Associate Editor Sam Egburonu reports on the roots of the current resolve of the governors of the South-East zone to work together for the zone’s socio- economic and political development
For concerned Igbo leaders, who laboured in vain for over three years to restore the once united South-East Governors Forum, February 2017 is today described as a month of rebirth for the political development of the South-East region.
Up to 2014, when former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, effectively ran the affairs of the forum as its chairman, it held regular meetings in Enugu and was said to have operated effectively in unity. But shortly after the exit of the governor, the forum recorded what Chief Emenike Udemba described as “three years interlude.”
After Obi, the forum had elected former Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji of Abia State as the next chairman in a meeting held in the second week of March, 2014. Although his election was received by leaders, including the Nigerian Governors Forum with high expectation, his tenure suffered from a leadership crisis that made it difficult for the governors to meet regularly and work together. For example, the Director-General of the forum then, Asishana Okauru, had, in the forum’s congratulatory message, said Orji’s election is an indication of the confidence reposed on him by his colleagues and the people of his geo-political zone.
Acknowledging the successes already recorded by the South East Governors Forum and the need to sustain the tempo, Okauru said “As you take on this challenging leadership role, we urge you to build on the gains of your predecessor, His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, and continue to lead with the same kind of openness, professional aplomb, diplomacy and tolerance.”
Unfortunately for the former Abia State Governor, leadership crisis which began soon after his emergence persisted all through his tenure, thus making it difficult for the governors in the geo-political zone to work as a team for the interest of the zone.
The crisis deepened when Orji served out his tenure in office, as the governors failed to agree on who should take over from him the leadership of the forum.
By May 2016, efforts by some concerned leaders from the east to resolve the crisis failed woefully. For example, in one of the meetings organised in Enugu that month to resolve the issues, attended by the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and former governors Peter Obi of Anambra and Ikedi Ohakim of Imo, could not make much difference as Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his counterpart, Willie Obiano of Anambra State shunned it without apologies.
The governors, who attended the meeting, included Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeaze of Abia and Dave Umahi of Ebonyi.
The division amongst South-East political leaders became even more apparent then because former governors of Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, Chief Martin Elechi, Senator Theodore Orji and Sullivan Chime, who were also invited to the meeting, stayed away without genuine excuse, a development that seemed to confirm the fear then that the crisis had really worsened. A source had alleged that Elechi, for example, said he would not attend the meeting so long as his successor, Governor Dave Umahi, was present. Also, none of the leaders could resolve the open allegation that the crisis persisted because Okorocha, the ‘oldest’ governor amongst the five, was interested in the position, while his opponents insisted that the position is usually rotated amongst the states in the zone and that it was not the turn of Imo.
The Nation investigation confirms the allegation that the position of chairmanship of the forum is usually rotated amongst the states. We gathered that when former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, chaired the forum for many years without opposition, the rules was not changed. But as he admitted, “What happened was that anytime it was the turn of another state, “the governor will say, Obi, carry on, there is no need to make changes.” So, it was voluntary decisions of the various governors, during the long years of Obi’s chairmanship of the forum that made it possible for him to lead for so long and effectively unify the zone. But since he left the scene after the expiration of his two term tenure as governor, such understanding and unity had been lacking.
A new dawn
Indications that the tide will change for the better in the South-East zone emerged in February 2017, when Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State became unanimously elected as the Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum in a closed door meeting attended by the governors of the zone, including Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, notwithstanding the previous disagreements.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who announced the development after the meeting, said “I want to specially recognise the oldest member of this forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra.
“We have just risen from a meeting and it is my pleasure to officially introduce the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum in the person of Gov. Dave Umahi.
“He is our chairman today because Anambra and Abia have taken their turns in the past and we are moving forward from Ebonyi flank at this moment,” Ikpeazu said.
Umahi said his election was an honour to lead the forum even though he might not be the most qualified.
“I want to thank my brother governors and to accept the leadership position my colleagues have pushed on me.
“Not being the most qualified but they decided that I should be the chairman of the forum at a time like this. I want to thank them with all sense of humility,” Umahi said.
The meeting which resumed for the first time since 2014, under the aegis of the Southeast Governors Forum, was held behind closed doors at the Government House in Enugu state.
The gathering included governors of Anambra, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu states, alongside the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremmadu and President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Nnia Nwodo.
How peace was achieved
The Nation investigation shows that some of the principal leaders that played leading roles in the negotiations that led to the reconciliation of the warring governors in the South-East zone include some first class traditional rulers, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, who toured round the states with the message of peace.
“It was not a feat achieved by any one of us. As you know, it had to do with people’s ego, misunderstanding and careless utterances that raised tempers and made peace difficult to achieve. We had to involve our royal fathers and together, we were able to bring everybody to a round table. With the coming together of the royal fathers, political leaders and a dynamic Ohanaeze leadership, none of the aggrieved governors could resist the peace message. Here we are today talking about how to tackle environmental, security and economic challenges bedeviling our zone,” one of the key actors said in confidence after the last closed door meeting of the group in Enugu.
It would be recalled that after the resolution of the previous meeting of the South-East governors, where they agreed to synergize and champion a course towards economic integration, Umahi told journalists that the forum had appointed two persons each from the states in the zone as members of a committee to draft a blueprint for the programme.
“We have mandated the committee to meet and fashion out road map towards our economic integration.
“This, the committee will do in coming weeks and present our economic indices and development route in our next meeting.
“We equally agreed to meet with all stakeholders in the zone to discuss and address all issues of interest to our people,” he said.
Great expectations
Chief Udemba told The Nation that the new found peace has given hope to the people who believe that the zone will achieve better in unity. “We see it as a new dawn. Our only fear is that the new found love will last. South-East zone has lost so much to the leadership crisis and selfishness of our so-called political leaders. I am particularly impressed by the fatherly roles played by Ohanaeze leadership in this matter. This is time to emulate other regions and work together as in the days of late Dr. Michael Okpara,” he said.
