A former Minister of Power, Prof. Bath Nnaji,
has listed crisis of values, lack of unity in
practical terms and absence of joint
planning of development as some of the
often over-looked factors militating against
the socio-economic development of the
South-east. Nnaji, who is also the Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, Geometric Power
Limited, made the assertion in his key note
lecture during the 2nd South-east Media
Summit, which took place at Nike Lake
Hotel, Enugu, yesterday.
Speaking on the theme, “Role of the Media
in South-east Integration”, Nnaji stated that
there is fast erosion of culture and values in
the zone, stating that societies which have a
high stock of social capital develop faster
than those which have a low stock of such
values as; trust, loyalty, honesty, solidarity
and cooperation.
“We certainly do not want and should not
allow our beloved Igboland to become the
Sicily (where mafia and criminal
organizations exist to make the area
perpetually backward) of Nigeria and so the
assault against our sacred cultural values
must be fought with all our might and talent,
“the erstwhile minister said.
“Our culture cherishes honour, integrity,
trust and profound respect for the dignity of
the human person. But these values are fast
being eroded. There is perhaps nothing
which dramatizes the collapse of values
than the new phenomenon of kidnappings
for ransom”. He identified insecurity as a
critical area of integration where the South-
east governments can work together by
jointly procuring tracking equipment, the
type used in Abuja by federal security
agencies; and devise security information
sharing strategy..
In terms of planning together, Nnaji harped
on the imperative of drawing up a long-term
development plan with all the Igbo-speaking
areas; including those in Delta and Rivers
states as well as the diaspora. He said that
such plan should include how to bring bid
businesses such as state-of-the-art
hospitals, high quality educational
institutions, electricity and other projects,
which will enable thousands Igbo people
working in places like IBM, General Motors,
Ford Motors, General Electric, Motorola,
Massachusetts General Hospital and the rest
in the diaspora to return home.
The chairman of the occasion and senator
representing Abia Central, Senator Nkechi
Nwaogu, Chairman, Senate Committee on
Gas, stated that proper integration should
be an added advantage to the people of the
zone since they are already industrious,
courageous and highly determined.
Earlier in his remarks, the National Vice-
President, Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ), South-East Zone, Deacon Christopher
Isiguzo, stated that journalists in the zone,
as agenda setters, decided to champion the
course of contributing to the development of
the zone.


www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/why-s-east-is-backward-by-prof-nnaji/

Sound analysis. Individual financial progress is not a substitute for social capital and regional integration.

I wish our flat-head brothers best of luck. May God stop erosion in Southeast Amen.