ENUGU— Governors of the five states in the South-East geopolitical zone, yesterday, unanimously resolved to wade into all the issues of self determination by the pro-Biafra groups in the zone.
The pro-Biafra groups specifically mentioned are the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB. Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, stated this while addressing newsmen shortly after their meeting in Enugu Government House, yesterday. Umahi also disclosed that the forum had constituted an economic integration committee of two representatives from each of the five states of the zone to produce a blueprint for the economic integration of the zone.
The governors also said they are to immediately take up issues of abandoned Federal Government projects in the zone with the appropriate authorities. From right, Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Rochas Okorocha (Imo); and Willie Obiano (Anambra) during a meeting of the South East Governors Forum at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday. Umahi said: “Today, we discussed a number of issues. Our secretariat in Enugu is now fully functional and so, if you have a need to contact the South-East Governors Forum, you can do that through our secretariat in Government House Enugu. “On issues of IPOB, MASSOB, Kanu’s detention, ecological problems of South-East, various water dams that have been abandoned in the South-East, our challenges of power, challenges of security and many other concerns of our people, the South-East governors today agreed to meet the various and appropriate authorities at the federal level to address those problems. “We are very committed to this and action has already started on these issues.
Economic integration c’ttee “South-East governors also agreed to meet with all stakeholders of South-East to discuss and address all issues that are of interest to our people. “We approved two representatives each for the South-East economic committee and we have mandated them to immediately meet and fashion out a road map towards our economic integration.
“These we will do in coming weeks so that we present an economic road map for our economic development in our next meeting.” Umahi used the forum to announce that it was not true that fire gutted a section of Ebonyi State Government House in Abakaliki. “There was no fire incidence in Government House, Ebonyi State. Whoever has put that on the internet is not correct.
What happened in the office of the Chief of Staff was an over-usage of the air conditioner which developed a little problem,” said Umahi. Four out of the five governors of the zone attended the meeting.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State was said to have had delayed flight in Lagos and could not attend the meeting.
Source:vanguard
