Top economic and political leaders in Nigeria especially those of South-east extraction will come together at the Government House Enugu tomorrow, December 22, 2016, for the maiden South-east Economic & Security Summit.

The summit, which is an initiative of the South-east Economic & Security Summit (SEESS) Group, a non-governmental organisation made up of top business, military, political, religious and community leaders from Nigeria’s southeast region – is aimed at addressing real issues affecting the peace and development of the southeast, proffering practical solutions and initiating a definitive course of action with pragmatic delineation of roles towards fast-paced economic and secure advancement of the region.

According to Professor Barth Nnaji, a former Minister of the Federal Republic and Chairman of SEESS Group, “All five Governors from the southeastern states will be participating at the Summit, and they will join other eminent personalities and delegates to discuss issues of common interest, including security, agriculture, infrastructure, health tourism, as well as financing the region’s economic program.

In an earlier statement, Professor Nnaji had noted: “The summit will be a meeting where specific problems are defined, projects to address the problems are adopted, and what the various stakeholders roles – including that of the Federal Government – in solving the problems are also presented.”

SEESS 2016 is an invitation-only event with delegates drawn from the leaders of the South-east, Presidency, National Assembly, state governments, the diplomatic community, top local and international business leaders and investors, multinational corporations, bankers and financiers, the academia, security experts, civil society groups, religious bodies and other non-governmental organisations.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday stayed away from the maiden South-East Economic and Security Summit in Enugu, which started about 48 hours after some pro-Biafra agitators warned him not to set foot in Igboland.

Buhari was meant to be the Chief Guest of Honour at the summit, which held in the Enugu State Government House, according to the programme of the event.

Although the President was expected at the event, as noted by several speakers who spoke during the event, he did not show up, neither was he represented.



Also, ministers from the South-East, who were slated to make presentations at the event, all stayed away.

A pro-Biafra group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, had in the build up to the summit, issued a statement, warning Buhari to stay away from the South-East, in his own interest.

IPOB, whose leader, and director of pirate radio channel, Nnamdi Kanu, is being held by the Federal Government, accused Buhari of ‘persecution’, and threatened ‘a breakdown of law and order’ should the President attend the summit.

While no mention of the IPOB warning was made throughout the opening session of the summit, Buhari’s absence was a major talking point as several speakers expressed surprise, and confusion, at the development.

The Chairman of the South-East Security and Economic Summit, former power minister, Prof. Barth Nnaji, in his opening remarks, observed, “We have not seen the President.”

Later on, in a presentation by the summit committee, Nnaji had to substitute Buhari’s name with that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who attended the event as the ‘Distinguished Guest of Honour’, in the introductory part of a prepared address where he was to thank Buhari for attending the occasion as the Chief Guest of Honour.

Instead of thanking Buhari for gracing the occasion as the chief guest of honour, as stated in the prepared address, Nnaji thanked Obasanjo for attending the event as the distinguished guest of honour.

Nnaji also thanked the Enugu State government for undertaking to sponsor some aspects of the President’s visit.

The chairman of the event, former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, drew attention to Buhari’s absence.

“I was going to start by saluting the representative of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but I have not been told of such a person,” the retired diplomat said.

Anyaoku went further to express regrets that Buhari was not present at the event.

Rounding up his address with a call for the restructuring of the country, he said, “I had hoped that Mr. President would be here to hear me.

“Like Cato, the Roman senator who always ended his speeches by calling for the destruction of Carthage until his call was heeded, I will restate my assertion that if the Nigerian federation is restructured to have less federating units, this country will achieve greater stability and faster pace of development, and there will no longer be a need for the Federal Government to bailout many of the non-viable 36 states."

mightyhazell:
Op u shd shut up your evil mouth and go find urself a profitable venture,..

Where u not the one hovering all over the place with ur instigating thread,hoping fervently that a confrontation happens btw iPob( a v peaceful organisation) and the fg. Ur plans and evil wishes failed. Go and grieve in peace and stop bleating all over the place like a seperated ewe

dunkem21:
Tribal thread .. Jump and pass

dunkem21:
Tribal thread .. Jump and pass

BossKratos:


Obasanjo that massacred their ancestors was there, they kept shut! But buhari that is even trying to implement stale plans in their region is who they are threatening?


