What I have experienced recently with the way the Igbos responded to this elections is unbelievable, the unity, the dedication and the committment was Workd Class. It shows that the Igbo Nation can be mobilized if there is strong and focused leadership. However that MOBILIZATION must be in a tangible direction.
For some strange reasons the leadership of Ndi Igbo ( I mean the social leadership such as Aka Ikenga, OHANEZE, NDI Igbo Lagos etc) do not take the drive to stimulate investment at home very seriously. The political Leadership are not serious either. And so both segments of Leadership pay lip service to this drive, once in a while they host one or two meetings or investment conferences and then its business as usual. Nothing happens, there is no follow up. Everybody goes to sleep.
Whenever there are troubles in the north or in Lagos then everybody remembers the South East and starts agitating for Investment back home. Once the trouble is over the agitation dies down. As it will by on this most recent occasion.
If investing in the South East is taken as seriously as the Igbo Nation took this last election the Igbo Nation can mobilize over $4 billion in four years from their own people and private sources alone coming from Igbos across Nigeria and across the entire World. And this can be leveraged to amount to over $12 billion. I don't think any of the States in the South East will get this kind of money in 20 years from their FAAC feeding bottle.
These funds can cover a rail link for all the States, to carry goods and people, a new modern City in Anambra, a World class medical village at Awgu Enugu beside UNTH, and a few Industrial estates one maga one in Nnewi, one at ABA and one at Abakiliki. It would also cover investment in ultra modern 21st century education facilities as well as 21st century logistics facilities. A super World class ICT innovation centre, and lots more. These are all bankable projects that will target the World as its market.
The mass migration back East will be smooth and swift once the investment starts pouring in. We do not need to have a Vice President or a President to accomplish this. And whereas restructuring of Nigeria is a desired political goal in the future it will not be necessary to get off our asses, roll up our sleeves and *GET TO WORK*.
Nobody should bother talking about a new sea port at this time, it would be a waste of money, there are enough sea ports in Nigeria, we should focus on building a rail link between Port Harcourt or warri and Onitsha that's all. Then link this link up to the rail connecting all 7 states ( including Delta and Rivers) . Or we can Dredge the River Niger up to Oguta or Onitsha to compliment an in country sea port, whichever is cheaper.
We can also raise another $500 million for the 2nd Niger Bridge ourselves. I am very surprised we still want the Federal Government to do this for us. The project is bankable and can pay for itself. A joint venture between Anambra State and Delta State should make this happen. There is nothing stopping this ither than the lack of political will. There will be no need to even involve the Federal Government if we don't want to.
My advise to the Igbo Leadership ( both social and political) Let your Professionals help you to define a direction and a viable future for our children. LETS Change our focus and use your strengths. Let's stop crying, whining and Complaining.
*Complaining is not a Strategy
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