Re: THE SUN SOUTH EAST ECONOMIC SUMMIT

BY UCHE OKEKE. UNITED KINGDOM

I wish to commend The Sun Newspaper for organising such a wonderful summit. This is a new beginning. Indeed, I see a great change in the Nigeria Project. For the first time, the president withholds the quarterly allocation because of poor implementation of the past capital votes. This is a wakeup call; a signal that is no longer business as usual. So this summit is of great significance – Time to take stock of governance in the South East. Time to realise that the era of waste is gone. Time for accountability. For the first time, a sitting governor in the south east is bitter about corruption. This is a great effort for even suggesting a capital punishment for corrupt public officials. His comments prompted me to write these contributions. At last the very people in governance are realising the great damage corruption has done to our society.

Corruption has made Nigeria a lame duck, and led people to exile. It has brought the country to a standstill. The giant of Africa – No electricity, no good roads, no potable drinking water, no jobs, no salaries, no pensions, no good health care system, no securities of lives and property. But public officials own houses throughout Nigeria and pay mortgages in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. While, pensioners die, waiting for pension that is never paid.
One Local Government official – a Treasurer in Imo State was my school mate in the university. He struggled to graduate with a third class or pass degree. He has since then gone and built two duplex houses in Owerri , a duplex in his hometown and owns a fleet of cars. How did he get the monies to fund all these? Yet in his local government area there is no new structure, wages are not paid and the workers never get promoted.

I salute the courage of the South East governors, realising they can no longer afford to fail, especially now that there is competition to deliver. Governor Adams Oshimole is leading the crusade in this direction. Furthermore, Governor Ohakim has won my great admiration for voicing out this good stand. My only concern is his present political predicament – The election Tribunal and forces that made him Governor!

Late Governor Mbakwe was named “The weeping Governor”, because of his selfless effort to deliver. With very meagre resources, he built schools, roads, paid salaries and built hospitals. During his time Imo state had the independent and functional AMARAKU power station. Yet, today the south east is poor, despite the huge federal allocation.

The way forward in the south east is to root out the present endemic corrupt public officials, and bury “Godfatherism”. This requires a strong WILL. Another way forward is seeking alternative to dependence on federal allocation. Again, Governor Adams Oshimole is leading the crusade by widening the tax net in Edo state. People must be made to pay taxes. United Kingdom economy depends on taxes, not federal allocation!
In the United Kingdom, high income earners pay 40% tax with an increase to 45% from 2011; Pension credit will be increased from £124 to £130 a week; State pension to rise from £90.70 to £95.25 a week, for a single person. This is where government is efficient. Drivers pay duty rates of about £30 per car (i.e. about N6000 per car) – This is another source of income to the government.

The south east governors should create an enabling environment for small businesses; provide security – the south east has the worst crime rate in Nigeria today. The south east governors should strive to make the south east attractive to investors which in turn create jobs. Job creation should be the hallmark of the south east. The jobs are there to be created. Indeed I am amused when people say there are no jobs in the south east. In England, the security industry, Insurance, health and safety and construction industry are the largest employers of labour. It can only be imagined how many ordinary people that could be employed, if there is legislation making these sectors compulsory in the south east, as it is done in England. In fact Nigerians own 75% of the security companies in the UK, and 90% of these Nigerians are from the south east.

Imo state has got great tourism potentials. Oguta lake and Abadaba lake are good examples, and yet they remain undeveloped. The southeast governors should embrace private partnership and reach out to other emerging economies like China, to develop the south east. In Great Britain, there is great Chinese presence. In Sierra Leone, there is also great Chinese presence.

Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy. In a recent pre budget speech, the UK Government made £1bn available for lending to small businesses, through a small business financing scheme. These businesses in turn pay taxes to government and create huge employment. The Prime Minister himself is to chair a national employment partnership to enable the unemployed to find work. Government derive income from cigarette and alcohol by placing heavy taxes on them. This could be done in the south east.

South east governors should create enabling environment for credible and intelligent youths to participate in politics instead of recycling old and corrupt politicians, and encourage opposition to thrive.
I encourage the Sun newspaper to organise this summit often so that the governors will not forget the pledges they have made today.
Long live the Governors
Long live the people of southeast

Uche Okeke
Uche Okeke is a Statistician. He is the author of “Behind the scene: “the untold story of President Charles Taylor’s Role in Sierra Leone conflict”. (uchesixtus@yahoo.com.au).
He lives in London, United Kingdom.