Mariam Adebukola 
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday said the economic and security challenges in the South East region have contributed to the divisions among the Igbo community.
Okonjo-Iweala who spoke during her virtual participation in the Economic and Security Summit held in Owerri, Imo State capital said the people of the Southeast do not provide mutual support but instead engage in attacks and undermining of each other.
Speaking further, the former Minister of Finance noted that the Igbos have, unfortunately, lost focus and lost sight of their most significant communal assets.
She, however, advised Ndigbo (the Igbo people) to reject self-centeredness and instead promote teamwork as a means to foster economic growth within the region, saying there was a bright side to the challenges of the Southeast.
She said: ”We have lost focus. We have lost sight of our biggest community assets. We are fragmented as a people. We don’t support each other instead, we attack and undermine each other. We are too individualistic. An individual can be good but better when we come together with others as a body.
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She said, “I am sure you want me to mention the gaps in infrastructure. I don’t think it is our biggest challenge. Our biggest challenge in the Southeast is ourselves. We have often been our worst enemies. We have allowed ourselves to be divided.”
“If the problem is us, it means the solution also lies in our hands. To do this, we must exercise joint leadership, and that is why it is important that you are taking the Summit step now.
“Another big challenge is security; this partly arose from our fragmentation. Insecurity in our region is sending wrong signals about whether one can invest in the Southeast.”
The former minister also commended the governors for partnering with the Federal Government in its efforts to overcome insecurity in the Southeast.
She added: “The lesson for us is clear, you cannot have development without security, and you cannot have security without development and above all, we need good governance.
“To take this region forward, the security problem needs to be solved. The Federal Government obviously has an important role to play, but there is much to be done at the state level, and that is why I commend your leadership.”
