. . Honours Him with Liberator Award
By Abuchi Onwumelu
A former student leader, Comrade Nelson Omenugha, recently organized a grand reception for the member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Ibezi in his country home, Nnobi, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Receiving the lawmaker, Comrade Omenugha said he had no atom of doubt in Ibezi’s ability to give the constituents quality representation, adding that the two motions sponsored in less than one month of his inauguration as a federal lawmaker was an indication that Ibezi was a force to reckon with.
‘You all heard him today on his plan to establish two constituency offices in Idemili North and South so that he would be accessed easily. To me, that is what quality representation is all about.
‘I have the singular honour to host a man I hold in high esteem. It is more of a celebration of excellence and forthrightness. He is more passionate about Idemili and has invested much in the lives of the constituents, especially women and youths.
‘He is one of the greatest politicians we have in this constituency. That is why I deemed it necessary to celebrate his victory in the last election, in addition to the recent motions he sponsored on the floor of the national assembly,’ Omenugha said.
In an interview, the traditional ruler of Nnobi, Igwe (Engr) Muodum Nick Obi, commended the member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi, for his recent motion on the urgent need to decongest the Lagos Island ports by maximizing other ports in the country.
Igwe Obi noted that Ibezi had started very well by moving two important motions that bordered on SIM card swap fraud and ports decongestion in a space of a few months in the green chambers and said he expected him to continue to do more.
It will be recalled that following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ifeanyi Ibezi, last month, the House of Representatives set up a 14-man ad hoc committee to seek ways of restoring the full use of Onitsha, Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar Inland ports. The idea was to decongest Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports.
Elaborating more on the motion at the reception venue, Ibezi said the motion was aimed at putting into maximum use, the Onitsha Inland ports and others to generate enough revenue and boost the economy of the country.
‘The Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports were constructed around 1982 to accommodate about 33 metric tons of goods per day. Today, Apapa and Tin-Can Island are taking 80 million tons of goods a day.
‘In Nigeria today, only Apapa and Tin-Can Island exist. Onne and other eastern ports have not been put to maximum use. They claimed the ports are not functioning, but I challenge them that Onne port is generating about 12 billion Naira annually into the coffers of the Federal Government.
‘There is a lot of gridlock in Apapa and Tin-Can Inland Ports. Our importers and exporters cannot even access their goods. Today, if you take any goods into Nigeria, it will take you three months to clear it and the importer bears a lot of demurrage and at the end, the end user suffers it the most.
‘So, I make bold to say that this is the time to decongest Apapa and Tin-Can Island by ensuring that other eastern ports are put into maximum use.
‘On the motion on SIM swap fraud, where people’s phones are hacked and used to defraud users, with the latest being hacking on WhatsApp, the House of Representatives has agreed to set up an investigative panel to discuss that,’ he said.
Presentation of the award of Liberator to the lawmaker was part of the highpoints of the occasion.
