ONYEJIAKA, Mr. Willie Hieme

IMO STATE COMMISSIONER FOR INDUSTRIES, TRADE AND TECH NOLOGY Mr. Willie Hieme Onyejiaka, Imo State Commissioner for Industries, Trade and Technology, was bom on February 8, 1934, to late Mr. Marcus Alaoma Onyejiaka, one of the found ing fathers of Aba. He hails from Nkwerre in Nkwerre/Isu Local Govern ment area of Imo State. He had his elementary school edu cation at Government School, Aba and did his secondary school education at the Christ the King's College, Onitsha and Baptist High School, Port Har court. He completed his secondary school education in 1952. After his secondary school educa tion he went to assist his brothers in the flourishing business which their father had started. His father died in 1951. He acquired a lot of business acumen until he went to England in late 1956. In 1957,he entered Balham and Tooting College, London, where he did his GCE Advanced level in late 1958. In 1959 he got admission into the London School of Economics and Pohtical Science of the University of London, where he obtained his LLB. Thereafter he enrolled as a law student at the Middle Temple where he obtai ned his BL. He completed his studies in 1962 and returned to Nigeria in July the same year and was called to the Nigerian Bar the same month. He did hispupilage in thechambers of JusticeP.K. Nwokedi. After a year's pupilage he set up his own practice. He became the legal adviser to the Royal Exchange Assurance, Eastern Nigeria; Dunlop Industries Ltd., Eastern Nige ria; Nkalagu Cement Company Ltd., from 1963-66 and also UTC, Aba. He was also the legal adviser to the Nkwerre Aborigines Union for four years. Mr. Willie Onyejiaka was the chair man, Aba Amateur Football, Aba Amateur Football Association from 1964-65; a member of Board of Governors of St. Augustine'sGrammar School, Nkwerre, from 1974-76; and president, Recreation Club, Aba 1974- He was the councillor representing Nkwerre1constituency in the Nkwerre Isu Local Government Area in 1976- 79. He is currently the president of Nkwerre Sport Club. Mr. Onyejiaka's main aim of doing law was to eventually branch off into business. He had acquired great inte rest when he was assisting in his father's business, and it was his ulti mate ambition to nurture and develop «* that interest so he became a business man. When the ban on politicswaslifted Willie ashe is popularly known among his friends, joined the Nigerian Peo ple's Party (NPP) because he liked "its philosophy and programmes which are primarily geared towards the better ment of the common man." Willie is married to Monica Onye jiaka who has a diploma in manage ment and catering, and an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Health. They have four children, two girlsand two boys. Mr. Onyejiaka's hobbies include football. He was among his school's XI for three years, and represented his college in inter-collegiate sports and obtained a silver medal in 440 yards race and high jump. He is equally inte rested in athletics, classical music and swimming. He sees the problems of his mini stry as immense, but he hopes to tac kle these problems with determination and vigour. Willie wants to see through those projects which were started before the civilian administrationcame to power on October 1. He wants to get these projects completed in the next 12 months, and thereafter em barkon other programmes. The projects he plans to complete are the Enyimba Hotel Aba, the metal lurgical complem at Aba and Umuahia; the International Glass Factory at Aba the expansion of the Golden Guinea Breweries Ltd., Umuahia. He hopes to complete the latter bv December 1980 and increase its production to 150,000 hectolitres per annum. He also proposes to embark on the expansion of the Modem Ceramic Industry in Umuahia. At the moment the Modem Ceramic Industry is only m able to satisfy 10 per cent of the mar- * ^ ket demand of its products. With the expansion it isenvisaged that the indu stry will triple itsmarket demand. Plans are also afoot for the Clay * Products Ltd., Nachi, Okigwe, to em bark on the production of sewerage pipes, floor tiles, etc. The Shoe Indu stry in Owerri will also be revitalised to make it viable. It is the intention of the Ministryof Industries, Trade and Technology to establish new industries in order to create employment opportunities for the people. In this connection, there- * fore, the ministry proposes to set up an international class hotel of about 350400 bedrooms in Owerri soon. ft * The ministry alsohopesto establish ,» shopping centres. Mr. Onyejiaka poin ted out that work at the Aba shopping centre has started. The Aladinma O Estate and the Owerri Capital Terri tory will have slipping centres. These will take off in the 1980/81 financial year. The Ministry of Industries, Trade and Technology proposes to set up regional markets at Aba, Owerri, Umu ahia, Okigwe and Orlu. The design for the Orlu regional market has been completed. The ministry will also create indus trial estates and layouts in order to quicken the industrialisation of the * state and create job opportunities for the people. "Our main problem is money", Mr Onyejiaka said. However, he hopes Q that with the co-operation of the Federal Government his ministry will achieve its goal. The Ministry of Industries, Trade and Technology also plans to set up industries in our various Local Govern ment areas, depending on feasibility studies. Mr. Onyejiaka proposes that his ministry will encourage private busi nessmen to assist in the industrialisa tion of the state through giving them loans on soft terms, guaranteeingtheir foreign investment and transferring to them the technology necessary for this through seminairs, workshops and the training of their staff.