Enugu Govt. seeks partnership with UK as Ohanaeze pleads for Ekweremadu pardon

BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU

United Kingdom (UK) and Enugu State governments have agreed to partner for the mutual economic benefits of the UK and the state, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, have disclosed.

Governor Peter Mbah had sought the technical assistance of the UK government as well as the restoration of UK visa facilitation center to Enugu to boost trade, business, and other relationships between the UK and Enugu State.

Both men made this known during a visit by the UK High Commissioner to Governor Mbah at the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.

Speaking during the visit, Dr. Montgomery, who expressed his support for the investment and economic growth drive of the new administration in the state, recalled that the UK had partnered with Enugu State for over 20 years on issues like public health sector reforms, education, power sector reforms, among others.

“So, we are interested in continuing that partnership. I have been reading the press and the ways you have been seeking to already put your stamp on reforms and your ambitions for the state.

“I am here to listen, learn, and understand more about your priority and that of your new government to explore areas of further collaboration.

“I understand that very important reforms are currently being made in Nigeria, trying to put the economy back on track and on a higher growth path.

“We really hope that the South East and Enugu State will see more opportunities coming from the economy in the coming years.

“There might be some short-term pressures and volatility to manage, but we can see the prospects for a higher growth path for Nigeria.

“The UK is very interested in exploring partnerships on trade and investment and I have come to Enugu to understand your agenda and to explore those areas of potential partnership going forward”, he stated.

Speaking, Governor Mbah, who went down memory lane on what he described as Enugu’s consequential roles and place in the history of Nigeria, said the state was eager to take back its preeminent place.

“We have also shared an ambitious vision to the people of Enugu State on where we could get to in terms of our economy. One of the things we said to them is our ambition to transform Enugu to become a premier destination for investment, business, living and tourism. And we also have plans to eradicate poverty in the state, which is currently higher than the national average.

“This is why your visit to us today is quite remarkable because we believe it is not a journey we can go alone. We need partnerships. We need collaborations in order to achieve that. Interestingly, we have a history of partnership with the UK, just as you have alluded to”.

On the need to restore the British Council and the UK visa facilitation centre to Enugu, Mbah emphasised: “I have told you some of the historic roles Enugu had played in the history of the South and there could be no better place to site a visa facilitation centre than Enugu. So, we are looking forward to that to boost trade, investment, and cooperation between the UK and our state”.

Mbah also explained that the state would host the Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholder Roundtable scheduled for September to herald the Enugu State Diaspora and Investment Forum planned for April 2024 to showcase the investment potentials of the state and therefore solicited support towards developing those potentials.

The governor equally sought the technical assistance of the UK government in the areas of power to develop and build the Enugu electricity market and the consequent regulatory commission, as power had been devolved to the Concurrent List in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).

He further solicited the support of the UK government in developing Enugu State as a special agro-allied processing zone in line with the administration’s manifesto and the state’s listing by the FG for the purpose

“We are also interested in the private-sector-led green economic transformation where we obviously believe that we can participate in renewable energy so that most of our catchment power requirements can actually be attended to. So, the emphasis is on technical assistance and support”, Mbah stressed.

Similarly, the the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Montgomery, visited the Ohanaeze Ndigbo at 7, Parks Avenue, Enugu where he had talks with the leadership of the apex umbrella of Igbo socio-cultural associations.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnia said the talks were mainly centred on bilateral relationship between UK and their group.

Ohanaeze also appealed to the British Government for leniency for the jailed former deputy president of the senate, Ike Ekweremadu.

The Igbo group stated that it accepted the pronouncement of the trial court that approved over ten years jail term for the ex-lawmaker in the matter of organ harvesting against him, his wife and another.

Speaking when the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Richard Montgomery at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu, one of the leaders of the group, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, said that Ndigbo would be happy should Ekweremadu’s jail term be reduced.

“There is a very important issue that we have to bring to your attention. You’re aware of the case of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who was convicted and is in jail in your country. He’s from this state and we all know the circumstance he got entangled in that unfortunate incident because he wanted to save his daughter

“He is already serving a jail term. It’s unfortunate; but it has happened. I testified for him during the trial and in fact, the judge mentioned my name two times while delivering his judgment.

“But we’re using the opportunity of your visit to ask for leniency for him so that he doesn’t spend the number of years in jail. We have accepted the judgment, but are saying if there’s anything that could be done to reduce the jail term. He’s from this area and if we don’t bring this thing up as Ohanaeze or from us here, concerning this important son of Igboland, it wouldn’t be nice of us. We are quite overwhelmed”.

In his speech, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of British Visa office in the southeast region.

He stated that the zone accounts for over sixty percent of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom, stressing that it was unfair that they were subjected to travelling to Abuja and Lagos to procure their Visa.

Iwuanyanwu who recalled the long relationship between Nigeria and British government, also appealed for bilateral collaboration to grow and develop the economy of the southeast region.

He identified insecurity that has now culminated to Monday sit at home as part of the challenge threatening the economy of the region, explaining that the new leadership of Ndigbo was working hard to overcome it.

Iwuanyanwu said that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo would soon set up a business council of prominent businessmen and assured that it would like to collaborate with the office of the commission for mutual economic benefits.

He said that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has placed premium on education and agriculture to engage her teeming youths and reduce social malaise in the region.

Earlier, Montgomery, who said he was on tour of the southeast, added that the visit would afford him opportunity to interact on areas of mutual collaboration with the British government.

He said that the British government would continue to advocate for peace in the country, stressing that it was delighted with the efforts by the Igbo in the development of Nigeria.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.