South-East governors and some political leaders in the zone met yesterday for several hours in Enugu. Although the chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Mr. Peter Obi of Anambra State refused to disclose the reason for the meeting, our source revealed that matters relating to the national conference were top on the agenda.
Governor Obi merely told journalists that: “We met today as political leaders of the South East for only one purpose; to discuss and agree to work together as we have been working in the zone and the meeting will continue.”
The meeting, which held at the Enugu Government House, was believed to be a prelude to other meetings that will involve the Igbo apex body, Ohanaeze and various Igbo groups in an attempt to fashion out the best way to select delegates for the conference.
The modalities for the conference, which were released last week, have been receiving mixed reactions from various groups in the zone.
While the Professor Ben Nwabueze-led group rejected the timetable on the ground that it fell short of the expectation of Nigerians, the Ohanaeze embraced it as being in line with its expectations.
Also, the World Igbo Congress, the apex organisation representing Ndigbo all over the world, had through its Board of Trustees member, Obi Barth Oyibo Thompson, joined the leaders of thought to urge the Igbo to take part in the conference.
In a statement issued in Enugu yesterday, the body said: “Although there are defects in the modalities released by the Federal Government, the World Igbo Congress supports that Ndigbo should participate in the proposed National Conference.”
Oyibo, in the statement advised against Ndigbo boycotting the confab, stressing that they should go there and insist on the terms of the association of Ndigbo with other nationalities as articulated by the Prof Nwabueze-led Igbo Leaders of Thought.
“The Igbo predicament in Nigeria is a challenge to the conscience of all ethnic nationalities and geo-political zones or regions in Nigeria. It is a moral wound, inflicted over a long time by injustice, that must be cured.
“What is important is the quality of Ndigbo representation and that is why Igbo Leaders of Thought are going ahead to complete the task of articulating the Igbo position,” he stated.
Those who attended the Enugu meeting included Governor Peter Obi, Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Imo Deputy Governor, Ihechukwu Madumere.
Others were Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, her Health counterpart, Onyebuchi Chukwu; Senator Ben Obi and the House of Representatives member from Enugu State, Ogbuefi Ozongbachi.
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