Governors of the South-East states have resolved to construct a ring road that will connect the five states in the geopolitical zone.
This emerged at a meeting of the South-East Governors’ Forum in Enugu on Sunday.
The Chairman of the Forum, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, informed journalists after the meeting, movement that the planned ring road would promote economic development and ease movement in the zone.
“The South-East Governors’ Forum at its meeting discussed extensively on the possible strategies towards economic development of the South-East and at the end of the meeting resolved to undertake the construction of a ring road covering a total area of 430 kilometres that would connect all the states of the South-East, to promote economic development of the South-East states and for ease of transport system in the geopolitical zone,” Umahi said, while disclosing what transpired at the meeting.
Besides Umahi, the governors of Enugu and Abia states, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively, were at the meeting, as well as the Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere. The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, was absent.
The governors, at the meeting, also received a presentation on planned gas pipeline projects in the South-East.
“We advised the consultants to follow up on details of implementation especially as they relate to right of way,” Umahi added.
In the same vein, a former power minister, Prof. Barth Nnaji, made a presentation on the Aba Independent Power Project.
The governors, after listening to the presentation, asked Nnaji to liaise with the secretariat of the South-East Governors’ Forum for further implementation with the Presidency.
Further presentations were made by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms on the assessment of ministries, departments and agencies in the zone for effective performance.
The governors equally deliberated on the crisis rocking the zonal council of traditional rulers.
Umahi disclosed that state chairmen of the traditional rulers’ councils had been invited to the forum’s next meeting in a bid to reach an amicable solution to the crisis.
The Forum, in the same vein, reviewed the burial of the Second Republic Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and commended the governments and people of the South-East for the roles they played in the programme.
