By Gabriel Amalu :
The south-eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo have been in the news for good and bad reasons recently. The good news included the signing into law of the South East Development Commission, SEDC, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This columnist has over the years canvassed for the establishment of that type of commission, to pursue joint economic activities, especially in agriculture, transportation, and energy. No doubt, common projects in agriculture and agro-allied industrialization, is the lowest hanging fruit.
There is an agricultural belt stretching from Anambra to Enugu down to Ebonyi State. There is also another stretch, between Abia and Imo, all of which can enjoy the intellectual output of the University of Agriculture, at Umudike. The SEDC should pioneer joint venture projects, between these states, which would lead to the resuscitation and redevelopment of complementary agro-allied industries, which had been abandoned after the Michael Okpara era. One of such, is large scale rice production, which could feed from the Anam river basin, stretching from Anambra to Enugu states.
Another common interest in agriculture should be palm oil production which was the mainstay of exports for the defunct Eastern Nigeria. Palm produce from Abia and Imo, if revitalized and modernized, could become a major foreign exchange earner for the governments in the region. On that too, the commission could tap into the knowledge base of the university at Umudike for research and development of that sector. There are other cash crops like cashew and cassava which could exponentially benefit from such synergy amongst the states.
Another major area that should interest the SEDC, is ensuring energy security for states in the region. Luckily there is abundance of crude oil in the region, and already a refinery in Anambra. The commission should be able to project the short, medium and long term needs of the region, and make necessary recommendations to the governments. It would be foolhardy not to take heed of the instructive inevitable match of the present administration to a free market driven and full deregulation of the petroleum industry.
Included in the energy mix, is the production and distribution of electricity in the region. All states in the region should quickly pass into law, their own state electricity regulatory authorities, similar to what has been done in Enugu State. With that in place, the various regulatory authorities can enter into a joint venture agreement, to enhance research on how the region can cooperate and provide multi-dimensional electricity sources for the region. The incessant collapse of the national grid indicates that in the near future, regions/states would have to resort to their own grids if they wish to make economic progress to lift their people out of poverty.
The SEDC should also be interest in designing interstate railways for the region, which will aid the movement of especially agricultural products to the cities. Luckily, railway is no longer in the exclusive legislative list, so states can legislate on it and through joint venture agreements cooperate in planning interstate railways. Again, the full deregulation of the fuel supply, indicates that mass transportation can be the only panache to the crisis in the sector. Through zonal arrangement, the commission can also venture into air and road transport relying on the economy of scale, which regional partnership will provide.
Of note, the cooperation within the region will attract massive private capital, more than what the states can individually offer. But for prebendalism and consequent mismanagement, the banks and other commonly owned financial institutions like the defunct African Continental Bank, would be in existence. No doubt, if the states can put in place joint bankable proposals in any of the economic activities enumerated above, private capital will tap into the region’s economy. Again, new privately dominant financial institutions can be put in place, by the region, to serve the economy of the region.
On the flip side, is the insecurity that has made Mondays in the region a compulsory day of sit-at-home. Unlike public holidays or even Sundays, Mondays remains a dreaded day of no activity, in most states in the region. Interestingly, the government of Enugu State, to a large extent, has tamed the monster, but obviously at a huge recurrent cost. One imagines what the state spends to keep the air and land surveillance every Monday within the state capital metropolis, and how expensive it would be to extend the show of power, across the state.
While congratulating the state for the reasonable success it has made in curtailing the activities of the so-called unknown gun men, this writer believes that a synergy amongst the states in the region would achieve a better result. In Anambra, many communities are raising huge capitals to buy private surveillance equipment, recruit operatives, and pay huge salaries to secure their communities. That type of ‘privately owned’ community policing, which has been copied by many communities, arguably was initiated by late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, in Nnewi community. The economic damage from the insecurity crisis in the region is humongous, and the governors should build a synergy to deal with that challenge. Of course, kinetic and non-kinetic measures should be adopted by the federal, state and local government authorities to address the insecurity challenges. The low hanging fruit for this columnist, is good governance at all levels, which will lead to a buy-in from the people. As simple as it might seem, if the majority of the people see activities to show that the governments are deeply committed to their welfare, they would mobilize to help tame the insecurity.
Again, Enugu State government has shown how the people can be swayed to react differently. While there is diversification and increase in taxation, in the state, the people are not stringently complaining, because the state government appears to be doing enough to justify the increases. If those in governments in the region, can curtail their wasteful lifestyle, open new economic activities, especially for the youths, and engage the people on how the incomes generated are being used for their good, there will likely be a reduction in the prevalent criminality.
As I argued here last week, there is near complete abdication of economic activities at the local government areas, across the country. And that helps to feed the insurgency in the rural communities. The saying that a hungry man is an angry may, is a truism. To help tame the hunger and anger in the rural areas, state governors who want peace in their states, should allow and encourage local government administrators, to tap into the economic activities which the constitution has provided for them, so they can help to economically engage the idle minds in the villages.
Those of them, who refuse to engage in meaningful ventures, but prefers criminal activities, like kidnapping, extortion, and burglary, of which this writer was a recent victim, would face the security agencies.
