NAN-H-42
Agenda
By Precious Akutamadu
Port Harcourt, Jan. 22, 2017 (NAN) The South Africa chapter of Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, a pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has urged its new national leadership to set up committees that would drive development in the South East Zone.
Chief Jonas Udeji, a leader of the group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday that the election of Mr Nnia Nwodo as President and other executives was a welcome development.
He said such committees should be set up at all levels to tackle the challenges facing the zone.
“ I want the national body to strengthen local government and state chapters by setting up committees that will deal with challenges in sectors such as education, employment, economic development, youth empowerment, agriculture and health.
“ In doing that, the leadership should use such committees to liaise with commissioners responsible for various ministries to implement the agenda and programmes,” he said.
Udeji said that the new leadership should also set up a monitoring and evaluation team to ensure the implementation of the programmes of the the state governments.
“ The monitoring and evaluation team should give quarterly reports on economic activities in the zone and the way forward.
“ The team should also ensure that the relevant reports are implemented,” he said.
Udeji further called on the leadership to liaise with the Federal and State governments to attract international trade to the zone.
He said that the zone was blessed with Small and Medium Enterprises, adding that they could tap from foreign investments.
One way of achieving this, he said, was to attract more international flights to the Akanu Ibiam International airport in Enugu.
“ So far, only Ethiopia Airways operates international flights from the airport and it is always fully booked.
“ There is need to attract more international flights to the airport.
“ The business community in the zone will benefit from the move and foreign airlines will also enjoy patronage because of the volume of trade and commerce it will attract,” he said.
Udeji urged the leadership of the apex Igbo organisation to persuade the Federal Government to approve more flights for the airport.
“ The country will earn more revenue in foreign exchange while new jobs will be created with more investment prospects,’’ he stated. (NAN)
PA/MEMO/OJO
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(Edited by Mike Mbonye/Mufutau Ojo)