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ENUGU PALLIATIVE HOAX AND THE UGLY ROLE OF POLITICAL ENEMIES

Published

6 years ago

November 11, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

It was former Nigerian president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that said people can go out of their way in a most vicious manner just to acquire political power. Nothing can better describe the palliative scandal in Enugu State during the EndSARS violence than the above assertion where enemies of the people cooked up lies and deceived the unsuspecting public into believing a non existing hoax.

It is quite unfortunate that people, out of sheer mischief and selfish political interest can go this far in manipulating the psyche of others to the extent of endangering their lives. The whole story about hoarding of palliatives in Enugu was a huge joke taken too far, and the most regrettable aspect was the loss of lives the process.

Basically, one would not have bothered to dwell on this topic again but for the wrong impression left in the minds of some people concerning the veracity or otherwise of the issue in contention. It is implicit that the controversy surrounding the distribution of palliatives in some other states was what fuelled the spontaneous search that ensued across the country at that time and not necessarily from any well established authentic information.

As a matter of fact, it was like a bandwagon then across the country as the youths went about searching for hoarded palliatives which were meant for the poor and vulnerable at the peak of covid 19. Yes, some states actually shotchanged the masses and hoarded palliatives meant for them.

However, a few of the states including Enugu shared their own transparently. In short, Enugu State was very prompt in distributing its palliatives among the 17 local government areas of the state in August this year as confirmed by Mrs Ada Nweke, the principal of Queens School, Enugu, where they were kept.

Again, it will interest us to know that the hall where the palliatives were purportedly kept in Queens was the same place NECO exam is currently taking place. So, where lies the rationale behind the allegation that Covid 19 palliatives were still being kept there?

Is it not obvious that apart from the proactive nature of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi when it comes to the welfare of Enugu citizens, the involvement of the same school in NECO exams was a key factor that should have doused tension and made people know there was nothing there? Definitely, the hall was made available to the students for the exams with their lockers fully arranged as shown in the video circulated online. Both students and the principal of the school in separate interviews, made categorical statements about non availability of palliatives in their school at that point in time.

The principal, Mrs Ada Nweke, in a bid to clarify issues, conducted news men round the school premises and called on security agencies to come to the rescue of the students and forestall a possible repeat of the Chibok experience. She even showed the hall where the palliatives were kept in August to the whole world via social media, but the manipulated gullible ones refused to believe it and insisted on invading the school.

However, in futherance of its obligation to protect lives and property of citizens, the government pleaded with the youths of Enugu to disregard any rumour claiming that palliatives were hoarded and go about their lawful businesses.

It was widely publicized in both conventional and social media with a stern warning attached to it that government would not fold its hands and watch people take laws into their hands, insisting that it would employ whatever means available to protect the innocent school girls living in the dormitory of Queens School, Enugu.

Unfortunately, those bent on causing disaffection in Enugu continued deceiving the youths and urging them to defy government’s advice and warning. A good number of the youths fell for this cheap antics and surged towards the Queens School gate on that fateful day in defiance of the warning and security presence in an attempt to force themselves into the school before they were confronted by the security probably in self defence. We were all aware that the security operatives had lost some of their personnel in the wake of the violent protest.

It was therefore wise that people should tread with caution when trying to engage them for whatever reason.That was the mistake some youths made which led to unfortunate loss of lives of two people.

It’s quite unfortunate that the same people that instigated crisis and deceived the public about alleged hoarding of non existing palliatives, were the same people that turned around to accuse the government of directing the security to kill innocent youths in search of foods. Please let us be objectively analytical when looking at issues like this.

Assuming the security, out of anger of the loss they had already incured, decided to take their own pound of flesh by killing some of the rampaging youths, does that mean the governor or any other person in government had prodded them? We all know that at times men in uniform use their discretion in acting especially when it involves self defence.

That does not mean anybody has told them to shoot or kill. Has the government done anything wrong in providing security for those innocent school girls who would have probably been mobbed and raped had there not been security in and around the school?

Have we bothered to put ourselves in the shoes of those students’ parents? It is easier to ignore when it does not directly affect us, but the truth remains that no responsible government would have left those students unprotected under the same condition.

The same Ugwuanyi who shielded Enugu citizens at the peak of Covid 19 when some states allowed security operatives to descend on their citizens who disobeyed lockdown order cannot suddenly change and start attacking Ndi Enugu, it’s not possible.

This, also suffices to say that what our governor did was not only humane, but in tandem with his constitutional duty of protecting all law abiding citizens under his subject. Gov. Ugwuanyi discharged his responsibility by ensuring the protection of the innocent Queens School students on that fateful day and anybody concocting lies against him to the contrary is mischeviously dubious.

Finally, let me use this medium to re-echo the position of both the government and the Queens School authority that the Covid 19 palliatives earlier kept in Queens were distributed in August and were no where in the school premises during the search process.

It may also interest the public to know that a prominent youth leader in the state and the member representing Ezeagu State Constituency, Hon. Chima Obieze was at the scene of the event that fateful day to plead with the youths to nominate people among them who would go in and search the school premises with a view to reporting back to them, but they refused.

The youths who had been brainwashed about palliatives refused all entreaties made to save the situation and insisted on entering the school as a mob which was resisted by the security

It is quite unfortunate and highly regrettable that lives were lost but I want to appeal for calm and objective understanding of the situation, while I commend the Enugu State government for initiating a process to look into the matter and pay adequate compensation to the affected families.

I pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives while I ask God Almighty to grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss. I therefore passionately appeal to those who manipulate people’s condition to achieve political ends to desist from that because power belongs to God and He alone gives it to anybody He so wishes.

Enugu is in the hands of God.

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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

23 hours ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.

Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.

The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.

According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.

He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.

He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.

He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.

Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.

In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.

The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.

In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.

He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.

For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.

He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.

On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.

He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.

He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).

He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.

According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.

Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.

He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.

He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.

Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.

He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.

Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.

Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.

His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.

Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.

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