Enugu- The South East Development Initiative,
SELDI, has urged the Igbo to take their
destiny in their hands by taking the
responsibility to develop the South East
geopolitical zone. SELDI said that easterners would survive on
their own without looking for help from the
federal, state and local governments, adding
that all they needed to survive was to
“think home” by investing at home.

One of the facilitators of SELDI, Mr Ikenna
Modebelu who spoke in an interview in
Enugu against the backdrop of the November
30, 2016 Igbo Summit in Enugu, with the
theme “Integrating The Economy of the
South East for Sustainable Development,” said that time had come for the South East
economies to be integrated to boost
investment, trade and development in the
region in particular and the country in
general. His words, “Regardless of what the
underlying causes of slow development in
South East may be, south easterners
themselves have to take the responsibility
for their own progress. “The key challenge is how to engender
competitive investment environment that is
necessary to bring about poverty reduction
or alleviation through private sector- driven
inclusive economic growth. “Given the unwillingness or inability of
most leaders to practice good governance,
the onus falls squarely on accomplished South
Eastern leaders, both within and outside the
country, to take charge of fostering good
governance that would engender the evolution of visionary and transformational
leaders in the region. “Indeed, time has come for the integration
of our economies to form the largest block
that will be second to Lagos in West Africa.
This will be the strategy that would foster
faster development across every sector in
the region.” According to Modebelu, efforts would be
made to look at modalities that would raise
the consciousness of Igbo during the summit,
to generate enthusiasm on the need to also,
explore the opportunities that “will aid in
the development of the region” as well as “promote the think home, build home
development philosophy,” in their towns
and villages.

www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/igbo-can-survive-without-government-assistance-seldi/

It is unfortunate that that which others take for granted is what Igbos have to do without in the same country. Now individual and pesronal efforts are being relied upon yet the same government will feel entitled enough to take taxes and unleash untrained guppies called police to detain and kill sane people know their own homes.

Tomorrow some goats will talk of persecution mentality but what makes the Igbos speak out and demand equity or separation? They become too lily-livered to address core issues.

I love our irrepressible spirit and resolve at the end of the day because yes, WE CAN!

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