COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY SOUTHEAST GOVERNORS’ FORUM AT THE END OF ITS 2ND VIRTUAL MEETING HELD ON SUNDAY, THE 26TH DAY OF JULY, 2020.
The SouthEast Governors, Political Leaders, Ohanaeze Leadership, Traditional Rulers, and the Leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (SouthEast Region) met on July 26, 2020. The following communique was issued after the meeting:
AGREEMENTS
1. COVID-19
a. On measures in safeguarding her people from the deadly COVID-19, the forum agreed to strongly enforce the use of face mask and testing of the vulnerable group which is from age 65 and above. These measures will be critical to helping the region to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
b. The meeting expressed displeasure over the poor observance of COVID-19 protocols in the South East and ordered the mandatory wearing of face masks, observance of social distancing, and hand-washing. As part of its efforts to ensure safety and strict adherence, the forum agreed to embark on visitations to schools in the South East to clean them up and ascertain what measures shall be put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 pending their re-opening.
2. SECURITY
a. The Forum will give a name to the South – East Regional Security outfit at its next meeting.
b. Notifications will be sent to the Attorneys – General of the five states of our region to do the needful on the proposed law, and then to the House of Assembly for passage.
3. INFRASTRUCTURE
The meeting observed that there is currently no funding for the Eastern Railway Corridor which starts from Portharcourt and Passes through the South-East to the North-Central and the North-East. Consequently, the Forum resolved to collaborate with its counterparts in the South-South, North-Central, and North-East as well as dialogue with the Federal Government to facilitate the needful.
4. The meeting requested the President – General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo to meet with Prince Arthur Eze and Senator Pius Anyim and reconcile their differences. It called on the duo to sheath their swords and the media not to throw more light on the misunderstanding between two illustrious sons of Igboland.
5. The meeting urged Ndigbo especially Youth to key into the various Agricultural intervention churned out by the Central Bank of Nigeria
6. His Royal Majesty Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha briefed the forum on the seamless change of baton in the leadership of the SouthEast Traditional Rulers Council, announcing that the Chairman of Ebonyi State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Eze Charles Mkpuma is their new leader.