Useless cowards!

HopeAtHand:
The Igbo political class, like i have always pointed out are worryingly tactless, and once again, have been exposed for their inadequacies.

IPOB, had done the job of drawing the attention of the FG and the Nigerian nation to the "perceived" neglect of the SE by the Nigerian govt. An economic summit was put in place and the PMB, as a show of goodwill decides to attend in person. It was expected that the Igbo leaders will reach out to IPOB leaders and come out with a united position for the development of the SE and milk whatever they can from the FG.

The FG already has put the 2nd Niger bridge into its budget for the coming years, the SE leaders and IPOB leadership should have drawn up and presented other critical infrastructures needed in place for economic development of SE. They fail to utilise opportunity and worse still, returned a good gesture with threats.

Obasanjo and GEJ, both southerners, have never been threatened by Northern groups and Northerners. I wonder why the Igbos just decided to take their hatred to new lows.

Mujaheeeden:
Did you Know that SE has never asked for your advice neither do the believe buhari is a solution.


Stop all these please and allow the igbos be

HopeAtHand:


The biggest deception in life is self-deception.

IGBOS NEED NIGERIA MORE THAN NIGERIA NEEDS HER. PURSUE A BIAFRA WITH 5 SE STATES AND SEE IT REALISED IN A JIFFY.

QuotaSystem post=[s:
52184817]What amazes me is that some have still not realized that the SE only succeeded in cutting its nose to spite its face, and further alienating itself from the centre, which is what the likes of Orji Kalu are trying to fix.

The President can no longer be blamed if refuses to visit or pay any concrete attention to the SE and it's issues from this point onwards, and it will be naive to think that this development will not have an adverse effect on the Presidents future disposition to the region. If anything was achieved, it was a confirmation of the security concerns in the region and an impetus to step up the operation python dance, so that the entire region is not taken over by the treasonable secessionists.[/s]

Freedom2016:


Afonja

Your brain just farted.

What's Afonja and how does it relate to me or this discourse

QuotaSystem:
What amazes me is that some have still not realized that the SE only succeeded in cutting its nose to spite its face, and further alienating itself from the centre, which is what the likes of Orji Kalu are trying to fix.

The President can no longer be blamed if refuses to visit or pay any concrete attention to the SE and it's issues from this point onwards, and it will be naive to think that this development will not have an adverse effect on the Presidents future disposition to the region.

If anything was achieved, it was a confirmation of the security concerns in the region and an impetus to step up the operation python dance, so that the entire region is not taken over by the treasonable secessionists.

Mujaheeeden:
The President has never hidden his distaste for the region so he should shove his head into his anus

Mujaheeeden:
what about my igbo folks in Rivers, Edo, Delta Akwa ibom benue. We can't leave our kins anywhere

HopeAtHand:



I am an IKWERRE and i am not your brother.

AnambraDota:
Yolobass are evil

pazienza:


Then why are you running all over the thread like a Baboon on heat, offering advice to a people you and your useless people can't measure up to in any aspect of human development?

Why are you trying so hard to draw your inconsequential self and people into Igbo matter?

QuotaSystem:
What amazes me is that some have still not realized that the SE only succeeded in cutting its nose to spite its face, and further alienating itself from the centre, which is what the likes of Orji Kalu have been trying to fix.

The President can no longer be blamed if refuses to visit or pay any concrete attention to the SE and it's issues from this point onwards, and it will be naive to think that this development will not have an adverse effect on the Presidents future disposition to the region.

If anything was achieved, it was a confirmation of the security concerns in the region and an impetus to step up the operation python dance, so that the entire region is not taken over by the treasonable secessionists.

You know what the Igbos have and the persecutors or will I say haters do not have??

It is not being afraid!!! Even in the face of death.
buhari is no god and I wonder why people chose to make him one and worship him and pray to him for those he should punish...

But hey, Igbos saw the rise and fall of buhari In 1980s, why think there will be any difference now?

Maybe is time to launch gorilla touch too.

HopeAtHand:


Your people are a source of distraction to the present govt... and your people are a nuisance to my people too. They should plan their exit with their fellow Igbos and stop trying to search for brotherhood where none exists.