NIGERIA’S march towards home grown industrialization was recently boosted when Bank of Industry inducted ten outstanding customers of the bank into their Hall of Fame. Most importantly was the recognition to the founder/chairman of INNOSON Vehicles Manufacturing Company, Nigeria’s first indigenous motor vehicles manufacturer.

IT was Professor Chinua Achebe who wrote over a quarter of a century ago in The Trouble With Nigeria that ‘it is basically leadership.’ Several years later, if there is one point on which there is unanimity of opinion among Nigerians, it is that leadership remains a problem in our nation.

Now that we got the ‘all clear’ and we have been able to reasonably restrain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, we can take a more dispassionate look at the issue, its genesis and some ramifications.

The Anioma branding of a governor from Delta North has been severally criticized by commentators across Delta State. Now many people from Delta Central and South are beginning to see it as a quest to produce an Anioma governor for Delta State as opposed to a pan-Delta governor for Delta State, who happens to hail from Delta North.

Last week a powerful delegation of Igbo leaders made up of Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; Senator Hope Uzodinma; Minister of Labour & Productivity, Emeka Wogu; National Publicity Secretary PDP, Mr Olisa Metuh; Mr Ifeanyi Ubah and former Governor Peter Obi stormed Dover Hotel at Lekki Phase 1 Lagos to woo Ndigbo Lagos for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential bid. At Dover Hotel, they met eminent and prominent Igbo leaders, namely President General Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey; President Ndigbo Lagos, Professor Anya. O. Anya; President Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike; former Chairman Diamond Bank, Chief Pascal Dozie; former Governor of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu(rtd); former President of Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr Raymond Obieri; Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja, Eze Uche Dimgba and President Ohaneze Ndigbo Lagos, Fabian Onwughalu and many other eminent Igbos in Lagos. Like I said their mission is to persuade Ndigbo in Lagos to join the train in the campaign to make President Jonathan to continue in office even after 2015. The meeting was well attended and this mission was clear: It is President Jonathan or nothing!