Lawmaker urges Southeast governors to collaborate to revive industries in the zone

Chief (Sen.) Victor Umeh, of Labour Party, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the red chambers of the national assembly has charged Southeast Governors to collaborate on regional cooperation for solid development.

He charged the five governors of the zone to work closely with one another towards regional cooperation and development to make the zone regain its lost glory.

Umeh spoke in Awka, while chairing the Inaugural Alpha Times Roundtable organised by Mr. Paul Nwosu, former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State.

He said that the essence of the roundtable is to mark the rebranding and transition of his media outfit, Anambra Times to Alpha Times to cover the entire southeast zone.

Senator Umeh said that there was need for South East governors to come together and revive industries in the zone to provide employment for the zone’s teeming unemployed population.

He praised President Bola Tinubu for the creation of South East Development Commission and appointment of competent persons who are forward thinking to man the commission and said there is an urgent need for the governors of the southeast to take the bull by the horn by driving development programmes including security in areas they have a comparative advantage and in a cooperative manner instead of individualism and competing among themselves on who is the best performing.

“I’m here to be part of the discourse about how we can ensure collaboration in the zone, we can say that the South East is not where it should be.

He said that in 1964 we were branded as the fastest growing economy in the world because of the ingenuity of the Igbo people, and the industrialisation policy was top notch.

“That was when most of the industries you see today were built, in hospitality we had chains of hotels and in agriculture we were the best and the South East was the development corridor of the world.

“We should not be waiting for anyone to make the South east an industrial cluster because we have the ingenuity. I challenge our governors. They are supposed to lead the quest for industrialization, that was what MI Okpara did”.

“All the industries built by Okpara have all died, what are the governors doing to revive them? Our people are very ingenuous; we are very creative. If we are talking about industrial parks, let them come alive, if it is in Nnewi, let us see those industries.

“Roads are not the only things we need, we need industries to engage our people. We want to see what happened in Japan happen here.

“I’m in the Senate and people are coming to ask for white collar jobs, but we know that people can acquire skills that can help them be useful. Small and medium scale industries are what helped to boost China and Japan, when you aggregate what everyone is doing, it boosts the economy of the zone, Umeh stated.

The Publisher and Editor in –Chief of Anambra Times, Dr Paul Nwosu in a remark noted that the roundtable on South-East Interstate Collaboration and the official rebranding of Anambra Times was convened to reflect deeply on the transformative power of regional collaboration as a means of unlocking the full economic potential of the South-East.

He said the time has come to move beyond rhetoric and embrace practical partnerships that will drive the region forward.

“While the Federal Government rightly pursues regional integration through development commissions, the states within the South-East can and indeed must collaborate more deliberately and strategically, building on their respective strengths and comparative advantages.

“Such collaboration is not only desirable it is imperative, and promises a win-win outcome for the entire region”

“The South-East is a region flowing—literally and metaphorically—with milk and honey. It is economically vibrant, politically aware, socially engaging, and culturally profound. Yet, when it comes to national media focus, our region is either ignored or unfairly framed in negative stereotypes”.

“The rebranded Anambra Times intends to change that narrative. It will be a regional voice of substance and nuance, celebrating our people, telling our stories, and amplifying our potential” Nwosu stated.

Ikioye Orutugu Commissioner of Police in Anambra Stare urged mothers to take their responsibility of home training seriously like people of older generations.

Orutugu said that the high level of poor moral state was because mothers have neglected their primary duties and the children derailed big time leading to yahoo yahoo business, ritual killings, amongst other social ills.

He said that for a secured state mothers should encourage their children to engage in positive activities enlist in police and other paramilitary when vacancies exist.

Orutugu said that Anambra people are known for excellence and advised that the legacy should be sustained through general good behaviour.

Mr Mike Ogbuekwe, Special Adviser to Gov Peter Mba of Enugu State said that is time for South-East governors to have South-East Development Agency financed by wealthy people of the zone.

Ogbuekwe said that the agency will be manned by intellectuals from the zone to developand create solutions to the core needs of the zone.

” This is a doable assignment because the South Korean system could be copied and tailored to meet the needs of the zone, they suffered same faith with the zone and yet they are up so we too can,” he said.