South East governors are not leaving any stone unturned to revive the region’s development and combat insecurity that have threatened the peace and prosperity, Senator Uche Ekwunife, has said.
Ekwunife, who is the Director General of the South-East Governors Forum, SEGOF in a statement issued on Sunday unveiled deeper insights into the approaches of the SEGOF to tackle insecurity, unemployment, lawlessness, decline of sustainable business structures, health and educational deficits.
She acknowledged the concerted efforts of the governors under the leadership of Senator Hope Uzodima Governor of Imo State and Chairman, All Progressives Congress , APC Governors Forum.
To fast track economic development, she explained the governors’ efforts in ensuring that the region becomes viable for Investors to come in and do business.
Ekwunife identified security as a major factor that will boost investors confidence and willingness to invest in the zone, further disclosing the governor’s security initiatives to reclaim the Southeast’s position as the epicenter of economic growth and development in Nigeria.
She said: “The South-East governors have embarked on a comprehensive revitalization plan to boost ease of doing business in the region.
“At the heart of the plan are 6 critical sectors identified by the Southeast governors: Security, industrialization, uniform legislation, power, education, and rail transportation.
“Knowing fully well that no reasonable investor will desire to come and invest in an environment where security is not guaranteed and also understanding that this is a common problem bedeviling the entire region, the governors have created a platform to synergise and have developed a security strategy to make it very difficult for criminals to commit crime in one state and run to the other state for cover.”
According to her, a comprehensive security network has been deployed with advanced technologies and coordinated intelligence has been massively being deployed to support the existing security apparatus to destabilise criminals in the zone.
“With this I am sure Kidnappers, Armed Robbers and other Criminals will realise that the South-East is not for them,” Ekwunife assured.
Ekwunife pointed out that the South-East is a zone without state boundaries and states are easily accessible to each other such that one can move from one state to the other without even knowing that he or she has crossed the boundary.
On youth empowerment, she disclosed that extensive engagements with the Ministries of Trade and Industry, and Humanitarian Affairs have been activated in which youths could be engaged through funding ,employment and other aspect, adding that “our entrepreneurs are also not left out in this plan.”
The Forum, according to her is also utilizing its business office platform to mitigate the “Japa Syndrome” , to achieve that youths would be exposed to foreign Job opportunities such that they can be employed abroad whilst residing in Nigeria.
“The revitalization of abandoned and moribund industries is another major area of concern which were once the backbone of the region’s economy,” she stated.
