The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, has thrown its weight behind Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma’s request for a special fund for the South- East following the civil war devastation of 1967- 1960.
Recall that Uzodinma had said in Owerri while declaring open a zonal public hearing on the review of the current revenue allocation sharing formula, organised by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), that the devastation in the South-East needed to be addressed.
Speaking on Thursday in Enugu, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, lauded Uzodinma for the initiative “aimed at bettering the economy of the zone”, stressing that the call was auspicious and well-timed.
Ogbonnia stated that Uzodinma was a strategic, creative thinker, who thought ahead of his colleagues, pointing out that it was reminiscent and in line with the policy of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (3 Rs) adopted after the civil war, “which were breached”.
Ogbonnia said that the zone deserved special attention, lamenting that crossing the Niger into the South-East was synonymous with moving from heaven to hell; on account of the dilapidation of roads and other infrastructure in the zone.
He noted that Uzodinma’s call couldn’t have come at a better time on account of the sorry state of affairs.
Reminded that the National Assembly was working on a dedicated commission for the South- East, Ogbonnia responded that there could be no issue of duplication of efforts as there was a lot of things to address, even as he commended Uzodinma for the gesture.
He opined that a leader should focus on service delivery and not on what critics would say, pointing out that Uzodinma’ action was a way of addressing the social challenge being encountered in the zone.
He stressed that all negative tendencies were contributory to insecurity and declared that any action that enhanced the economy was an antidote to insecurity.
Ogbonnia insisted that it was the culture of Ohanaeze to applaud any good suggestion towards bettering a lot of the people.
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, Mazi Chika Art Adiele, while not disagreeing with those urging Uzodinma to call for demilitarization of Imo state, corroborated the position of the parent body.
“The demand for a South-East Special Fund by the governor of Imo State, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma, is long overdue. South-East is in a deplorable state.
The federal government must, as a matter of urgency, consider this request as of right. If this fund is created, it will help to accelerate the pace of development and will help to assuage the feelings Ndigbo youths and restore our sense of belonging,” he said.
Also speaking with our reporter in Umuahia, in a telephone interview, the National Vice President Ohanaeze Worldwide, Dr. Kingsley Dozie, said that while not holding brief for the group, but speaking as a person, Uzodinma’s request was in order.
He said that the South-East Development bill in the National Assembly was about providing a special fund that would take care of the war-ravaged region, following losses occasioned by the 30-month civil war from 1967 to 1970.
Dozie queried that if a special fund could be set aside for the North East Development Commission to resolve the destruction caused by Boko Haram, while not South- East, adding that a situation whereby one side of the country was favoured and another side was allowed to suffer would naturally necessitate agitations and cries of marginalization.
He said that he was happy about Uzodinma joining his voice with Ohanaeze and other well-meaning Igbo people to demand a special fund for the development of the South- East.
However, speaking with our reporter in a phone interview in Awka, the Vice President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Okeke Ogene, said the request of Governor Hope Uzodimma on a special fund for the rehabilitation of the South-East should be left for the South East Commission designed for such purpose. Ogene stated that the National Assembly had passed the law for the establishment of the South East Commission, as it is in the West and North, but commended the federal government for having the interest of the South -East at heart.
He further pleaded with the federal government to continuously fund the commission to enable it to tackle the challenges it was created for. “I don’t know about the special fund, but I know about the South- East Commission. One thing is to create a Commission, the other is to fund it.
So, the South- East Commission has the responsibility to address the lapses in the region. I believe the federal government means well for the SouthEast.”
Speaking on the possible dialogue between IPOB and the Federal Government, a businessman, Mr. Ogonna Okoroafor, said that he was speaking as an Igbo man that has sympathy for the Biafra cause which IPOB is fighting for.
He said, “Nothing is wrong with IPOB holding dialogue with the federal government. If the federal government has good intentions, why not? If the federal government can talk with Boko Haram and bandits, while not with IPOB?
“Nothing meaningful is achieved on the war front. It is always better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Before any dialogue will take place, there must be a meeting point. Before any dialogue, they have to get the leader of IPOB out of the DSS cell and remove IPOB from Nigeria’s terrorist list. If these two demands are met, I believe IPOB will be ready for dialogue.”
New National Star