South East Governors ,Ministers Meet In Enugu

After about four hours closed door meeting in Enugu, governors of the five South-east states as well as some political leaders including ministers and members of the National Assembly yesterday resolved to work together on issues affecting the people of the zone henceforth.

Apart from the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, who was represented by his deputy, Eze Madumere, other governors including, Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Theodore Orji (Abia), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) and Peter Obi (Anambra) were all present.

Also in attendance were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; her Health counterpart, Onyebuchi Chukwu; Presidential Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Ogbuefi Ozongbachi as well as a former member of the House of Representatives from Imo State, Uche Onyeagocha.

Though, the Chairman of South-east Governor's conference, Obi, had initially refused to talk to journalists at the end of the meeting, when he was eventually prodded by them, he simply said the meeting had one agenda which had to do with the need for Igbo political leaders to work together.

In another development, as various stakeholders prepare for the national conference scheduled to commence next month, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been advised to take the back seat and allow constitutional experts to articulate and synthesise the Igbo people’s demands at the conference.

The call was made at the weekend by a member of Board of Trustees (BoT) of Igbo World Congress (WIC), Mr. Obi Barth Thompson, while speaking with journalists at Umuahia, the Abia State capital, saying the confab is very important to be wasted as it presents a good opportunity to address salient national issues.

He said Ohanaeze Ndigbo and politicians should allow the Igbo Leaders of Thought led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, a renowned constitutional expert, to be at the drivers seat to articulate the Igbo agenda because “what is at stake is beyond the comprehension of many politicians.

“All centres of Igbo leadership should bury their differences and adopt a common ground that would serve Igbo interest,” adding that in collating and sensitising ideas, the leaders should be guarded by the collective interest of Ndigbo.

Thompson warned Ndigbo against skepticism and apathy on the national conference, noting that it was the same skepticism that made the best of Ndigbo to shun the transition programme of the military regime in 1998 thereby paving the way for people with questionable character to emerge as political leaders across the South-east region.

“My fear is that a people so traumatised by the misdeed of their political representatives may extend their resentment and apathy to the national conference and thereby allow the same turn-coats to trade them off for vice- presidency or some appointments,” he said.



According to him, “For most of this gang, ‘Igboness’ means nothing more than a meal ticket at federal cafeteria, something you hide under while prospecting for your personal interest, no matter what that interest may be or who it may hurt or defraud.

“It is therefore very necessary to make sure that the case and demands of the Igbo people are not made by this lot, no matter who sponsors them.”

The WIC delegate said Ndigbo would demand a federal structure which would allow them “to live in autonomy where we can exercise our inalienable rights,” adding that “what is important is that the unborn Igbo child is going to be in Nigeria.”

He said each of the six federating units based on the existing geopolitical zones would in the emerging new Nigeria “should be able to build special relationship with one another if their circumstances so demand.”