In the last two years, the South-East Governor’s Forum has been battling to achieve socio-economic independence for the zone. The Director General of the Forum, Senator Uche Ekwunife, in this encounter with OKEY MADUFORO addresses the efforts made so far.

As the Director-General of the South-East Governor’s Forum, how have the governors been able to face the challenges in the area?

We must first of all laud the concerted efforts of the governors under the able leadership of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, Governor of Imo State and Chairman All Progressives Governors Forum. We must commend the governor’s efforts in ensuring that the region becomes viable for Investors to come in and do business. We also salute the governor’s security initiatives to reclaim the South-East’s position as the epicenter of economic growth and development in Nigeria, the South-East governors have embarked on a comprehensive revitalization plan to boost ease of doing business in the region. At the heart of the plan are six critical sectors identified by the Southeast governors: Security, industrialization, uniform legislation, power, education, and rail transportation. These areas have been singled out for their potentials to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and improve the overall standard of living in the region. Knowing fully well that no reasonable investor will desire to come and invest in an environment where security is not guaranteed and also understanding that this is a common problem bedeviling the entire region, the Governors have created a platform to synergize and have developed a security strategy to make it very difficult for criminals to commit crime in one state and run to the other state for cover. A comprehensive security network has been deployed with advanced technologies and coordinated intelligence has been massively being deployed to support the existing security apparatus to destabilize criminals in the zone. With this I am sure kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals will realize that the South-East is not for them.

Is this going to work despite their challenges?

The South-East is a zone without state boundaries and states are easily accessible to each other such that one can move from one state to the other without even knowing that he or she has crossed the boundary. So, there’s no other option than to synergize and work together saying that the governors are fully informed, ambitious and intentional about taking back the region from the criminals.

Aside from security, what other things are the governors doing in the area of empowerment?

Well in that area an extensive engagement with the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Humanitarian Affairs have been activated in which youths can be engaged through funding, employment and other aspects. Our entrepreneurs are also not left out in this plan. The Governor’s Forum is also utilizing its business office platform to mitigate the “Japa Syndrome,” to achieve that, youths will be exposed to foreign job opportunities such that they can be employed abroad whilst residing in Nigeria. The revitalization of abandoned and moribund industries is another major area of concern which were once the backbone of the region’s economy. Also, through private sector partnerships and leveraging government resources, the governors aim to revive these industries and create new opportunities for employment and economic growth. These teething problems have been categorized and need short term and long-term solutions and the governors understand that the people have high expectations from them but most of these issues require very huge capital investments and due diligence to handle. Similarly, avenues of private public partnership have been deeply explored to solve these problems which are vigorous and long but in the long run much will be accomplished. At the moment, a team of experts and technocrats are currently touring the South-East states to assess both government-owned and privately owned dormant industries to enable the forum profile them for action. They are also working on uniform legislation and standards that will guide some of the regional investments and protection of investors as well as the citizens.

But is it only industrialization of the SouthEast that is in the agenda of the Governor’s Forum?

Not just that because education is of top priority for the South-East governors, who recognize its potential to drive economic growth and social development. Currently, an implementation of a new curriculum has commenced in schools across the South-East to inculcate quality, skills-based education into the curriculum, equipping students with practical entrepreneurial knowledge and competitive skills to thrive in the modern job market. The governors are committed to transforming Southeast primary and secondary schools into models of excellence that will produce innovative thinkers and future leaders. This is a push to equip our schools with entrepreneurial skills rather than just theoretical knowledge and paper certificates. The governors are also working to transform South-East universities into centers of specialized fields by providing funding, equipment, and support to make them the best in their respective areas.

Also, infrastructure development is another critical aspect emphasized on the agreement of the South-East governors to develop light rail networks with the aim of enhancing connectivity, stimulating trade, and reducing traffic congestion. By linking major towns and cities, the rail network will drive regional integration, foster economic unity, and position the South-East as a hub for business and investment. Again, the issue of environmental degradation is also an integral component of Forum’s plans specifically, the gully erosion at Nanka Community which has devoured Oko and many neighbouring communities and it’s still ravaging. The governors are concerned about the huge erosion menace which has claimed significant portions of the region’s landmass. With Oko on the verge of being cut off, Nanka gully erosion is the most “Active Erosion Site” in Nigeria therefore the forum is seeing it as a regional problem that requires regional cooperation to be addressed. Meanwhile the governors are partnering with the Federal Government to develop a holistic approach to reconstruct the affected sites using the most competent contractors. The Tax Reform Bill of the Federal Government has also caught the attention of the governors and to that effect the proposals in the document have been studied as they affect the South-East economy. Much have been said about jump starting the South-East economy, how has the journey been? The priority of the governors is the protection of the economic interest of the SouthEast, providing welfare and security for the citizens. The governors remain committed to strengthening of the local government governance as well as he implementation of the new minimum wage which she said will boost economic livelihood and worker’s welfare. As agreed, the governors will bolster its dialogue with the Federal Government for the completion of intra state roads and other transport projects which will create employment in the construction industry ecosystem, boost productivity by reducing travel time to its barest minimum, promote tourism, and open up and integrate all the South-East states to more investment opportunities. They are working in synergy to address the harsh economic times which Nigerians are currently passing through, they also open to assist the reforms of Mr. President which are already yielding results. Avenues of taking advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that permits states to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity are on top gear and they are also considering other sources of energy especially in the rural areas to address the deficit in power supply. All in all, the Chairman of the Forum His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma, CON has shown capacity in leading the Forum to achieve most of the goals outlined by the Forum.

There is this issue of rail transportation which is been alleged that the zone is marginalized?

Like I said earlier, the South East Governors are in healthy competition in their various states. At the regional level, there are ongoing synergy and collaboration amongst the governors to jointly embark on life changing projects that will put the zone at the radar of development in no distant time. For instance; the governors are currently working on a regional rail transportation system, power, regional security architecture, agriculture, and even solid mineral development. The governors are addressing the region’s infrastructural gap through strategic investments and partnerships. The rehabilitation of the Eastern rail line by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is a major milestone. The rehabilitation of the rail is ongoing with the first phase from Port Harcourt to Aba, which is now set for commissioning. The second phase, extending from Aba to Enugu, is also underway. Knowing the concerns of our people regarding a narrow-gauge rail system instead of a standard gauge. The South East Governors’ Forum is in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to seek interventions in that regard. The feasibility study for the standard gauge rail has been carried out, and we are talking with the Federal Government on the need for a standard gauge rail line in the region. The importance of rail transportation in boosting the economy of the region can not be over emphasized. But most importantly there are strong plans by governors to establish rail lines linking the major cities of the five states.

Then, like I said earlier, in boosting power supply in the region, no aspect of the regional intervention goals has been left untouched. In appreciating the importance of reliable power supply for economic development, the South East governors in partnership with the federal government have commissioned the Light Up Nigeria project in the South-East. This initiative is a measure taken by the governors in the region to boost power supply while leveraging on the transfer of electricity from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. The Light Up South-East program by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in collaboration with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), aims at providing steady and reliable power supply to industrial and business clusters in the South East. One of the key priorities for the South-East Governors is the sponsorship of a uniform legislation through their State Assemblies on power, leveraging on the removal of power from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. This legislation aims to create a seamless and investor-friendly environment, eliminating encumbrances and hurdles while transacting business with the states in the region. Using the Enugu Electricity Act as a model, the governors are working hard to make ease of doing business sacrosanct so that investors in power sectors can freely transact business within the entire region without any legal bottlenecks or impediments.

Please follow and like us: