Protocols
1. My brothers and sisters,
permit me to share a story with
you. Recently I attended a
ceremony of an illustrious Igbo
leader, somewhere outside Ala-
Igbo, while at the event, a
brother walked up to where I
was and said to me: Governor,
our people (Ndigbo) are
trapped outside our lands
something must be done to get
them back home. Our elders
have refused to go home, even
after retirement. Our towns
and cities are deserted. Our
people are now organizing
traditional marriages of their
children outside our land.
Something has to be done.
2. My mind told me this brother
spoke to me on this, not because
I am Governor of Abia State, but
he must have read in the media
that my colleagues in the South-
East asked me to be the
chairman of the South-East
Economic Hub. That was why
when this opportunity came for
me to be with you here to share
ideas on how to develop Ala-
Igbo, I gladly accepted it.
3. Seated in this hall tonight are
hard working Igbo businessmen
and women who have
contributed immensely in the
development of the city called
Lagos, through your businesses
and investments here. As you
know, Governments are going
abroad to look for foreign
investors to come and invest in
their states, and I have come
here tonight as one of you to ask
us a question: How can we
develop Ala-Igbo?
4. As businessmen, I know you
have your answers to this, but
before you come up with your
answers, which I know one of
them will be insecurity, permit
me to remind you that, you will
agree that there is a relationship
between unemployment and
violent crimes like kidnapping
and armed robbery as it is in Ala-
Igbo, and elsewhere including
Lagos. The high unemployment
rate among the nation's youth
has huge implications for crime
and violence.
5. There are two key reasons for
high unemployment among our
youth: absence of relevant skills
and lack of jobs.
6. As you are aware, state
governments in Igbo land are the
highest employers of labor and
now the governments appear to
be fully stretched in the light of
current economic realities. To
succeed in the mission to
drastically reduce youth
unemployment, we need support
from Igbo entrepreneurs and
businessmen in Lagos. Looking
around this room, I can count in
my head over 100,000 jobs
created in Lagos by the great
men and women seated here.
Naturally, I have also been asking
myself what if these jobs were
created in Igbo land. Will it not
drastically reduce high crime rate
in the east?


https://m.thenigerianvoice.com/news/188427/1/how-can-we-develop-ala-igbo.html

7. Paradoxically, in the past when
we appealed to Igbo
entrepreneurs to invest in Igbo
land their principal worry was
security. So we have a problem:
Igbo entrepreneurs will not
invest in Igbo land to create jobs
because of high crime rates in
Igbo land caused mainly by
unemployment in Igbo land. So
who will break this ugly cycle
that has persisted for so long
and ensured that Igbo land is not
what it is today?
8. As a result of the security
concerns of Ndigbo of Lagos, in
addition to other reasons, many
of our leading lights refused to
relocate to the east even after
over 70 years of successful
navigation of God's world. Since
the days of the great Zik of Africa,
M.I Okpara, Jaja Nwachukwu etc,
those wishing to meet Igbo
leaders no longer come to Ala
Igbo to see them. They now
travel to Lagos and Abuja to
consult Igbo leaders. Igbo
leaders have also deserted
Enugu. The question therefore is
why is our case different from
that of other major ethnic
groups in Nigeria? If you want to
see a Yoruba leader you go to
Ibadan or somewhere in south
west towns. Same applies to the
northern. If you need them you
go somewhere in Kano or
Kaduna where they live with
their people to see them. By so
doing you will find out how the
roads are, support the rural
economy and further bring govt
closer to the people.
9. [b]In the same vein, because
Ndigbo live outside Ala-Igbo we
are counted during census and
registration for voting, we
succeeded in increasing the
population and allocation to
those areas. Of course the federal
government will support high
population areas before others.
Most of us even don't have voters
cards in Igbo land and only
acquire one when we decide to
come home and contest for one
office or another. To worsen our
security challenges, as we are
coming we bring thugs and
other miscreants to Igbo land to
protect us and campaign for us
without minding the influence of
these imported thugs on the
local youths. We also advertise
wealth so negatively that our
youths feel that all they need to
succeed is to travel to Lagos or
Abuja. More often that not, these
youths end up under Lagos/
Abuja bridges where they
acquire all sorts of criminal
indoctrination. When they have
fully graduated they return to the
east and practice their evil skills.[/b]
10. It is not enough to complain
about insecurity in the east and
use that as excuse for not
investing in Igbo land or
relocating to Igbo land post
retirement. Everyone of us here
can contribute to improve
security in Igbo land by investing
in Igbo land to create jobs for
our youths as well as returning
home to serve as positive role
models to our young minds. We
need you to mentor the young
and share experiences with
them. We also need you to be
close enough home to advice
government based on realities in
Igbo land as against text book
postulates and external
experiences that are not relevant
to our peculiar challenges..
11. The key to security and
economic development of
Alaigbo is in your hands: invest
in Igbo land to create jobs and
remove our young people from
prison rows. Our state
governments are ready to offer
whatever support that you need,
including land, tax concessions
and provision of relevant
infrastructure that will help your
business thrive and grow. You
may argue that there is a ready
market where you are currently
but permit me to remind you that
the market follows the source. A
time was, and I believe it still
happens, when people travel
from Lagos, Abuja, Cameroon,
Togo etc to Nnewi to buy
vehicles spare parts Similarly,
people where coming to Aba
from all over the country and far
away West African countries to
buy made in Aba products.
12. My brothers and sisters, we
need you to invest in Igbo land
to create jobs that will take our
youths off crimes and reduce
incidences of violent crimes like
kidnapping that have led to many
of you being trapped outside
Igbo land even at glorious old
age..
Thank you and God bless you
Okezie Ikpeazu PhD
Governor of Abia State/Chairman
South-East Economic Hub

