Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has advised the South-East zone not to approach the in-coming Nigerian government with a “victim mentality.”
He gave the advice Thursday at the Ikengaonline monthly town-hall meeting.
Moghalu who spoke on the theme: “Improving regional economy in the homestead,” noted that only strategic engagement with other regions would better the fate of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
The 2019 presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, said the South-East region “should concentrate on the issues, focus on them and deal with them.”
Moghalu who spoke on other burning issues said: “For the new Government that is coming on board, the South-East should not engage Nigerian government with a victim mentality.
“You recognise there is inequality and injustice and you push for it. If the entire South-East does not accept the separatist agenda we should continue to engage the government on regional development and constitutional amendment.
To achieve it, he said: “There is a need to collaborate with the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and other organisations to begin the discussions. We must bring it home from Abuja to the South-East region and discuss how to get it accomplished.”
He, however, thanked the present administration of the Federal Government for signing into law a bill to empower state governments to establish railway as well as to generate and distribute electricity on their own.
Moghalu described the move as the beginning of regional development.
Urging the people to hold government accountable, he emphasised the need for governments in the region to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the zone.
“It is not too big to ask for it. Another way for the government to achieve this enabling environment is to engage in public Private Partnerships to create infrastructure.” It was his view that Ohanaeze should be used as a tool to increase accountability of the South-East governments.
