South East Development Tops Agenda As Igbo Group Holds Retreat

In a move geared towards accelerating the development of South East region of the country, an Igbo group says it is organizing a retreat with a purpose driven think home investment initiative.

According to a statement issued by the retreat planning sub-committee on media and publicity and signed by Collins Steve Ugwu, the event with the theme “Igboezue Leadership Retreat” is powered by Nzuko Umunna, a core Igbo Think Tank of professionals at home and the diaspora, in league with the South East Governors Forum.

The event is expected to hold between 22-23 of November, 2019 at the ultra-modern Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The statement read in part: “Accordingly, it is expected that the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Engr. Dave Umahi as the host Governor, will roll out the new city’s hospitality to welcome all his brother Governors to this epoch Retreat, as they have all individually been engaged and endorsed it as timely and, one that should be supported to produce enduring outcomes.

“To this end, the Chairman of the main Organizing Committee of the Retreat, a President General Emeritus of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey, revealed that aside all the Governors and all federal legislators of Alaigbo expected, other critical stakeholders of the entire Igbo collectives are upbeat about the prospects of this gathering, because they are being reached methodically and comprehensively.

“He also promised to address a world press conference on November 4 at the planning Secretariat, Abakiliki where as he put it ‘the meat of the meet will be wholesomely unveiled’.

“Meanwhile, a major Ndigbo grassroots umbrella and advocate of South East development through economic integration have queued behind the noble idea calling for all hands to be on deck to give it the success it deserves.

The Association of South East Town Uníons (ASETU), stated that, the synergy being pioneered by the retreat organisers is in tandem with their declared philosophy to accelerate the development of South East region with a purpose driven think home investment initiative.

Nzuko Umunna has been at the forefront of calls for the regional economic development of the South East by leaders from the region.

The Igbo socio-political pressure group had often urged governors from the region to operationalize the plan to transform the region into the economic hub of West Africa.

At the scheduled two-day leadership retreat, the South East governor, Nzuko Umunna, and other stakeholders are expected to discuss security, infrastructure development, and other challenges facing the region.

Nzuko Umunna is a think-tank made up of over 250 Igbo professionals both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.