South East Stakeholders, including the Governor of Enugu state, Dr. Peter Mbah, A business mogul and Philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze, Obi of Onitsha , HRM Igwe Engr. Alfred Achebe, , have commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the establishment of the South East Development Commission(SEDC) ,assuring support for the commission..
They gave the commendation and assurance on Saturday during a grand reception organised for the leadership of the Commission by Prince Arthur Eze in Enugu
In his welcome address, Prince Eze commended President Tinubu for approving the establishment of the SEDC and for demonstrating visionary leadership and recognising the immense potential of every region, including the South East.
He said a Commission like the SEDC was expected to have been set up to drive the Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Rehabilitation policy of Gen. Yakubu Gowon when the Nigerian Civil war ended in 1970.
Prince Eze urged the SEDC to revamp the industrial infrastructure which supported the old eastern region noting that the Southeast was a land of innovation, resilience, and enterprise.
He promised to support the SEDC in the areas of power and energy, manufacturing, agriculture, industrial development and urged other stakeholders to support it to achieve their strategic roadmap.
‘”Now that we have this Commission, we have great expectations; it should rehabilitate strategic moribund industries that can provide thousands of jobs to our youths.
“I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the National Assembly, led by Sen. Godswill Akpabio and our son, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CON, whose dedication and determination ensured that this Commission became a reality,” he said.On his part, Mr Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy CC on
Speaking, ,Speaker, House Of Representatives, Hon. Orji Kalu , said the SEDC would be the engine room for renewal and the architect of a modern Southeast.
Kalu, who was represented by. George Ozodinaobi, the Deputy Minority Whip, said the SEDC bill was not a mere legislative exercise, but a mission to address long-standing infrastructure deficits, economic stagnation, and the wounds of history that had yet to fully heal.
He called on the commission to thrive on partnership among governments , private sector, diaspora community and all relevant Institutions to help the commission according to him, the SEDC Act is more than ink on paper, it is a covenant of progress, a bridge between our storied past and the prosperous future we dare to build.
“We have never been a people who wait for doors to open; we carve
our own pathways through the mountains of limitation; today, with this Commission, we do not just carve a path, we lay a foundation for generations to come,” he said.
Pix: HRM Igwe Engr Achebe, Obi of Onitsha in red cap standing
In his speech, the Managing Director/CEO, SEDC ,Mark Okoye, said the Commission would work closely with the State Governors to realise the target of moving the region from the the current $40 billion to a $200 billion economy..
koye said the SEDC would invest heavily in the critical sectors that would catalyse economic transformation adding that all its projects, programmes and interventions would be aimed at de-risking these key sectors, encourage private sector investment for sustainability.
“We have not come as a Commission to threaten the place of Governors in the region, we are here to support, collaborate and align with the State Governors to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda in the region.
“There are very interesting projects currently executed by the State Governors, we are here to support and amplify such projects.
“A major obstacle to development is lack of infrastructure, when investors come in, 65 percent of their funds go to creating the necessary infrastructure and this limits their global comprehensiveness,” he said.Also speaking Dr Emeka Wogu, Chairman of SEDC Board, appreciated President Tinubu for establishing the commission and for his proactive leadership while assuring that the board would not fail in their mandate.
Wogu said the board just finished our tour of the region where they met the various State Governors and presented their strategic roadmap.
“This event marks the start of execution of our mandate, we will focus solely on high-impact projects that can create value and provide thousands of job for our youths,” he said.
Speaking also, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State emphasised that SEDC was an idea whose time had come and had been in pipeline for over 75 years.
He added that N200 billion target set by the management of SEDC was small, suggesting the push up to N1 trillion given the large population of the Igbo people.
The Governor urged them to invest more on critical infrastructure and build a common market within the zone.i
Dignitaries at the event were Five Governors of Southeast states , Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo who were represented . Gov Otti of Abia state was represented by his Chief of Staff, Caleb Ajagba, Sen. Victor Umeh , Igwe Ibagwa Nike, HRH Igwe Emma Ugwu, chairman, Anambra state Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Igwe Iweka, Igwe of Obosi,among others.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama