Southeast stakeholders have asked the newly elected governors of the zone not to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, who they claim neglected the area.
The Methodist Archbishop of Okigwe Archdiocese, Most Rev. Livinus Biereonwe Onuagha; Archbishop Opoko, South East Development Agenda, SEDA, amongst others admonished the incoming South East Governors to unite and work together for the development of the region. He urged them not to tow the line of the outgoing governors who he said never saw reasons to work together and collectively develop the region, vanguard reports.
According to the Methodist Archbishop of Okigwe Archdiocese, Most Rev. Livinus Biereonwe Onuagha, “We should be looking inward now that our people’s lives and their businesses are being threatened outside the South East. Remember that when Eastern and Western Germany were in existence, the Western Germans went back to their house and developed themselves through technology.
He said that the southeast has all it takes to develop itself through technology that working not just together with themselves but with the businessmen and women in the southeast will bring development in the legion.
He also urged the incoming governors to work with the sitting ones and not emulate the outgoing ones whom he referred to as “Disaster to the people of the zone”.
The Chairman of the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Mr. Ambrose Igbokwe, added his voice to the discussion by stating that the new governors should support regional economic integration.
“There used to be regional economic cooperation in the South East. This integration led to the establishment of the first indigenous university in Nigeria at Nsukka in the region.The region also became the largest producer of palm oil in Africa; had integrated agriculture, oil and gas, manufacturing, and housing hubs in Onitsha, Aba, Enugu, Abakaliki, even stretching to Port Harcourt in the present day Rivers State.
Damian Okeke-Ogene, vice president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, believes there is optimism for a fresh development impetus with the advent of a new group of governors in the South East zone.
He consequently recommended cooperation amongst them in order to accomplish this. He urged the governors to engage in healthy development competition. Given the underwhelming performance of those they are aiming to replace, Okeke-Ogene advised the new governors to understand that all eyes are on them to see what they will do.