A Call for the Creation of South Eastern Economic Community (SEEC) Time has come for Ndigbo to realize that the artificial boundaries between Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia states does not mean much other than administrative boundaries for federal revenue sharing and these boundaries also serve electoral purposes but offers little for a wide-scale integrated economic development of the region as a whole. This is where South Eastern Economic Community (SEEC) steps in to allow for a regional approach for the development of Igbo land including Anioma and others . I am also calling for the creation of an administrative Commission to be named South Eastern Economic Development Commission (SEEDC) whose members should be drawn from member states and territories of Igbo land. SEEDC would be responsible for development and implementation of Economic Development policies and initiatives for SEEC. SEEDC should work with security groups to provide high class security throughout the region, funding should be sought from member states and regions, Federal government of Nigeria, private donors and Philanthropists, as well as from International Economic Development Organizations and Agencies including IMF and United Nations. Right from the inception of the Nigerian Republic resulting from the Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates it is obvious to anyone with sense of objectivity to come to a realization that Eastern region an area best described as the Nation’s Bread basket including the former Midwest Region have been systematically ignored by past Nigerian administrations for purposes of economic development for obvious reasons. The Federal Government understandably poured disproportionate and countless resources to develop Lagos and environs as the federal Capital, lately inexperienced and poorly educated analysts are staking claim that only their people were responsible for the development which occurred in Lagos how laughable could this proposition be. Soon the Northern Generals wanted some action in their neck of the woods and nurtured an idea to move the capital away from Lagos to the North, and they relentlessly followed up with the plan which culminated in the creation and development of Abuja as the new Federal Capital. Ndigbo has been caught up in endless humiliations and killings in the North and recently a new syndrome of deportations was introduced by the Lagos State Government. We can no longer be contempt in condemnations of murders and humiliation of our people. Similar actions in the past led to the creation of Republic of Biafra leading to the civil war that lasted for nearly 3 years. This time Ndigbo should pursue a different route, I am not calling for secession from Nigeria; rather I am calling for economic transformation and emancipation for our people and region. We as Ndigbo would have to figure out why our elusive sense of nationalism has not been matched by other Nigerians that continue to stake claim to their own territories as theirs and see others as visitors and settlers. Ndigbo can make Nigeria stronger economically by developing Igbo land. The world has changed with globalization winds sweeping the globe. We can produce and market to the world, yesterday folks were laughing at Nollywood movies, while the industry participants laughed their way to the banks. Today many people overseas watch and enjoy Nigerian movies,and Nollywood industry is now worth many billion dollars, this is just one small example. The opening of Akanu Ibiam as an international airport is a blessing in disguise, I was happy to see some Igbo Senators, ministers and most of Igbo Governors at the opening ceremony with smiling faces, this to me is very positive because they considered it an important milestone for the economy of the region, suggesting further that our governors have begun to look at the big picture. With three airports in the region, Enugu and Port Harcourt (International) and Asaba for domestic, and three ports (Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo), and a potential for dredging the river Niger and making Onitsha a Port city as well, time has come for the creation of SEEC and SEEDC as vehicles for economic transformation of the region. We should also push for a speedy completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge before president Jonathan leaves office. An international freight terminal should be established at Owerri the heartland of the region to facilitate freight import and export. I hope to present these ideas to Igbo Organizations in the Diaspora such as World Igbo Congress, Igbo World Assembly, Igbo Union Atlanta and others including home based organizations such as Ohaneze Ndigbo and the state governments of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu for consideration. Authored and written by Paul Okechukwu Oranika Please distribute to all forums you participate in Thanks
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 01:31:12 +0000
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