Oganiru Umunri Urges Igbos To Emulate Nnewi Industrial Template For Regional Prosperity.
Oganiru Umunri, an Igbo socio-cultural organisation has called on businessmen from the South East to locate some of their investments in the region as a measure to address the rising unemployment and insecurity.
Chief Sam Oraegbunam Chairman, BoT of Oganiru Umunri made the call during the maiden summit of the group in Enugu-Ukwu, Njikok Local Government Area of Anambra at the weekend.
Oraegbunam blamed the high rate of migration of youths and households out of the South East on lack of employment opportunities noting that it was time Igbo businessmen began to bring their investment home to curb the trend.
He said Oganiru Umunri was worried with the recent spate of violence in the South East pointing out that an economic solution would be the most sustainable solution as Igbo youths were naturally industrious.
He said the group was formed essentially for the unity and development of the four communities of Nri Clan including Enugu-Ukwu, Enugu-Agidi, Nawfia and Nri and also address the age long ego driven feud which had done them no good.
“Oganiru Umunri aims to unite Umunri and make it amenable for prosperity and by extension, the Igbo nation which generally and historically have their origin in Nri which is the cradle of Igbo civilisation.
We have illustratious sons and daughters running businesses in every part of the country and the world but because we don’t have these businesses here, there is high unemployment, that is essentially we move out.
“If there is employment in the villages, you don’t have to go to town but for it to be possible, there has to be peace, unity and security that is what Oganiru Umunri set out to achieve not just in Nri clan but the entire Igbo land,” he said.
In a lecture, Prof. Emeka Obiozor of the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka said some of the technologically advanced economies including USA, Japan, China and South Korea grew based on cultural identity and exclusiveness.
Obiozor, a professor of Adult Learning and Special Education delivered a lecture entitled “Road to Breaking Barriers for Community Development”.
He said the Nnewi Industrial template was a good example for other Igbo communities as people from across the continent go to nnewi to get goods and services which its industrial cluster offered the world.
According to him, for us to have progress, we should have unity of purpose. What should bother us is the establishment of companies that will create jobs for youths and overall progress of our communities.
“Nri is the source of Igbo land, it is the beginning of our civilisation, people from across Igbo land used to come to Nri for administrative and protective assistance, unfortunately colonialism changed all that.
“However we must go back to the origin so that we can get it right, we may even have to learn from other good examples like Nnewi where people from across the continent go to buy spare parts,” he said.
Award for Prestigious Umunri Pillar of Peace, Enyi Umunri and patrons were conferred on deserving people including a legal luminary, Chief Beluolisa Nwofor and Chief Uche Nworah PhD.
