By Casmir Echebiri
In the aftermath of the Nigeria/ Biafra Civil War South East Region has grappled with many existential challenges. Underdevelopment and disappearing unity and brotherly spirit, have remained very prominent among the challenges. General Yakubu Gowon government proclaimed the “No Victor No Vanquished” policy, plus the 3R’s of Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Recovery agenda. It was geared toward healing both the physical
and emotional
wounds inflicted on it by the horrendous strife.
But, after announcing it, he abandoned it. This stance was embraced by succeeding administrations, leaving the zone at the fringe of real progress.South East FG roads network are not in good shape, there’s no modern railway line, its allocation from
the centre is poor, it has least number of states, and takes home least federal appointments.
Amid federal government poor support, our own regional and state leaders, make matters worse by not using available resources to develop the region. As the region suffers from poor development, so also has it faced unprecedented fall of Igbo brotherhood spirit and unity.
More than any other thing, the lack of strong and meaningful cohesive spirit, partnership and synergy among our governor’s speaks to this dying spirit of oneness. As the apex political think tank in the region the governor’s,
ought to be the frontline ambassadors of Igbo unity, cohesion, and progress, through collectivism.Butthey hardly come together to speak with one voice, not to talk of executing projects with regional impact. It has merely been a symbolic platform, without benefits to the region.
However, today, it seems the dual challenges of South East development and unity, are finally being genuinely attended to by one of the political leaders of the zone. Gov Alex Chioma Otti of Abia State. Before he came to power Abia State like other states of the South East had grappled with serious underdevelopment in all sectors. Successive governor’s thst ruled the state had instead of sincerely and genuinely working for the progress and development of the state, busied themselves looting its treasury. They made away with the resources of the state that they should have used to change
the fate of Abians for good.
Gov Otti as a leader who thinks of the next generations, not the next election, has dramatically changed the narrative. Abia today is being ranked among states that are on the rise, in the area of transformative governance.
Beyond giving Abia good governance, he’s doing something else, that many are yet to notice. He’s quietly trying to address the increasing problem of Igbo disunity and lack of brotherhood spirit. I guess why the public is not easily seeing and talking about this very laudable initiative, is because he’s not loquacious about it.
Rather, he’s quietly and calmly addressing the problem through policies and actions. One key policy he’s been using in this regard is his merit based recruitment policy. Gov Otti has been using that template in both political and Civil and Public Service recruitment.
Hundreds of qualified candidates from other states in the region and beyond, are now working in Abia through this policy. I can’t think of better way to rekindle and fire up the fading unity and oneness of South East than this strategy. It has long being used by the South West and the North and it worked for them. Whether you are from Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, or you’re Yoruba Kwara or Kogi,you can contest election in Lagos, get appointment, or secure civil service job there. The same with a Lagosian in other Yoruba states. North operates the same template too.
Here, our governor’s sack workers from other South East States in their state employ, instead of recruitment. Gov Otti is changing the trend, and should be encouraged to sustain the initiative.
This makes him a critical South East asset. We should all support him. Those he refused to feed with the resources, he’s used to work for Abians and Ala Igbo are up in arms
against him. They’re manufacturing all types of dirty antics aimed at hounding him out of power,and hauling them at him. South East must resist them with every legitimate tool available to them. This is not Abia people’s struggle alone. It should be South East collective struggle, because if they hound him out,it’s not only Abia that will suffer. The entire region will.
Casmir Echebiri writes from Owerri Imo State.