Eastactivist:
Truth provocative question

Yea! I think we Igbo's must key into this 'think home philosophy' so as to have economic power since we currently don't have political power in nigeria.

That's just it when you have economic power you'll get political power

tollyboy5:
That's just it when you have economic power you'll get political power

Yea!

THINK HOME, BUILD HOME. SIMPLE.

GreatNegro:
7. Paradoxically, in the past when we appealed to Igbo entrepreneurs to invest in Igbo land their principal worry was security. So we have a problem: Igbo entrepreneurs will not invest in Igbo land to create jobs because of high crime rates in Igbo land caused mainly by unemployment in Igbo land. So who will break this ugly cycle that has persisted for so long and ensured that Igbo land is not what it is today? 8. As a result of the security concerns of Ndigbo of Lagos, in addition to other reasons, many of our leading lights refused to relocate to the east even after over 70 years of successful navigation of God's world. Since the days of the great Zik of Africa, M.I Okpara, Jaja Nwachukwu etc, those wishing to meet Igbo leaders no longer come to Ala Igbo to see them. They now travel to Lagos and Abuja to consult Igbo leaders. Igbo leaders have also deserted Enugu. The question therefore is why is our case different from that of other major ethnic groups in Nigeria? If you want to see a Yoruba leader you go to Ibadan or somewhere in south west towns. Same applies to the northern. If you need them you go somewhere in Kano or Kaduna where they live with their people to see them. By so doing you will find out how the roads are, support the rural economy and further bring govt closer to the people. 9. In the same vein, because Ndigbo live outside Ala-Igbo we are counted during census and registration for voting, we succeeded in increasing the population and allocation to those areas. Of course the federal government will support high population areas before others. Most of us even don't have voters cards in Igbo land and only acquire one when we decide to come home and contest for one office or another. To worsen our security challenges, as we are coming we bring thugs and other miscreants to Igbo land to protect us and campaign for us without minding the influence of these imported thugs on the local youths. We also advertise wealth so negatively that our youths feel that all they need to succeed is to travel to Lagos or Abuja. More often that not, these youths end up under Lagos/ Abuja bridges where they acquire all sorts of criminal indoctrination. When they have fully graduated they return to the east and practice their evil skills. 10. It is not enough to complain about insecurity in the east and use that as excuse for not investing in Igbo land or relocating to Igbo land post retirement. Everyone of us here can contribute to improve security in Igbo land by investing in Igbo land to create jobs for our youths as well as returning home to serve as positive role models to our young minds. We need you to mentor the young and share experiences with them. We also need you to be close enough home to advice government based on realities in Igbo land as against text book postulates and external experiences that are not relevant to our peculiar challenges.. 11. The key to security and economic development of Alaigbo is in your hands: invest in Igbo land to create jobs and remove our young people from prison rows. Our state governments are ready to offer whatever support that you need, including land, tax concessions and provision of relevant infrastructure that will help your business thrive and grow. You may argue that there is a ready market where you are currently but permit me to remind you that the market follows the source. A time was, and I believe it still happens, when people travel from Lagos, Abuja, Cameroon, Togo etc to Nnewi to buy vehicles spare parts Similarly, people where coming to Aba from all over the country and far away West African countries to buy made in Aba products. 12. My brothers and sisters, we need you to invest in Igbo land to create jobs that will take our youths off crimes and reduce incidences of violent crimes like kidnapping that have led to many of you being trapped outside Igbo land even at glorious old age.. Thank you and God bless you Okezie Ikpeazu PhD Governor of Abia State/Chairman South-East Economic Hub

