Former Governors of Abia and Imo
States, Dr. Orji Kalu and Chief Ikedi Ohakim, have begun moves to rally round
all sons and daughters of Igboland in a bid to enhance the fortunes of the
South East in the Nigerian project.
The former governors met behind closed
doors on Wednesday to deliberate and appraise the state of Igboland in the
national polity.
The meeting, held in Lagos, was
attended by prominent sons and daughters of the South East.
In a communiqué made available to the
media, jointly signed by Kalu and Ohakim, they called on stakeholders in the
South East to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness in order to move the region
forward.
The duo explained that the bitterness
among leaders in the South East was the major cause of the setback of the
region.
According to them, “Today marks a new
beginning in Igbo land. Today’s meeting is a demonstration to the whole world
that forgiveness is the key to progress, the differences between the two of us
have been resolved in the interest of our people,” the two leaders enthused
after their laudable resolution.
The two eminent politicians also said
the region needs to give unflinching support to President Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration in order to ensure the speedy completion of the New Niger
Bridge, the implementation of the gas master plan, and completion of the
development of the nation’s railway, among others.
The meeting condemned in strong terms
the disrespect to the South East traditional institution by politicians for
selfish reasons. They explained that traditional rulers remain fathers to all,
irrespective of tribe or political affiliation.
The group regrets that the South East
zone continues to produce the highest number of graduates but unfortunately the
youths are unemployed. They therefore admonished government to support the
entrepreneurship spirit of Igbo youths by creating the enabling environment and
empowerment schemes.
They however unanimously urged
Nigerians to remain steadfast and prayerful in order to overcome the security
challenges facing the country.
via PRIME CHRONICLE