By Uche Mbah
After so much footdragging, Igbo leaders of thought finally came together to institute a trust fund for the development of Igboland.
There have been calls for Igbos to look inwards following the alleged marginalization of the zone by the President Muhammad Buhari-led administration. Igbos have been relegated to second-hand citizens in appointments and critical infrastructure in the zone.
In a statement, Tuesday by the media aid of the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, Emeka Attamah, the group which comprised the five southeast state governors, executive members of Ohaneze Ndigbo and Igbo leaders of thought, said that the aim is to make ala Igbo self-sufficient and highly industrialized.
“The Fund is intended to develop Igbo land to the status of Catalonia in Spain and Bavaria in Germany,” the statement said.
“Towards this objective, a 50-man steering committee made up of experts and professionals in banking, finance and development economics drawn from the diaspora and all the southeast states have been set up to draft the basis of Alaigbo Stabilization Fund and its governance protocol,” Ohanaeze said in the statement issued from its headquarters in Enugu.
“The Committee has as its Chairman a renowned economist and development expert and former Economic Adviser to President Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu, while Anyim Ude, will serve as its Secretary,”
Other members of the Committee are Mac Atasia, Ike Chioke, Patrick Okigbo, Nnanna Anyim Ude, Nick Okoye, and Ndy Onukwuesi.
Others are Emeka Onwuka, Dave Nwachukwu, Chief Aloysius Ihezie, Dr Bernard Orbika, Ngozi Odumuko, Jerome Okolo, Emeka Ugwuoju and Reginald Ihebuzor.
Also in the committee are Ben Nwawudu, Monye Chuka, Sam Amadi, Joe Abah, Ede Solomon, Nwachukwu, Ejiofor of WIC, and Air Vice Marshall Obierika.
There have been worries by Igbos that the home leadership is pandering more to the dictates of politics in the quest to make Igboland more self-reliant, making the environment for investment in Igboland more friendly.
