By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA —Executive Director of South East Development Commission, Dr. Clifford Ogbede, has said that the commission will revolutionalize the economy of the Southeast and take it back to the pre civil war era in which it was ranked as the third growing economy in the world.

Dr. Ogbede who is in charge of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja, after the inauguration of the Commission.

He said that the commission will create employment and ensures mass influx of people with attendant industrialization and provision of infrastructure in the area.

The Executive Director said it was the first time the Southeast was having a federal attention, stressing that the zone has been clamoring for reintegration since the end of the war, about 54 years ago.

He said: “And the current president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, found it worthy to encourage the establishment of the Southeast Development Commission.

“It’s like a celebration of a century. The Igbos are very happy with the commission, and it will help to tackle the challenges we have. Ecological challenges, infrastructural challenges, human capital development in the region.

“And of course, we all know, it’s in the history book, that the Southeast, before the war, was the fastest growing economy in the world. And so we had a roadmap on how that region should have been developed, but for 54 years it has been truncated.

“So this is an opportunity for us to develop the region, and we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making this history a reality.”

Asked how he intends to use the commission to harness the potential of agriculture in the Southeast, he said:

“Well, the mandate has been given to us. We will have a roadmap, which we are going to unveil very soon. I’m not going to say it here.

“Today is just for us to merry and be happy, and to appreciate God for the life of the president and for making this possible. That is why I’m here with my friends, my brothers and my sisters, my relations, friends of the Southeast and all Nigerians, to come and eat, drink and rejoice, and thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this wonderful gesture.”

Fielding question on some of the peculiar challenges of the Southeast, Dr. Ogbede said, ” Well, the peculiar challenges are known. We all know we have environmental issues, we have security concerns, we also have unemployment that is quite very high, but we have the potentials.

“We are entrepreneurs in nature, and we know that with this federal government intervention, we are going to make the region a very prosperous one.”

Further asked on what the people should expect from him in terms of agricultural development, he said the team will come up with a roadmap that Nigerians will be proud of.

He said that the act establishing the commission is very clear on the expectations of the people.

He said: “If you read it, you will know exactly what we are going to do. The President has given us a mandate to follow the act strictly, and we are going to do that. And if we do that, I bet you the economy of the region will be revolutionized. There will be employment, there will be mass influx of people, there will be industrialization, and infrastructure in that area is going to be improved.

“So just watch and see and give us some time. We have already what we call a quick win. We have a mid-term approach, and we are going to have a long-term approach. But I believe in the next one, two years, the story will be different.”

He commended the deputy speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his efforts, describing him as a great man from the Southeast, who is working hard for the region and for the country.

“He actually was the one that dusted this bill and ensured that it was passed. Not only passed, some people were naive. They said, okay, even if you pass the bill, the president will not sign it.

“And he made all efforts to make sure that the president assents the bill. And today, the commission has been fully established. The board has been inaugurated.

“So we give kudos to him, and we also wish to encourage him to continue to partner with the president to make sure we deliver more dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.

The Managing-director of the commission, Mark Okoye assured that the SEDC would work closely with state governments, private investors, and stakeholders to implement initiatives, the aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Outlining the commission’s immediate focus, Okoye outlined a five-point plan with focus in agriculture, industrial park development, mass housing, sport infrastructure and technology-driven development.

Okeye said, “We waited through six military regimes and four democratic presidents before this became a reality, within one year, President Tinubu passed the law, signed the bill, nominated the leadership, and allocated funds, now , it’s time for action.”