THE IMPERATIVES OF ENGR. UMAHI'S CHAIRMANSHIP OF SOUTHEAST GOVERNORS' FORUM
History was made on Sunday, 26th February, 2017 at Enugu, the capital of the defunct East central state and capital of the present Enugu state, when the governor of Ebonyi state, His Excellency, Chief David Nweze Umahi emerged as the Chairman of Southeast Governors' Forum. The fragrance of Governor David Umahi's virtues as a diplomatic leader whose influence and acceptability cuts across political, religious and regional divides; and a patriotic Nigerian who seeks power for the purpose of doing good are responsible for the jubilation in Ebonyi and other southeastern states over Umahi's emergence as chairman of Southeast Governors' Forum. This historic milestone is a welcome development because at a time like this when the marginalisation/exclusion of Ndi Igbo from Nigeria has been reinvented through the massive retirement of senior security officers of Igbo extraction, monumental violations of rights to freedom of expression and life of peaceful agitators, exclusion of Ndi Igbo from sensitive federal appointments, neglect of the Southeast of Nigeria or Igbo land in priority appropriations et cetera, the need for a courageous leader like Chief David Nweze Umahi to drive the Southeast Governors' Forum's quest for equity and total reintegration of Ndi Igbo in the Nigeria Project is imperative.
Beyond the accident of history, the qualities of Governor David Nweze Umahi as a leader of a rare breed who holds the panacea for the endemic economic recession as demonstrated by his mega projects like the three flyover bridges at Spera in Deo roundabout, Presco junction and at the Abakaliki International Market; forty-four completed urban road projects; the streetlights in Abakaliki Capital city and at the 13 council areas and other projects like over seventy ongoing road projects, the Southeast lassa fever centre as well as the waste processing plant at Umuoghara in Ezza North L.G.A. et cetera which have changed the face of Ebonyi state shall be brought to bear on the economic emancipation program of Ndi Igbo. Some advantages of Governor Umahi's leadership of the forum are that courage which is one of the major character traits of Gov. Umahi will be fully employed in the advocacy for the rights, interests and cause of the Southeast zone, especially in siting of meaningful federal projects, promotion and retirement of senior security officers, distribution of sensitive federal appointments and so on. Even the dreaded agitations of Igbo youths can now be broached at the roundtable as we have witnessed done in other similar agitations in the Southsouth, Southwest and even in the Northeast in recent times. As a charismatic and diplomatic politician who holds no grudges or bitterness against anyone, Umahi is in a better position to harness the cooperation and efforts of other Southeast governors for a stronger bargaining power. Governor Umahi's acceptability across Nigerian political, religious and ethnic boundaries will guarantee Ndi Igbo the vital cooperation of other critical stakeholders in the Nigeria Project and enhance real reintegration of the Southeast into Nigeria.
Governor Umahi's rare feat of conquering the endemic economic recession in Ebonyi state as evidenced by his mega infrastructural projects enumerated above, prompt payment of workers' salaries, realistic and elaborate stomach infrastructure et cetera will be emulated and domesticated by other Southeast governors through the many cooperative and interactive platforms as well as Peer Review Mechanism available in the forum. Above all, this new position will open the eyes of Nigeria - a country dying of poor leadership - to the wonderful leader imbued with this humble and unassuming governor of Ebonyi state.
Given the foregoing and Gov. Umahi's candour over the years, his emergence as the Chairman of Southeast Governors' Forum at this auspicious time is a positive development deserving the support of all men of goodwill because it has set the fortunes of Ndi Igbo on a positive trajectory by opening vistas of hope and prosperity which Ndi Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria should fully utilize for their wellbeing and for the sake of posterity.
- Monday Eze is the Technical Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi state on Social Media.