This is an awesome initiative.

tollyboy5:
That's just it when you have economic power you'll get political power

sorry Mr ala ibo without political power you can control economic power. You can see why ibos crying daily.

disumusa:
sorry Mr ala ibo without political power you can control economic power. You can see why ibos crying daily.

What exactly do you mean to say?

catal:
THINK HOME, BUILD HOME. SIMPLE.

I think this is a new reality for us, if we Igbos must survive in nigeria or even actualize Biafra - WE MUST THINK HOME, AND BUILD HOME.

Olabestonic001:



This is an awesome initiative.

My dear, it is an awesome intiative as you have said but, we need to walk the talk- we need actions.
Since I saw this article I have firmly made up my mind to locate my processing industry in Enugu and locate the headquarters of all my companies in Enugu and Anambra.
I want to enjoin all Igbos to think home and invest home.

GreatNegro:


I think this is a new reality for us, if we Igbos must survive in nigeria or even actualize Biafra - WE MUST THINK HOME, AND BUILD HOME.

Yes its what we must be doing now. Still, the fastest way to get the igbo population back home, igbo buisnesses is to secede from the country. The skewed arrangement of the country has made igbos almost totally dependent on other regions and not crime as the article says. This econimic dependence is hurting igboland as there is mass migration from there. Getting population back home is the only reason i support biafra and i hope others see it this way.

catal:
Yes its what we must be doing now. Still, the fastest way to get the igbo population back home, igbo buisnesses is to secede from the country. The skewed arrangement of the country has made igbos almost totally dependent on other regions and not crime as the article says. This econimic dependence is hurting igboland as there is mass migration from there. Getting population back home is the only reason i support biafra and i hope others see it this way.

Secession is not the fastest way to get the Igbos back home rather better access to economic opportunities. Why will l want to continue to squeeze myself in Lagos, if l can comfortably earn about N250k monthly from my venture in Nsukka?

catal:
Yes its what we must be doing now. Still, the fastest way to get the igbo population back home, igbo buisnesses is to secede from the country. The skewed arrangement of the country has made igbos almost totally dependent on other regions and not crime as the article says. This econimic dependence is hurting igboland as there is mass migration from there. Getting population back home is the only reason i support biafra and i hope others see it this way.

I think we can still achieve this aim even before separation- it is highly posible. Before the Biafran war, our fore fathers could make the Eastern region to be the most developed area in Africa, with more industry, the highest per capital income, the highest purchasing power, the greatest density of roads, schools, hospitals, business houses and factories in Africa.' - (The making of an african legend: The Biafra story, by Frederick Forsyth) - Onitsha even became the largest international market in Africa without even the government's support. If they can do it, we also can do it. We cann't just wait until Biafra comes, we must act now.

Why is Okezie harping about crime as if the SE is not the safest region?
What's his problem? Is it Ebonyi or Enugu?
Basically everywhere in the east is safe.
As for the Aba he mentioned, he must be foolish to think the dearth of road infrastructure isn't the issue there.

GreatNegro:


I think we can still achieve this aim even before separation- it is highly posible. Before the Biafran war, our fore fathers could make the Eastern region to be the most developed area in Africa, with more industry, the highest per capital income, the highest purchasing power, the greatest density of roads, schools, hospitals, business houses and factories in Africa.' - (The making of an african legend: The Biafra story, by Frederick Forsyth) - Onitsha even became the largest international market in Africa without even the government's support. If they can do it, we also can do it. We cann't just wait until Biafra comes, we must act now.

yes, nobody should wait for biafra before we start doing things. But, getting our population back home for me should be in our long term plan.

