A Word for the New Governors of Eastern Nigeria

It is no exaggeration to say that Eastern Nigerians in the Diaspora are certainly happy to welcome the new political leaders of the East into their new offices. We want to be proud of you. Don’t forget that.

In all modesty, we need not hasten to remind you that the old Eastern Nigeria is not dead as our detractors had wished. It is still very much alive in the spirit and only needs you to put new strategies in place not only for the East to survive as an effective block in the Nigerian experiment, but more importantly as one that deserves the respect and love of the other sister regions in the country, despite efforts by our distracters to disorganize us, which nearly happened.

Now, more than ever before, all the states that make up Eastern Region need to come back together as a block in the Nigerian experiment for a greater tomorrow for our children and our children’s children. And more so, when we have a dire desire to contribute more meaningfully in giving Nigeria the pride of place it deserves in Africa and the comity of nations. In such a way too, we can lead Africa without using our political power until God assures us that “it is our turn”. We just have to move on and prepare for that day.

As a matter of fact, it was not a coincidence that in 1967, while the country was enmeshed in a brutal fratricidal civil war, Rivers and Cross River states were severed from Eastern Nigeria. It was a measure deliberately taken by the Nigerian authorities to ensure that between us, things will fall apart and the centre can no longer hold. It was a well planned strategy to separate our people from belonging to themselves entirely, in an attempt to win the war by any possible means. The idea of South East and South-South regions was then developed. Our people did not see the political master stroke the Nigerian authorities had adopted to ensure that our people were perpetually subdued. They simply clipped our wings so that we could no longer fly.

That notwithstanding, when the founding fathers of the so-called southeast governors’ forum which was a fallout from the new states creation of the Nigerian authorities, Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu, Chinwoke Mbadinuju of Anambra, Achike Udenwa of Imo, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi and Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia sat in a meeting for the first time, they pledged to work together, irrespective of their political leanings, for the interest of the larger segment of the communities that made up those parts of the main Eastern Region.

Critics of the forum alleged that the governors were not doing enough to develop those parts of the region. They said they failed to attract the attention of the federal government to the deplorable condition of infrastructure in the region after the civil war, especially the roads. Even as we speak, most of the federal roads in the so-called southeastern states have remained nothing but death traps and many people were worried about why their governors had not deemed it necessary to go beyond rhetoric to, at least, embark on the repair or modernization of those roads themselves and get a refund from the federal government, if there were provisions in the law to that effect.

Today, the worry is no longer so much about the federal government. It is about us. It is about us as a people. For instance, when the Igbo claim they are the best in business in this part of the world, they should be able to prove themselves right. If the Igbo are known to develop other towns and other countries, why are they unable to develop theirs? That is not something to be proud of, and it is down to the political leaderships of Eastern Nigeria to turn around this crazy idea of developing other peoples’ homes and abandoning ours. It is down to the new political leaders to initiate moves that would get our people, the rich ones at least, to begin to focus on developing Eastern Nigeria.

Today, for example, the joint economic ventures in the former southeast zone, the Cooperative and Commerce Bank (CCB), the African Continental Bank (ACB), the Nkalagu Cement Factory, the Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (ANAMCO) and the Emene Floor Mills, among others have become moribund. Eastern Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora are of the opinion that their new governors need to be proactive in their quest to improve the lot of the Easterners they represent by reactivating some of these unifying ventures and building new ones in addition.

Along that line, and what the Easterners want most is for their Eastern Nigerian governors to liaise with foreign investors, like Chief Samuel Mbakwe did when he instituted Imo State University and Concorde Hotel in the old Imo state, to get light railway trains shuttling between and connecting the major cities in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers states. The emphasis here is on railway transportation between Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers and the intra-links between places like Eziama, Ogbor Hill, Aba Ukwu, Arochukwu, Ihechiowa, Ovukwu-Abam, Alayi, Bende, Igbere, Item, Nkpa, Ozuitem, Uzoakoli, Ibeku, Igbere, Nkwoachara, Old Umuahia, Olokoro, Ama Asaa, Umuopara, Ihie, Nsulu, Amaise-Ahaba and so on in Abia state or Owerri, Amaraku, Okwelle, Umuna, Okigwe and Amaigbo, Nkwerre, Orlu in Imo state, for example. Eastern Nigerian governors should take this assignment seriously and see what the region would look like with these facilities in place. Our people will not need to go to Dubai any more when they have a better Dubai on their land. Against this background, the new and older governors of Eastern Region should pursue issues affecting their people through regional integration. This will definitely call for an honest pooling together of resources. Like Governor Samuel Mbakwe (of blessed memory), they can arrange to partner with any foreign country or established business on this transportation issue particularly. Our people need a network of railways that would connect major cities in Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers with their state capitals, and also connect all the state capitals in Eastern Nigeria, even if they are light railways.

Light railway train

It will be unnecessary to keep agitating for a break-up of Nigeria if the people of Eastern Nigeria can utilize the zeal with which they develop other peoples’ towns and countries to develop their own towns and villages. They can then export their products to areas that need them. In so doing, our people would have literally broken up without breaking up with Nigeria – which is the best policy for the easterners in their circumstances since the end of the Nigerian civil war.

Let us take a look at Great Britain today. There are four nations that make Britain great: England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Each of them has complete autonomy. They have their currencies and still use the pound. They have their various parliaments and yet attend meetings in London. They have their various national flags and yet reverence the Union Jack. They run their systems on their own and yet pay their dues and subscribe to a central government. And that is what makes them great. Eastern governors can insist on that pattern of relationship in Nigeria. Then, our people will have a clear, distinct voice in Nigeria and in the world and will not see themselves as living in bondage any more. Freedom can always come in many different ways that defy violence and war.

• Asinugo is a London-based veteran journalist, author of “The Presidential Years: From Dr. Jonathan to Gen. Buhari” and Publisher of ROLU formerly Imo State Business Link Magazine (Website: https://rolultd.com)