The President of South East South-South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN), Hannibal Uwaifo has said that the group has developed a blueprint that would make the two regions of South East and the South-South a model of development.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the legal practitioner noted that as an advocacy group, the professionals were going to engage in legal agitations to get what is due to the two regions.
What is South East South-South Professionals Nigeria all about?
We have 11 states in the two regions of South East and South-South; five in the South East and six in the South-South, and because of cultural affinity of both regions, the professionals decided to put their skills and services in the interest of the regions; ensuring that we contribute our technical expertise in terms of legal, economic, political, social, etc to the development of the regions. That was what actually brought the professionals together and also to intervene in areas that require intervention and advice. The professionals want to use the proximity of both regions to achieve economical and technological development. For example, we have so many issues in the extractive industry – there is corruption, nepotism, unprofessionalism, etc, most of these resources come from these regions: Crude oil, natural gas etc and other natural resources that both regions are endowed with; so, if they were to pool resources together it will hasten development. For example, we want to establish a coal industry. Instead of establishing multiple industries; we can establish a big one in Enugu, from where the others take their roots. What about refinery? The South-East and the South-South can pool their resources together and site one refinery in Imo and another one in Edo. These refineries will be able to refine petroleum to be used in the regions and beyond. They can fight for oil blocs. The SESSPN also seeks to exploit the proximity of both regions to their economic advantage.
In this vein, we have developed overtime in 2015, an economic blueprint for what the two regions should be doing to ensure that they attain economic, technological and social advancement. That document was updated this year due to some factors.
You came up with DASESS 2035 agenda. What is it all about?
The document means Developmental Agenda for South East and South-South. It is a 20-year plan from 2015 to 2035. That agenda contains the roadmap for the economic, social development of the two regions. Where should we be in education? It’s there. How to secure both regions is there. How do we deal with trade and commerce to maximise the states within the regions? How do we deal with good governance, banking and industry? How do we deal with the outside world? How do we do with direct foreign investments? We believe that if this document is implemented by 2035, the South East and South-South would have made a giant leap into economic and technological prosperity. Unfortunately, the political undertones here and there have not seen to the full implementation or the full buying of the document, which was prepared by seasoned professionals from both regions, and it is a document of all seasons and will continue to be relevant. We have gone around selling it across both zones and it was received with fanfare. But like Nigeria, the implementation is another thing.
The maiden annual award held on March 20 this year was to reawaken the minds of people of the zones and Nigerians that SESSPN is still in possession of this document, which is even more needed now than ever before. This is a non-political and a non partisan organisation. The South East believes in a united Nigeria and we believe too that there must be need to be just and fair in the distribution of wealth and there is need to be equitable in the governance of this country. We believe in power devolution as opposed to the current situation where the federal is wielding so much power. Security of all components of Nigeria has been threatened for a long time. When these components that are the stakeholders in the Nigeria project are involved directly, it would help us address the issues of security and economy, particularly at this point in time that the poverty level is so bad; the unemployment level has reached unbearable proportions.
You mentioned political undertones. Then how are you going to convince the governors to buy into this agenda?
What we know is that any governor that doesn’t have a socioeconomic plan for his citizens has already failed from the beginning. You plan by having a direction, which involves you dealing with experts, seeking people’s opinions essentially, the professionals. If you want to make the economy of your state great, you seek professionals’ advice. These are professionals in these regions who are offering a free document and believe that any serious state will consider it very swift and wise to read the document and then invite us, who are also citizens of the state to help in implementing an agenda that will advance the welfare of the citizens and bring back law and order. Most of the security problems we are experiencing today stems from the adage that, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. When people have nothing to do just as we have now – no industries, the government is corrupt, putting in money where it is not supposed to be. It is telling on the lives of the citizens. The education system is not good. That is why parents send their children to dangerous countries for schooling, even where the education system is substandard, like Benin Republic, Ghana, etc. These people used to come to Nigeria to study. Any governor who is worth his onion, (let me not be specific about the South East and South-South) will he not want to find a solution to that type of problem, which the professionals can offer? We believe that the governors of these two regions should buy into the agenda. It is free; let’s implement and see if it will not turn around our education, our judiciary and our lawmaking system to what it is supposed to be and become a model for other parts of the country to follow.
