Arthur Eze, Other Southeast Stakeholders Pledge Support For SEDC
The South East Development Commission(SEDC)has received commitments of support and cooperation from stakeholders in the Southeast region.
This was part of the outcome of the grand reception organised for the Commission leadership by billionaire businessman and philanthropist,Prince Arthur Eze in Enugu on Saturday.
Arthur Eze while speaking at the event said expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating visionary leadership and recognising the
immense potential of every region, including the South East.
He said a Commission like the SEDC was expected to have been set up to drive the Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and Rehabilitation policy of Gen. Yakubu Gowon when the war ended in 1970.
He urged the SEDC to revamp the industrial infrastructure which supported the old eastern region said the Southeast was a land of innovation, resilience, and enterprise.
He promised to support the SEDC in the areas of power and energy, manufacturing, agriculture, industrial development a also urged other stakeholders to support it to achieve their strategic roadmap.
According to him, now that we have this Commission, we have great expectations, it should rehabilitate strategic moribund industries that can provide thousands of jobs to our youths.
“I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the National Assembly, led by Sen. Godswill
Akpabio and our son, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CON, whose dedication and determination ensured that this Commission became a reality,” he said.
On his part, Mr Benjamin-Okezie Kalu, the Deputy
Speaker, House Of Representatives, said the SEDC would be the engine room for renewal and the architect of a modern Southeast.
Kalu who was represented by Chief. George Ozodinaobi, the Deputy Minority Whip, said the SEDC bill was not a mere legislative exercise, but a mission to address long-standing infrastructure deficits, economic stagnation, and the wounds of history that have yet to fully heal.
Kalu warned against politicisation of the Commission but called on thrive on partnership among governments , private sector, diaspora community and all relevant institutions
According to him, the SEDC Act is more than ink on paper, it is a covenant of progress, a bridge between our storied past and the prosperous future we
dare to build.
“We have never been a people who wait for doors to open; we carve
our own pathways through the mountains of limitation, today, with this Commission, we do
not just carve a path, we lay a foundation for generations to come,” he said.
In his speech, Mr Mark Okoye, the Managing Director/CEO, SEDC said the Commission would work closely with State Governors to realise the target of moving the region from the the current $40bn to a $200bn economy.
Okoye said SEDC would invest heavily in the critical sectors that would catalyse economic transformation adding that all its projects, programmes and interventions would be aimed at de-risking these key sectors encourage private sector investment for sustainability.
“We have not come as a Commission to threaten the place of Governors in the region, we are here to support, collaborate and align with the State Governors to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda in the region.
There are very interesting projects currently executed by the State Governors, we are here to support and amplify such projects.
“A major obstacle to development is lack of infrastructure, when investors come in, 65 percent of their funds go to creating the necessary infrastructure and this limits their global comprehensiveness,” he said.
Also speaking Dr Emeka Wogu, Chairman of SEDC Board appreciated President Tinubu for establishing this commission and for his proactive leadership while assuring that the board would not fail in their mandate.
Wogu said the board just finished our tour of the region where they met the various State Governors and presented their strategic roadmap.
“This event marks the start of execution of our mandate, we will focus solely on high-impact projects that can create value and provide thousands of job for our youths,” he said.
Some of the guests at the event were the five governors of Southeast states of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Abia who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Caleb Ajagba, Sen. Victor Umeh and others.
