We are appealing to President Tinubu to build a seaport in South East – Prof Uzorma

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Prof Nathan Protus Uzorma,  is Secretary General of Orlu Elders Council, Deputy President General Orluzurumee. He has called President Tinubu to establish a seaport in the southeast as part of his Renewed Hope Agenda. He also  says  that the Orlu zone supports the charter of Equity and that power should move to the Owerri zone in 2027.

Nigeria at 65, what’s your take?

I think Nigeria has grown in some aspect and, we have also not done well in some aspect. There has been some indices of Democratic dividends which includes infrastructure, education and so on. I would also say that the Nigeria’s GDP as it were, is growing. But some who claimed to be Economists have said that growth is based on the availability of food on the People’s table. But from my own assessment yes, food  should be on the People’s table. But recently insecurity has been a strong inhibition towards agricultural produce .You find out that the food the  basket of Nigeria has been bedeviled by insecurity.

And two years of President Tinubu so far?

President Tinubu have also been trying to see that  insecurity is tackled especially in the North where there has been a lot  of killings. So,it has been a  serious challenge since 2007 when the issue of Boko Haram started .Of course, we know that at a time the insurgents had nominated late President Muhammadu Buhari as their spokesperson. Don’t also forget that in the run up to the 2015 presidential elections, late President Muhammadu Buhari had promised to end Boko Haram in six months if he became the president.But for eight years as the president, he couldn’t end the insurgency as they even become more vicious and spreading death in the North East, North West and North Central. If late President Muhammadu Buhari couldn’t quell the issue of insecurity in eight years as president. I don’t think that the problem will be totally eradicated in just  two years  of this current administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Again, I think that President Tinubu has done well in the last two years especially in the area of infrastructure, education especially the students’ scholarship scheme. We are appealing to him to build a seaport in the southeast as it  bring economy dividend by opening up the entire economy of the region. The seaport will massive employment.  President Tinubu should do this for the region as part of his Renewed Hope Agenda which aligns with the dream of Imo state governor Senator Hope Uzodimma to have a seaport in the south east.

Coming to our state, I must say that our people of Orlu are very happy with Governor Hope Uzodimma because he has made us proud .We are Happy  over his  infrastructural developments across the state especially the roads. He has increased the minimum wage of Imo civil servants to N104,000, recently the Assumpta flyover was commissioned by President Tinubu. The Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference centre is a structural innovation and the rest. He is also building new power stations. So we Appeal to President Tinubu to build a seaport in the south East which is the dream of governor Uzodimma. However, I want to appeal to Governor Uzodimma to reconstruct the road from Umuaka leading to Isu which is in a very bad change to help the people.

Now, the dominant the course in the state is the charter of equity.What is the position of the orlu zone on power shift in 2027?

The Orlu Zone supports the charter of Equity and power sharing and that power have to move to the Owerri zone. The Orlu Zone also wants the Okigwe and the  Owerri zones to have a dialogue.

But  my  personal opinion is that equity and justice goes pari pasu , that’s if the left hand washes the right hand , the right hand also washes the left hand. Justice is rendering to everyone his right. Equity is talking of morality.  Aristotle’s concept of equity,   refers to the idea of fairness and justice in individual cases, going beyond strict adherence to law or rules. He views equity as a necessary virtue to address the impossibility for general principles of justice to reflect the incommensurable diversity of situations, and therefore the impossibility for legal justice to fully represent “absolute justice”.

In this sense, what is constitutional in this case may be morally wrong. In 2011 the Owerri zone had supported Rochas Okorocha because it was a mass movement against governor Ikedi Ohakim, but it was a mistake by the Owerri zone. So, after Okorocha’ s eight years in 2019, Senator Hope Uzodimma wrestled power from Okorocha had wanted  to make his son- in – law his successor and Orlu people didn’t like that. So, Orlu Zone elders are of the view that Okigwe and Owerri should dialogue  and come back to Orlu zone with what they have agreed on.

So, orlu zone is now the king maker (Cuts in. Oh!  yes of course)

That’s only the orlu zone will determine which of the two zones  produces the next governor after the incumbent?

The Okigwe and Owerri zone should be talking to the Isu Nation in the Orlu zone which has over four and half local governments out of 12 in the zone. And, whoever we support wins. If Owerri and Okigwe zones neglects Isu nation in the power calculation of 2027 it will be at their own  peril. Isu nation is over marginalized in the Orlu Zone like the people of Ngor Okpala has been suffering marginalization in Owerri zone. So, the Owerri and Okigwe zones have to come to a negotiated settlement.