Hitherto, everything about sports, the defunct Bendel State used to come first, and today, the two states, Edo and Deltas state (formerly Bendel) are still maintaining the stronghold such that if Edo takes first, Delta takes second and vice versa. If you look at that you will realise that the states of the South-South are the power house of sports, but are we really using sports now to benefit the people? We are not. We need to synchronise efforts.
Even the footballers who usually come out in large numbers from this region are no longer there; some have gone into business, some have gone into oblivion, some are running after politicians and some are doing other things. It ought not to be so; they ought to bring football and make it a big industry. A football club in the UK is even bigger than the government. Our inability to harmonise these efforts especially our so-called players who call themselves stars are unable to bring development in practical terms. They played in Chelsea, played everywhere, and now you are in Nigeria you cannot even bring it, which means you are a failure. So, these are things we need to harness because by now people ought to be coming to play soccer in Nigeria, it is not about government alone.
This developmental agenda addresses these issues that we can do it and the Federal Government will be coming to borrow ideas, talents or take instructions from people. People tend to learn from what is good; as we are today, we are not a good example to anywhere in the continent. We are just roaming about the place, telling lies and stealing. The other day, we saw a large number of our footballers playing for a certain politician, whereas, in other countries, former footballers are making waves and are national heroes and icons. In Liberia, for instance, a former captain is the president. We have seen footballers rise to the top of political leadership in some countries. The main fame for which we were known was football. By now we thought that football should be like FIFA at that level where people would be running here considering the amount of resources at their disposal, the talent and the exposure they have garnered. This is also applicable in other professionals. We should synergise and create a model regions; two regions are better than one, the proximity is close; we inter marry and we have similar cultures. We need to create a model for the country to follow.
The regions are the economic livewire of the country, but there are agitations that they don’t seem to get what is due them. How can you key in to make sure that they get is due to them?
We are not a political group, but an advocacy group. We are not likely to go into politics because our members belong to different political parties. That is not really the issue; the issue is a common ground for development, whether you are in APC, PDP, APGA, etc, the purpose of those parties is to produce a vehicle for development of the place. We believe that the political gladiators would be able to listen to advice from our association; we constantly spell out our positions on various issues. Some of the times, we engage the sons and daughters of these regions. Take for instance, the NDDC case. Former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswil Akpabio is Minister of NDDC, and the explanation given for the non inauguration of the Board is untenable; they don’t have even any explanation. We have not even seen those arrested after the so called forensic auditing and elections are coming. It is quite an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves when people will come from Funtua or whatever to come and take contracts to supply things that are found in the local environment.
The commission has been into a public bazaar; a sort of an automated teller machine. Till today, the government is saying, we will do, we will do, and we will do. We know it is all lies. It has political thugs and that is the most shameful thing about the Buhari regime. You don’t keep at peace in this type of chaotic manner, there is no security, corruption is at its worst, the political environment is poisoned and toxic, the decision is worse than ever before and the judiciary is comatose, as all sorts of things are going on, which is the worst thing that can ever happen to a regime. The regime must redeem itself within the time left to have a piece of history left with it.
Our regions should take example from the failure of the Federal Government in this direction. You go to our airports, it is a common sight that the personnel are extorting and stealing over COVID-19 test, and the government is aware of it.
This is killing the system and also eroding the credibility of governance. Our governors in the two regions should learn from this and buy into our development agenda. For us, in order to get what rightly belongs to the South-East South-South, we will continue to advocate, issue press statements, go on air to discuss what we need to discuss, shout how we need to shout in an orderly and non-violent manner, and then of course, engage those who are concerned. When it is necessary and the opportunity comes some of us play the role, as they may go into politics.
Has there been any attempt to bring the 11 governors under an umbrella?
That is the next step now. It is time to bring the governors of the 11 states together and present the agenda to all of them at once and share with them our views about the polity and what they should be doing.