Ozii Baba Anieto scribbleth and we are glad!!

EVERYONE VISITS ONITSHA, BUT...

Having lived and visited most major cities in Nigeria, I found out a
constant: Onitsha doesn't need an introduction. Be it in Minna, Kaduna,
Zaria, Kano, even in Sokoto, there is always a park in every city reserved
for people trooping into Onitsha ado n'idu. With no exaggerations, I am yet
to see a city that has no Onitsha park in its center; in fact, when you
tell people from other tribes that you are going to the east, they
irrationally insinuate that you're visiting that great city of Onitsha.

I have been to areas that have 1 or 2 buses going to the East and South of
Nigeria daily; most times, they choose a single drop-off location and the
choice location is always Onitsha. On that premise, I will be right if I
say that most people from the east and south know Onitsha more than the
residents of Onitsha will ever know any other city in the eastern region.
However, in thousands, they came, they saw but never stayed back.

-- Onitsha is the heart of Igboland. It's a pleasant privilege that the
land nurtured us --

Being in the building material sector in Abuja gave me the opportunity to
view Otu Nkwo from another perspective: to young men in Dei Dei, Abari
Market, Wuse Zone 5 and major building materials market in Abuja, Onitsha
is China. As men travel to import goods from overseas so do they visit
Onitsha for their wares.

Isn't it ironical that a city so resourceful battles with relevance? Is
there any pride in Igbo land if they claim to be the business controllers
yet their commercial capital and the most popular city in the region lacks
the ability to attract residents?

Onitsha, unlike other major commercial cities in the world, has been
reduced to trading tourist center: where people eagerly wants to visit but
lack the appetite to reside. Yes, Onitsha has become that girl everyman
wants to climb but none wants her hand in marriage. But we can put an end
to this abuse. For that girl is our mother and her body is our home.

See how easy it sounded as if these words of mine possess more powers than
a witch's wands. Yes, it does if you add your own voice. Anyuko nwa-amili
ónu o gbaa ufufu.

Until we analyze the issues in the community and present it to policy
makers, things will keep deteriorating. There are many things we can offer
Onitsha but we've to start from somewhere:

#NZUKOONITSHA