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How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by Phreshkid20(m): 3:46am On Aug 06, 2017 |
This is how government of Nigeria killed the
dreams of Dr.Ezekiel Izuogu through their
strategic policy of hate syndrome. Dr.Ezekiel
Izuogu: How the Izuogu Z-600 dream was
destroyed by Nigerian government simple
because he is an Igbo man. In 1997, a
brilliant Igbo Electrical Engineer and
Lecturer at the Federal polytechnic Nekede,
Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu designed and developed
the Izuogu Z-600, the first African
indigenous manufactured car. The car was
described by the BBC as 'the African dream
machine' as 90% of its parts were sourced
locally. At a projected sales cost of $2000
dollars, it would have taken the world by
storm and become the cheapest and most
affordable car on earth. With mass
production planned under Izuogu Motors
plant in Naze owerri, the prospects of an
industrial revolution in Igbo land and
Nigeria, was in the making. The car was
equipped with self made 1.8L four cylinder
engine that got 18mpg and allowed the car
to achieve a top speed of 140 km/h. Front
Wheel Drive (RWD) because a transmission
tunnel, which RWD would require, would be
more expensive to fabricate.
So 90% of the car's components were made
locally. Late General Sani Abacha set up a 12
man panel of inquiry made of professionals
to ascertain the road worthiness and
authenticity of the car and after several
days of probing, the committee gave Dr.
Izuogu's car s clean bill of health
recommending that some of the bumps on
the body of the car be smoothened. It is
worthy to note that this was five years
before India build their first car known as
the Indi.
At a well organized unveiling ceremony
which Late General Abacha represented by
Oladipo Diya, over 20 foreign ambassadors
and thousand of people in attendance, the
Federal government promised a grant of 235
million naira to Dr.Izuogu.
An excited Dr. Izuogu is still waiting for that
grant till today. No dime was released to
him. In 2006, the government of South
African invited Dr.Izuogu to do a
presentation about the car in the presence
of several world class engineers. Being
impressed with his presentation, they
invited him to come and set up a plant in
South Africa and begin the production of the
car.
Dr. Izuogu reluctantly agreed, though he
wasn't happy that the benefits of
employment generation will be lost on the
locals of Naze and the Nigerian human
resources environment. On Saturday the
11th of March 2006, at about 2:00am, a total
of about 12 heavily armed men broke into
Dr.Izuogu's factory in Naze and carted away
various machines and tools including the
design history notebook of Z-600, the design
file Z-MASS, containing the design history
for mass production of Z-600 car, and the
moulds for various parts of the car;
According to Dr.Izuogu:
"It seems that the target of this robbery is to
stop the efforts we are making to mass-
produce the first ever locally made car in
Africa. Other items stolen included locally
produced timing wheel, locally produced
camshaft, locally produced crankshaft,
locally produced engine tappets, all 20 pieces
each. Also stolen were ten pieces of locally
produced Z-600 engine blocks, Ten pieces of
the locally produced pistons, four pieces of
engine block mounds, four of top engine
block moulds, ten pieces of engine fly wheel
and two pieces each of ear car and front
mudguard moulds. 'The inventor regretted
that not only did they lose over one N1
billion in monetary terms, but also times
(about 10 years) and the energy it took to
design and produces the moulds. "To
worsen the matter, our design notebook
was also stolen", he stated.
He regarded the incident as a national
economic disaster because the nation had
lost a technological and intellectual
property. The setback and governments
attitude frustrated Izuogu and his dream
died. 1 Like 2 Shares
|
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by fernandez1(m): 4:58am On Aug 06, 2017 |
OBJ is naija problem.....Animal in human skin! |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by MARKone(m): 6:30am On Aug 06, 2017 |
The country is a dream killer, worse if you are an Igbo man. This Biafria agitation is starting to make sense. 1 Like |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by princetom1(m): 7:53am On Aug 06, 2017 |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by obua: 8:11am On Aug 06, 2017 |
The Z 600 was an election gimic by Izuogu. Let's leave it at that. Cars are not built that way. |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by bsideboii(m): 12:07pm On Aug 06, 2017 |
This was many years ago.Everybody makes mistakes. Can we move ahead now? |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by Somatic(m): 7:20pm On Aug 06, 2017 |
His team can partner with Innoson to create something uniquely Nigerian. With Innoson providing human and material resources and Izuogu heading RnD, he can recreate his dream. |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by hakimi1974(m): 8:34pm On Aug 06, 2017 |
obua:and you think say you make sense with these poo abi? |
Re: How The Izuogu Z-600 Dream Was Destroyed By Nigerian Government by surrogatesng: 10:20pm On Aug 06, 2017 |
nice concept |
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