GreatNegro:

What exactly do you mean to say?

emeka how market

catal:
yes, nobody should wait for biafra before we start doing things. But, getting our population back home for me should be in our long term plan.

Yes you're on point. But I don't think it should be more than two to three years.

Development and support for SME's is the way to go. we have 1,001 igbos who can invest between N5m to N10m. If these 1,001 persons can employ 3 - 5 people, then we will have a lot of jobs created all over the place. The issue might not be security alone. Double taxation might be the major issue. Different group of revenue collectors come on daily basis to ask for one form of revenue or another. You pay until you are forced out of the environment. Paying lip service alone might not encourage anyone to think and invest at home. The leadership can do more. Some countries offer tax holidays to investors. Please address the real issues and see things change drastically.

catal:
yes, nobody should wait for biafra before we start doing things. But, getting our population back home for me should be in our long term plan.

I don't totally agree with okezie (he and other SE governors-both past and present- are culpable regarding the fix we are in ) .I don't think any other SE city has quite the urban planning or number of expatriate/multinational companies aba has yet the city hasn't experienced a paradigm shift or uplift meant in its infrastructure. He should fix golden guinea brewery, abia ceramics and aba glass industry .Those companies if functional would absorb not less than 2000 workers .As for our brethren in other regions,I think their returning shouldn't be our priority, most of them have no claim to being Igbo anymore rather,we should strive to encourage the multitude of youths graduating and growing up per year to stay back home .Those are the peeps from which the next coscharis,capital oil,Slovak and orange group would come from.

GreatNegro:


I think this is a new reality for us, if we Igbos must survive in nigeria or even actualize Biafra - WE MUST THINK HOME, AND BUILD HOME.

If the Ndigbo have geographical expression which they can call home then they can think home. Economic power without political power is a wild goose chase.

GreatNegro:


I think we can still achieve this aim even before separation- it is highly posible. Before the Biafran war, our fore fathers could make the Eastern region to be the most developed area in Africa, with more industry, the highest per capital income, the highest purchasing power, the greatest density of roads, schools, hospitals, business houses and factories in Africa.' - (The making of an african legend: The Biafra story, by Frederick Forsyth) - Onitsha even became the largest international market in Africa without even the government's support. If they can do it, we also can do it. We cann't just wait until Biafra comes, we must act now.

if you ask anyone for pictures of Lagos before the war you will get it. Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ilesha, Akure, Offa, Ogbomosho, Ife, and so on, all had pictures before the war and showed what state of development they were in. So how is it that this your best city in Africa, no one can find pictures taken of it and showing these developments you claim it had before the war?

That flat!head governor is saying Ndigbo Lagos? who knows Igbo in Lagos state?

you lots should leave Lagos and other sw states and don't ever come back

develop ala-igbo or die trying. we don't need miscreants boasting about developing Lagos

Mr. Gov how many industries and factories do you have in igboland Let the change begin with you!!!

chibuzorAbia:
That flat!head governor is saying Ndigbo Lagos? who knows Igbo in Lagos state?

Abia state is dead. I think the gov should start fixing his cursed state than talking about other SE states that are doing far better than his state. Betterabiastate.

chibuzorAbia:
That flat!head governor is saying Ndigbo Lagos? who knows Igbo in Lagos state?

afonja

Schematics:



Abia state is dead. I think the gov should start fixing his cursed state than talking about other SE states that are doing far better than his state. Betterabiastate.

dont start again chinonso.unless you wnt to cry as usual.

Chyke you wanna cry today? Bring some buckets and keep beside you..

Anago5000:
dont start again chinonso.unless you wnt to cry as usual.

Schematics:
Chyke you wanna cry today? Bring some buckets and keep beside you..

laugh wan tear my belle oooo.ashawo nwoke.i just dey pity you

Anago5000:
dont start again chinonso.unless you wnt to cry as usual.

Ignore that !diot, I bet that guy is an afonja imposter claiming Igbo. Replying him will just derail the post. Joining a pig in a mud fight can only bring out the best in him because thats his turf and he has no shame. On topic we Igbos have the largest pool of local investors and if majority of them should invest in the East, it will significantly increase our GDP.