From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) has charged South-East governors to wake up and address the security of lives and property as well as the infrastructure decay in the region.
The group complained that regional governors have long taken the people for granted in the area of basic infrastructures and good leadership.
NUF, in a statement after its emergency national executive meeting in Enugu signed by its president Dede Uzor, and General Secretary Mazi Udemadu Frank Udemadu, decried what it called the ‘timidity and naivety’ of the governors of the region to the extent that they would not take a common stance in vital issues affecting their people especially the ravaging Fulani herdsmen.
The group alleged that it is only in the South-East that their governors invite soldiers to kill their citizens to please their political masters especially the recent army operation in Orlu and Ihiala, in Anambra and Imo states, respectively.
It challenged the South-East governors to begin massive construction of roads in their respective states, noting that of all needed basic infrastructure, roads are the most critical in providing access and opportunity for the citizens.
‘So, now we are in the dry season, they should embark on aggressive construction and reconstruction of roads in their respective States before the rain begins,’ the NUF stated.
The group added that the governors should extend the development of the zone to the provision of potable drinking water in localities and communities in their respective states.
‘Our governors should provide quality education, healthcare delivery, critically address youth unemployment through skill acquisition.
‘Each of the governors in the zone should provide at least 400 km of roads to their people in this 2021, employ at least 500 youths in each of the Local Government Areas with its attendant monthly salary of N50,000 each in their states and other amenities in this 2021.
‘Time has come when the people of the zone should become politically conscious to interrogate and demand accountability from their political leaders.
‘They lack the confidence to defend the interest of their people. Most of them are stooges to the oligarchy and agents of Aso Rock which negates the interest of Ndigbo,’ NUF stated.
NUF said that the current South-East governors are rated low when compared with their counterparts in other parts of the country and their predecessors in the region.
