Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said the South East Governors are working together to achieve regional integration, despite party leanings.
Governor Otti stated this on Friday while receiving a delegation of the joint body of South East Council of Traditional Rulers and representatives of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, led by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.
He said the issues of general concern such as security remain paramount to the governors as there cannot be meaningful development in an atmosphere of insecurity.
Governor Otti said for the South East Governors, governance takes the front seat as the governors have continued to meet to discuss issues affecting the region.
He assured the Igbo leaders that South East Governors have been meeting to chat about the interests of the South East zone, irrespective of their membership in different political parties.
“Anyhow you look at it, we must deal with security as a region if not as a country. What feeds insecurity, to a large extent, is unemployment and poverty. It also feeds banditry and we need to do everything possible to ensure that our people have something to do,” Otti said.
The Governor, who stated that he has a clear plan of what to do in governance, disclosed that one of the plans was to develop Aba. According to him, if Aba is developed, it can develop the whole of the SouthEast region.
Dr Otti disclosed that power supply is the major enabler required to spur development in Aba and the entire Southeast region and revealed that the 141 Megawatt Geometric Power Plant in Aba would be commissioned next Monday to provide uninterrupted power supply to Aba and its environs, covering about nine LGAs.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe said the main aim of the body which came into existence three years ago is for peacebuilding and reconciliation in the South East, noting that without peace there would be no development.
Igwe Achebe disclosed that the group had engaged with some Governors in the zone virtually.
He said the group is committed to projecting peace, mutual respect, love and well-being of Ndi Igbo and commended the Governor for utilizing the state’s resources in developing it.
He called on other South East Governors to come together to bring about the integration of the SouthEast region and stressed the need for Ndi Igbo to build a nation within a nation for economic prosperity.
Other members of the Joint Body who were present at the visit were the chairman of the South East Traditional Rulers Council; Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, and Professor Pat Utomi among others.