The demand for reparations and appropriate restitution to Ndi Igbo for violations of their human and civil rights (1966-1999) was submitted to late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (HRVIC) in October 1999. The chieftains of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo who signed the 66-page petition with multiple appendixes and affidavits were drawn from seven Igbo speaking states across the South-east and South-south. Although they have all joined the ancestors, the recent presidential assent for the establishment of South East Development Commission (SEDC) represents a culmination of years of struggles and agitations for righting the wrongs against Ndi Igbo.
After the Civil War, the then head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon declared a soothing ‘No victor, No vanquished’ slogan with espoused 3R’s (Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction). Sadly, it was a mere window dressing. There was no real reconstruction of destroyed assets: schools, road, health facilities, communication network and other public buildings. The conservative estimate of 400 million pounds for the reconstruction of Civil War devastations announced by the Administrator of East Central State, Mr. Ukpabi Asika, was not substantially released because the federal government claimed it had no money.
Education sector was the worst hit as the government of Eastern Region was the only in sub-Saharan Africa that committed 45% of its revenues to the development of education. The region led in the number of registered businesses in Nigeria as at 1963, thus: East – 68,220; West – 5,776; and North- 2,407. The region also had the highest number of registered cars by 1963. The armed conflict was indeed a setback to the economy of old Eastern Nigeria which was between 1954 and 1964 described as the fastest growing economy in the world by Harvard Reviews.
Be that as it may, the magnanimity of President Bola Tinubu in signing SEDC into existence in July 2024 is quite commendable, and marks the end of a beginning. The 8th Senate passed the bill but it was not concurred by the House of Representatives. The 9th House of Representatives moved by the Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Ndudi Elumelu and other Members across the six geo-political zones got the bill passed but the former president Buhari failed to sign it into law. The 10th National Assembly however, broke the jinx. At the Senate, late Senator Ifeanyi Uba moved the motion and supported by Senator Orji Kalu alongside their colleagues from the South-east and other parts of the country, and got it passed. On the other hand, the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu and Iduma Igariwey led the pack of other colleagues in the House of Representatives that dusted the bill and got it passed, too. It is to the credit of the Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and his Deputy that they pulled off a presidential assent to not only the SEDC but also the North West Development Commission (NWDC), where the Speaker hails from. It was a sort of rub-my-back-i-rub-yours legislative solidarity under a willing president.
For me, the first task of the pioneer managers of SEDC is to commission experts to articulate a development plan which will not just be a mere policy document but backed by law. It should constitute the first amendment of SEDC Act and domesticated in the five States Houses of Assembly of South-east. SEDC should guard against relapsing into cesspit of corruption and manipulative political patronage like the NDDC. The Commission must initiate policies and programmes to jumpstart the boundless economic opportunities with youthful energies and entrepreneurial ingenuities of Ndi Igbo.
With a small land mass of 29,445km2 covering the South-east, there should a plan through a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement to connect the major cities with rail transportation along the routes of Nsukka-Awka-Onitsha-Nnewi-Owerri-Aba-Umuahia-Okigwe-Afikpo-Abakaliki-Enugu. This will boost the movement of goods and services, especially agricultural products from the hinterlands to urban areas with bigger markets. The completion of Isiala Ngwa dry port through perhaps, build, operate and transfer model, would be an unparalleled catalyst for commercial activities, as according to Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), 65% of cargo berthing in Nigeria through the Lagos ports ends up in Onitsha and Aba.
SEDC has to mainstream mechanized agriculture for wealth creation and massive utilization of arable lands in Abakaliki, Aninri, Adani, Uzo-Uwani, Ngwaland, Anam, Ayamelum, Ikwuano, Bende, Arochukwu, Isuochi, etc for the production of rice, cassava, yam, maize, legumes, potatoes, plantain, pepper, cashew, scent leaf and other vegetables, in large quantities. The construction of Israeli-styled drip irrigation system with water sourced from Anam River, Imo River and Igu River will guarantee all-seasons farming.
Huge investments in research and development (R&D) for innovations in agricultural value chain, digital economy and technology should be a top priority. Nations that have invested heavily in R&D are among the 20 top performers. Our citadels of learning like UNN, FUTO, ESUT, MOUAU, NAU, FUNAI, ABSU, polytechnics and colleges of agriculture are ready centers of research waiting for commensurate funding. The exposure of Prof. Barth Nnaji’s Geometric Power in Aba would be helpful.
SEDC should float a limited liability company with equity stakes from member- states and individual placements, and use it to attract thousands of Igbo diaspora billionaires for direct investments, and overtime bring about Ala-Igbo Stock Exchange. The exploitation of natural gas in Ugwuoba, Igbariam and Nsukka-Awgu corridor could bridge gas supply gap in the country. Indeed, the time to explore the crude oil deposits in Eha-Alumona, Nsukka, which was sealed as a strategic reserve during the Civil War, is now.
SEDC is not an end in itself. Four geo-political zones have got development commissions. The slight difference with NDDC is that 3 states outside the South-south are members. The ones of South-west and North-central are in the offing. Therefore, Ndi Igbo should not bask in euphoria of overcoming marginalization. What is needed is to unpack the opportunity afforded by SEDC and return the region to economic powerhouse of the era of regional governments. The millennials and Gen-Z generation are running out of patience with the prevailing prodigality of the political elite.