Veteran Nollywood actor Chief Pete Edochei, MON, has expressed displeasure at the lackadaisical attitude of South-East governors towards their duty of protecting the interest of the people of the region.
Edochie made the disclosure in his interview on ABUM ONYE IGBO TV posted on Youtube.
The well-respected broadcaster and thespian without mincing words averred: “I am praying for a lot of things. I am begging God to help South Eastern governors. I do hear most times that the Northern Governors are always having meetings and whatever the outcome is, they implement for us all. What stops South Eastern governors from doing the same? Who really did this to us?”
Continuing, he articulated: “One day I heard that the northern governors will hold their regular meeting at Asaba, some of my colleagues informed me that what I have been praying for is about to come to pass. As God may have it, the meeting, indeed, was held at Asaba and all the Igbo governors were present. I was so excited because some important issues were discussed. They jointly agreed that it’s high time herdsmen looked for a ranch to start rearing their animals because they were already causing a lot of damages, especially to people’s farmlands. After the meeting at Asaba, they agreed to hold the next one in Lagos.”
Edochie noted with dismay that it was only Enugu State governor, His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that was present at that subsequent meeting, while others sent in their representatives.
“These Eastern governors should know that they need to lead, while we follow. How could a meeting concerning your people be scheduled and you will not be present to fight for their rights, but (rather) sent in your different representatives? You all came out to the one held at Asaba and we were all excited about it, then came the one of Lagos and you didn’t honour it,” Edochie raged.
The absence of other Igbo governors at the Lagos meeting, he affirmed, “really saddened us.”
He further noted that at another follow-up meeting held in Enugu State, the South-East governors were all conspicuously absent again.
“Maybe there was a reason behind them boycotting these meetings, but we, the indigenes, are not happy with the outcome,” he declared.
Edochie, subsequently emphasised that at this point when Ndigbo is “trying to see if we can get an Igbo President for 2023, it shouldn’t come as surprise if the people’s choice turned out to be the Enugu State governor.
“He is the only one that has shown concern, making it obvious that whatever concerns Ndi-Igbo is of great importance to him,” he said.
The 74-year-old subsequently advised South-East governors to “have the good of Ndi-Igbo in their minds.”
Said he: “They are our hopes for the better lives of Ndi-Igbo.”
And to the Enugu State governor, he offered his compliment, saying: “I also want to sincerely appreciate Governor Ugwuanyi for his unavoidable presence in all the meetings held. He was also the first to implement the outcome of the meeting(s) in his state.”