By Acho Marcus Nkire
The South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has initiated preliminary steps to the promised land by visiting four of five Igbo states in recent weeks.
A diplomatic move intended to foster partnership and facilitate interaction, as the commission aims at bringing together all south-eastern big wigs under one umbrella regardless of federal or partisan allegiances. Abia, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi all played host to the Chairman, Chief. Emeka Wogu and his entourage.
Whilst the future undoubtedly holds much more in terms of productivity, creating alliances across regions would purposefully establish a foundational anchor to achieving the economic, infrastructural and societal development as promised.
The Governor of Imo state Senator Hope Uzodinma invoked the board and management of the SEDC to prioritise the societal and economical welfare of the region, earmarking both as primary sectors for development. He offered reverence to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who by all accounts deserves credit “for his wisdom and courage in accepting and supporting the bill that established the commission” said Uzodinma.
Gov. Hope also offered words of advice to the Board and management of the SEDC preaching Trust as key element for astute decision making and a core attribute they must possess.
In recent years, there have been growing security concerns in the southeast. With unemployment enlisting more and more youths into major role players in this tussle for south eastern peace or rather unrest.
It came as little surprise when the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, issued a bold challenge to the SEDC, urging them to seek trade expansion and globalization as a mechanism to open up the economic landscape, conversely leading to an increase in job opportunities.
Dubbed the governor of “Urban renewal” by Chief Wogu and co for his industrial and developmental exploits in Enugu, Mbah said “ The SEDC is proof of the President’s dedication to equitable growth across Nigeria’s regions” Mbah opined. “The southeast has everything it needs to be the hub for trade and industry, uth the SEDC’s support, we can attract international investment and unlock our economic future through job creation”
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, driven with the obsession of improved power supply and rightly so, solicited the Development commission to prioritize power for industrial growth, as his people are famously known for their prodigious industrial and creative talents all over the country. “Every input people make towards industrialization and manufacturing is power” he stated. “All our people want is that you create an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive and they will sort themselves out”
He also thanked the Tinubu led administration for the approval of the commission and promised co-operation from the people of Abia.
Governor of Anambara state, Chief Chukwuma Soludo met with the South East Development Commission (SEDC) team, led by Chief Emeka Wogu and Mr. Mark Okoye II. He charged them to prioritize one key objective from their agenda, focusing on achieving tangible results rather than getting bogged down in bureaucracy or politics. Chief Wogu and Mr. Okoye II also took the time to acknowledge the administration’s achievements and progress under his dispensation.
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt.Hon. Francis Nwifuru stressed that People of the South East expect visible, high-impact projects from SEDC within a short timeframe.
The Back and forth nature of these meetings produced a positive energy, hinting great things to come for the commission, the respective state alliances and the general growth of the South-East.
