By Joe Ezuma
Assistant Editor, South South
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, opened in Port Harcourt on Thursday, April 29 the second South East South South Development Forum organised by the South East South South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN).
The forum is part of activities by SESSPN to reverse the marginalisation of the zones and integrate them fully into the national political economy.
Osinbajo, represented by his Special Adviser, Jumoke Oduwole, advised residents of the zones to work collectively to leverage on the enormous endowments of the zones for their development.
He said the federal government recognises the economic mission of the zones as a road map to growth and development of the nation and assured Abuja would remove all impediments to business through proper fiscal policies.
“It is clearly in line with the federal government economic philosophy and we look forward to a negotiation between the private and public sectors,”
He pointed out that SESSPN’s economic integration agenda is relevant in modern day economic development planning like the ones in the European Union and South African Economic Union.
Forum Organising Committee Chairman, Sam Ohuabunwa, said if the vision is pursued, it would mark a turning point in the quest for the rapid transformation of ”this most blessed but disadvantaged land of ours into a real land of great delight.
”The forum is simply to support the effort to rescue our motherland by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in terms of her low developmental strides.”
He noted that the condition of the two zones is akin to that of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time.
”In a nutshell, we have come to bury all our old hatchets and in their place project a new roadmap for the regional integration and economic development of our motherland, the South East and South South regions.
“Let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem now and rid ourselves of all this disgrace.”
Most participants at the forum, including SESSPN President, Emeka Ugwu-Oju, had an eye on an industrial revolution that would transform the regions in the next 20 years.
Ugwu-Oju said the forum was a wake-up call and ”we are here today because we believe the time has finally come to take our destiny in our hands and rewrite the history of this part of our nation.
”This we can do by redirecting the economic development trajectory of these two zones away from its present ridiculous and sorry state, back to its pre-oil era of focus and dynamism.”
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, commended SESSPN for its reintegration and development agenda, noting that the South East and South South are bound to grow together to fast track their economic growth.
”We have an inheritance and we salvage it, and so the public and private sectors in the zones must work in synergy to bring back our economic prosperity.”
Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Kenneth Kobani, lamented that “the biggest challenge to development in Rivers State is politics. The rate at which Abuja changes security personnel posted to the state does not make room for stability in building security architecture.
“We must separate security from politics. We must not pander to narrow political interest.”
In another development the Rivers state government announced that it has saved N1 billion in salaries and wages by weeding out ghost workers through the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN).
Wike said the ongoing exercise is expected to save more money for the treasury.
He made the disclosure at the first Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Business Luncheon, saying the state government has also reduced overhead expenditure to 40 per cent.
Wike, represented by his Deputy, Ipalibo Banigo, added that efforts are being made to generate enough funds to build roads, hospitals, schools, and other social facilities.
He said his administration is determined to eradicate multiple taxation to encourage investors and has set up a Tax Appeal Commission.
“We are committed to promoting commercial agriculture as a means of creating employment opportunities for the teeming youths. We shall focus more on oil palm and cassava production which will also improve the economy of the state,” he added.
