omenkannia

Rumour has it that he is the richest Nnewi man. He is the CEO of Ibeto group of companies which comprises of Ibeto cement, Ibeto rice, Expresso engine oil, Ibeto oil and gas, Ibeto estates, Ibeto microfinance bank, Kings palace hotels etc. He was born into a humble family.
Like many other Nnewi businessmen, he started from ground zero because his father had nothing. He is a committed and disciplined hustler who grew his business with guarded jealously. He is known to be very foresighted and can smell a very profitable business from 100 miles away. He ventured into manufacturing when his mates were still enjoying the Nkwo market boom, he ventured into Oil and Gas when his mates were about to get into manufacturing. He ventured into the cement business when many states were checking out and only Dangote was checking in. His business acumen is top notch and his love for philanthropy is unmatched. Ibeto does not suffer fools gladly neither does he forget the finger that fed him.

2. Chika Okafor- Chicason

Chika is the chairman of Chicason group which is made up of A-Z petroleum, A-Z oil and gas, Rimco manufacturers of Life Vegetable oil and other family utilities like soap. He is one of the top major exporters in Nigeria, that is, his products saturates many African markets. He is not given to publicity. He is one of the first indigenous manufacturers of oil lubricants that penetrated the Nigerian market. He literally ended the importation of oil lubricant in Nigeria with the production of quality and affordable lubricants. He started his oil business by selling red oil. Through tenacity, a judicious calculation he grew his red oil business into an oil company. He was able to do this by knowing when to step aside and allow technocrats to take over the running of his company. Today, Chicason is the highest employer of labour in Nnewi with staff strength of more than 15 thousand in his Nnewi factories alone. Many families put food on their tables today because of this one man, thousands of Nigerians are millionaires today because he does not pay his staff peanuts as many private indigenous companies do.

3. Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma- Ifediaso

He is the chairman of the Innoson Group. His foray into business started as an apprentice to Rojenny, the owner of Rojenny Tourist village Oba. He was so straightforward, honest and dutiful that Rojenny blessed him as he was about to venture into his own business. He told him he will be greater than his contemporaries. Today, Innoson is the only Nnewi man that has met presidents of nations, both third world and first world. He is so honest in his business dealings that the bank of industry gave him an award as the only Nigerian businessman that repays his loan at the stipulated time. He is so honest that foreign companies are always going out of their way to do business with him.
Innoson’s greatest asset is his integrity and he values this more than any other thing in the world. His passion is always to provide quality and affordable services. He has the biggest plastic plant in West Africa and he was among the first to sell brand new bikes in Nigeria. He is the first car manufacturer in Africa. He has his hands into several businesses. He has an abiding disdain for publicity. Sitting with Innoson for just an hour is likened to staying in Harvard Business school for one year and Lagos Business School for five years. He understands the game of business like the back of his palms. He is a “professor” when it comes to business. Without government connection he has outdone many Nigerian businessmen with government connection. Currently, his staff strength is close to 20,000 and I mean permanent staff.

4. Chief Chika Emenike- Kotec, Ojichukwu Nnewi

Chief Chika Emenike is not an Nnewi man by blood but he is Onye Nnewi by brain. This Imo state-Uruala born business mogul is among the highest employers of labour in Nnewi. He is the CEO of Tummy-Tummy food and beverages, Kotec industries, Kotec brick and tiles etc. This former palm fruit cutter built his business with nothing but honesty and diligence which made him find favour in the sight of his Chinese suppliers. Today his bottle water, Event water, is the most bought bottle water in Nnewi and her environs. His noodles,Tummy-Tummy, is the most popular in the South East.
He changed the game in noodle business. His innovative noodle pushed other manufacturers to start adding carrot and vegetables to their noodles. Chief Chika Emenike fears GOD more than anything in this world and he has no apologies for it. When Tummy-Tummy foods produced the first batch of his noodles and couldn’t sell the bulk of it, he dispatched the noodles to all the motherless babies home in the whole of South East despite having the safe option of selling them at half the price. After this humanitarian gesture he never struggled to sell his noodles again. Today, he produces millions of noodles in cartons monthly. This over demand necessitated the need for many employees. Thus, thousands of idle hands are busy in his factories as you read this, courtesy of this business envagelist.

5. Chief Barrister Sir Oseloka Osuigwe- Dikenammuta Nnewi, SAN( Senior Advocate of Ndi Nnewi)

Oseloka is the Nnewi version of Gani Fawehnmi. This former legal adviser to the first female governor in Nigeria is the family lawyer to both the big and small, the haves and the have-nots, the students, the traders and lawyer to almost every Nnewi clan. In fact, he is a lawyer’s Lawyer. His Azubueze chambers is always a legal mecca where Ndi Nnewi come to seek legal advice and defence.
He rose to prominence after he masterfully handled the Nnewi versus Ejiamatu case. After this stellar display of patriotism, unmatched sagacious intelligence, he became the official lawyer of Ndi Nnewi, legal adviser to virtually all the companies in Nnewi, family lawyer to Nnewi men, women, orphans and widows. It is not a secret in Nnewi that if you want a lawyer that will say it how it is without fear, go to Osy. If you want a lawyer that will defend the interest of Nnewi or an Nnewi man up to the supreme Court go to Dikenammuta.

6. Engr. Dr. Ajulu Uzodike

If this name does not ring a bell please stop now, go to the nearest cable in your house, check it and you will see this company’s name: Cutix cable and wire. Chief Uzodike is the chairman of Cutix cable, a company he started from scratch after returning to Nigeria from his academic sojourn abroad. He started his company by appealing to relatives, Ndi Nnewi and rich igbo men to invest in his ideas. Some did, and the rest is history.
Today, his company is one of the few if not the only Nnewi company quoted in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and is also the first indigenous company in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria to be quoted in the NSE. Today his cable and wire are the best in Nigeria. Today his company is the only company that I know of that does not owe his staff yet has many health and insurance benefits for his staff, a feat which multi-billionaire private companies in Nnewi and Nigeria find difficult to replicate.
Today, his company is one of the few companies that still declare yearly profits and pay annual dividends as at when due. Aside from his factory in Nnewi, he is also the owner of one of the best hotels in Nnewi, Convaj Hotel and Events centre.

7. HRH Igwe KON Orizu III

Nna anyi Igwe Orizu is the traditional head of Nnewi. That Nnewi has not broken into four separate quarters today is because of his guarded utterances, his taciturn nature even in the midst of provocative statements and his wisdom. His indifference to material acquisition has made it possible for him to preserve our ancestral heritage. He does not sell traditional titles to the highest bidder as many Igbo kings do.
Through his yearly Ofala festival, he has managed to maintain the cultural side of Nnewi despite the heavy assault from the heavy mortar of civilization. He is loved and worshipped by all because of the gracious way he wields power. The blessings of Nnewi keep multiplying yearly because of his constant divine pronouncements upon his children, Ndi Nnewi.

No doubt, the list of modern Nnewi personalities and actors is inexhaustive. Nnewi welu mmadu, no doubt. What I have tried to do here is to list those Nnewi men whose contributions have benefited Ndi Nnewi and the Nnewi land the most.
There are many successful Nnewi people, however, some of their contributions to Nnewi has come at a heavy price, headaches and heartbreaks. While some, we just hear of their success outside the shores of Nnewi without it being of any benefit to Ndi Nnewi. My prayer is that we all unite and make Nnewi a shining example of what Igbos, Nigerians and Africans can do if purposeful and visionary leadership is involved.
May GOD bless these personalities for making the land of their ancestors proud.

Anaedo Makaaa Nu!