High Chief Michael Onuoha, (Eriri Ego Ndigbo Gburu Gburu) in the middle with black T-shirt flanked in a group photograph with the National Executive members of SECDA in one of his prestigious parlours shortly after their interactions.
From Everest Ezihe, Umunakara
Worried by high level of insecurities in Nigeria, especially South East region of the country, High Chief Michael Onuoha, (Eriri Ego Ndigbo) has admonished the South East Communities Development Association, SECDA to give priority attention in the sensitization fights against insecurities in the region.
Onuoha who said he’s not a politician but a philanthropic business icon gave the advise on Saturday when the National Executive members of SECDA, a non governmental organization led by Engr. Isidore Ehochi paid him courtesy call cum familiarization visit at his well furnished ancestral home Golden Castle Palace in Umuokwaraiheoma Village of Umunakara autonomous community in Nwangele LGA of Imo State.
He reiterated on the need for SECDA to be vocal on matters of insecurities threatening the region, lamenting that investors are being scared to invest in the region to an extent that most of the region’s illustrious sons and daughters are afraid to visit their ancestral homes without adequate security arrangements due to high threats of insecurities in the region.
“I also challenged SECDA to put up impactful projects and programmes that would ensure that South East Communities witnessed accelerated developments. People says Igbos does not have leaders, I don’t agree to that.
“There are over 70m Igbos in Nigeria and diaspora, which is two times greater than the population of most countries in the world, in all honesty and sincerity of purpose, South East geopolitical region of Nigeria have all it takes to be the fastest growing economy in Nigeria but they lack unity of purpose.
“SECDA can be a link cum guarantor to foreign investors who wants to invest here in South East. SECDA can equally be a frontline pressure group for the South East Development Commission, SEDC.
“They said South East is a dot in the nation’s circle, which truly justified that the region is the real heart beat of the nation. This is an impeccable truth.
“I will always throw my support behind SECDA because of their patriotic regional desires, and I equally advised them on the need to sustain people’s confidence and trust” he noted.
The Ambassador of Philanthropy also said it point blank, that he is not a politician and does not intend to be one soon, but rather has sympathy for some of his friends who are into politics, even as he reaffirmed his commitments in every good thing concerning South East, Alaigbo and humanity in general.
He further gave an unflinching commitments in throwing his weight in the overall realization of SECDA’s mission and vision for the region, insisting that he is a passionate true and patriotic son of South East and Igbo land in particular.
Eriri Ego Ndigbo, as he is fondly called and in line with one of his chieftaincy titles decried the level of marginalization being suffered by the ethnic nationality but noted that the region has every potential in terms of massive land and population to be an independent nation with solid economy.
Onuoha further canvassed on the need for the region to adopt modern system of mechanized agricultural revolution as a strategic means of improving her socioeconomic earnings and being relevant in the global map.
“Honestly, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR administration has earned my thumbs up for the establishment of the 6 regional development commissions and Federal Ministry of Regional Development. These shows he’s focused and committed to grassroot infrastructural developments and transformations”.
Earlier in his speech, Hon. Eddy Ikwubuo, (Agunechemba), one time Chairman, Njaba LGA and also Chairman Organizing Committee of SECDA 2025 South East Regional Conference expressed gratitude to the Chief Host for granting the request of the Association for courtesy cum familiarization visit.
Ikwubuo disclosed that the essence of the visit is to build a collaborative partnership and synergy relationship with the National Patron for the Association’s overall patriotic mission of contributing towards the socioeconomic and political development, and transformation of the region.
He recalled that SECDA was formed in 2014 as a child of circumstances ignited by gross marginalization of the region by the Federal Government and pleaded to the National Patron for his magnanimous assistance in the Association’s mission and vision to positively changed the narratives, by ensuring that the Communities in the 95 LGAs of the region are giving priority attentions in terms of socioeconomic and political developments.
The Organizing Committee Chairman further thanked the Chief Host for accepting to be a National Patron of the prestigious Association and enjoined him not to relent in throwing his support’s behind the group as they have cooperative structures in all the local government areas and autonomous communities within the region.
Adding his voice, Barr. Chijioke Emenalo, the Association’s Legal Adviser, informed that South East is a product of cold war political system with selfish leaders who are not interested in fast tracking development.
Emenalo observed that, unlike before the civil war, the regional leaders were philosophically guided by the spirit of “Igwe bu ike”, “ibu aji dan da” under Igbo Union that metamorphosed into political party, NCNC, insisting that the civil war broke the spirit of unity of purpose among members of the region as defeated people.
The legal luminary further described SECDA as a cooperative child of necessity anchored towards Isreali’s Kibbutz welfarist system, in which every body is professionally relevant in the system, thus prompting SECDA to come out with template of moving the region forward, anchored in 3 thematics of cooperatives, agricultural revolution and sports, insisting on self developments as the best way to go in modern world order.
Speaking also, High Chief Everest Ezihe, the National Media/Publicity Secretary of SECDA lauded High Chief Michael Onuoha for being passionate on things concerning South East as well as his philanthropic gestures to humanity and society at large.
Ezihe also expressed happiness for his acceptance to be one of the National Patrons of the Association noting the Association’s willingness to tap from his wisdom and networks in the Association’s efforts to ensure the realization and sustainability of her set goals and objectives.
He re-informed him of the Association’s preparedness to host a regional conference at Enugu by 31st May,2025, a programme he said will ensure the decoration and unveiling of the National Patrons as well as the establishment of road maps for the strategic operations of the Association’s developmental initiatives.
The Image Maker further reiterated the group plans to produce a communique during the conference while reinstating the Association’s stands on critical national issues and solicited his assistance for the funding of her historical regional conference.
In his speech, Engr. Isidore Ehochi, the National Coordinator of the group also applauded Onuoha for accepting the Patronship of the Association.
Ehochi recalled that the Association started since 2014 with eminent Igbo sons and daughters as Trustees with the objective of ensuring that fast tracking developments and transformations of communities in the South East are given priority attentions.
He highlighted some of the efforts made by the Association in the recent past to ensure the establishment of South East Development Commission, SEDC as well as the Federal Ministry of Regional Development as pillars in grassroot developments in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator further expressed the willingness of the Association to work in synergy with the Commission (SEDC)and the Federal Ministry so as to achieve their pivotal roles in terms of rapid socioeconomic and infrastructural developments and transformations to be benefitted by the rural communities in the South East region of the country.
” We’re committed in organizing the regional conference and ensure that the world will hear the region’s demands and great expectations from the South East Development Commission, SEDC as well as the Federal Ministry of Regional Development.
“We will crusade for SEDC, we will be their mount piece. We’re willing to work in synergy with them so that communities in the region receives Federal Government impacts.
“We want to stand firm as their pressure group. We want to organize the regional conference so that the world will hear us, understand and appreciate our stand, that we are serious advocates for rural developments.
“We have registered cooperatives in the 95 LGAs of South East,we need to sit down and talk about things that concerns us and the way forward.
“We want you, Eriri Ego Ndigbo Nile to speak to the Commission and the Ministry on the fundamental needs of the communities in the South East, Nigeria. You are a grassroot person. Your philanthropy is infectious, many people disturbs you on daily basis on their needs, you wear the shoe and you know were it pitches most.
“It’s our desire for SEDC to invest at least 5% of the 250B Naira approved to them in cooperatives, youths sports competition and mechanized agricultural revolution. It’s our wish to televise the conference live” he assured.
