A WAKE UP CALL TO OKPELLANS!

THE ECONOMETRICS OF OUR ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT 

(Culled from part 4 by popular demand)

A WAKE UP CALL TO OKPELLANS!

A little mathematics wil
l provide the insights that would shock many Okpella sons and daughters:

1. Presently, BUA produces 6million metric tons per annum from the two lines. 
2. By August 2020, all things being equal, Dangote's 3million metric tons per annum would come on line.  
3. This means a total of 9million metric tons of cement would be produced and shipped out of Okpella every year. 
4. Now, 1 metric ton equals to 1000kg. That is 9million metric tons amounts to 9billion kg of cement. 
5. A bag of cement is 50kg. 9billion kg divided by 50 gives 450 million bags to be produced from our limestone and shipped out of Okpella every year.
6. At the factory average price of N2,200 per bag, if we ask for say, a minimum of  3%, we will get 0.03 x 2,200= N66 per bag.
7. Therefore, in a year, Okpella can get a minimum of N66 x 450million = N29,700,000,000. Yes, you heard me right. N29.7 billion Naira per year!!
8. Let me ask our people: from Ogiriga-Imiekhuri and all the adjoining streets; from Iddo to Ogute-Oke and all the adjoining streets; I'm not sure Okpella roads altogether exceed 150km. 
9. At N100m per km for the major roads and N50m per km for adjoining streets, the entire sum needed to reconstruct all our roads with standard asphalt, covets and drainages will not be more than N12 billion. 
10. N8 billion can give our community the best schools and hospitals in Nigeria, all equipped with modern facilities and qualified personnel. With our schools sufficiently resourced and equipped, our children will find education attractive and return to schools and secure the right qualifications to pursue higher education and become useful to themselves and the society. With well resourced and equipped hospitals our women, children and aged parents can be saved from untimely death from minor diseases. 
11. With N1 billion, 2000 women from the length and breadth of Okpella, can be empowered with N500,000 each to facilitate their businesses. This will deal a heavy blow on poverty in our land.
12. With another N2 billion, 2000 youths from the length and breadth of Okpella will be trained, skilled and empowered with N1,000,000 each to start a productive life. This will deal a devastating blow on youths frustration and restiveness and make our society secure for all.

At end the entire society and its inhabitants would be better and safer for it. I'm sure these resident companies prefer a safe, stable society for their investments.

The happiness and prosperity of a host is the best assurance for the safety of a guest.

This is why, all over the world, investment destinations are the secured and prosperous societies. Every investor would prefer a Dubai to an Afghanistan! It is therefore in their best interest that a visionary, "CEO-minded" traditional ruler is birthed in their host community.

This is what is at stake and it is the duty of all true sons of Okpella to jettison any distraction and focus on the big picture.

Okpella has the potential to be the best community in Nigeria; the most secured, the most prosperous and the most egalitarian. Nobody will help us make it so.

It is our duty to make Okpella the community of our dream. Every great thing that has happened on the face of this earth began with a vision of a leader. The next Okuokpellagbe has a crucial role to play in all this: to unite our people, to give direction, to provide the right leadership.

May God guide us to avoid distractions and do that which is right.
The conversation continues....

Engr. Akemokue Lukman is a Consulting Engineer.
He writes from Abuja.