ROAD MAP TO ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH EAST-SOUTH SOUTH NIGERIA

AND BY PROXI

(BENUE-NIGER ECONOMIC UNION)

AN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN (EIDP)Title: while the north articulate boko-haram down here we articulate economic integration

TARGET OBJECTIVE

To establish lasting unity and permanent peace for national progress, founded on systematic unification of

resources and interest on basis of regional economic integration for structural balance of ethnic inequalities

in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

The south east-south-south Nigeria Economic Integration and Development

plan is a developmental document for the integral development and economic

integration of old Eastern Nigeria Economic and Socio-cultural zone. The

development plan is modeled on the fivefold developmental process of

linear – stages of growth model. The model will bring about rapid and

transformational development in social, Human resources, Technological,

infrastructural, Economic and political spectrums of livelihood in the old

Eastern Nigeria, Economic and socio-cultural zone.

The common reason why any group, community, nation, people or the global

community aspires for development is simply, to make life better, improve

living conditions, enhance quality of life, and standard of living. It is

this goal also that has motivated the conception and development of the

Eastern Nigeria Economics integration and development plan, for the

subsequent development of Eastern Nigeria Economic union (ENEU) here

proposed for establishment as none state, none governmental civil society

organization. Consequently, the eastern Nigeria economic union when

implemented shall foster greater co-operations and unity between all geo-

political zones making it up from (south-south, south east, north central)

bringing to their benefits advantages of economics of scale.

MAIN TRUST OF PROPOSED UNITY

To build formidable support through massive campaigning on the need

to up hold common political interest of people of the union in 2015

polls, so that a block vote can be put together from the region to

support the candidacy of president Good luck Jonathan in his second

term bid. This common economic interest will guaranty a common

political agenda of people of the region.

To gather momentum, common interest support, political capability

and strong bargaining powers of people of the union to negotiate for

Nigeria president from Igbo extraction (Igbo presidency).

To gather support and bargaining power to negotiate for political

self determination of people of south east –and south-south states

in the political round-table of the Nigerian nation.

To use principles of regional integration built on the premise of

civil society organization with its structured operations as

necessary tool for harnessing and instigating systematic developmentthat lead to enhanced livelihood and qualitative standard of living

of citizenries.

ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON GROWTH OF ECONOMIC REGION

The anticipated impact is a transformational development of the

zone, to speed up industrialization, build a high quality of life

for the people, empowering access to social amenities, and create

wealth in the zone, through a systematic collaboration of parties,

and joining of resources of the zone, in order to realize set

vision.

VISION

The developmental plan is captured on a broadened integration of:

The economy, politics, cultural, civil and social living of people of the

(Igbo & Niger-delta Cultural Zone), of old eastern Nigeria socio-

political region, spread across the Southeast and South-South political

Zone of Nigeria. It is patterned towards a unified economic block

administered differently as separated states, while continuing to share common socio-cultural,

Economic and political interest under a joint Union Membership of states named ; the Eastern

Nigeria Economic Union (ENEU) or Economic Union of Eastern Nigeria (EUEN).

MISSION

The Union is proposed in other to promote and facilitate high

standard of living, among the people of old Eastern Nigeria

socio-political and Cultural Zone. In the hope that through a

robust and integrated alliance, and joint resource collaboration

and cooperation, among member states of the zone, the region

shall be able to muscle enough and suitable capacity, that would support greater developmental

projects at shorter timelines and faster speed.

ESTABLISHMENT OF EASTERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

COMMISSION

The governors of the old eastern

Nigeria shall jointly seek to and

inaugurate a commission entrusted

with realizing the goals and

objective of the proposed Union.

However, their mandate shall be time bound.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION

Organize public debate

To organize public debate or open dialogue between schools of

thought those for, and against the establishment of the Union.

Compilation of findings

The findings of the debate or public dialogue shall be compiled

together along with papers presented by experts on the need to

establish the union.

Facts findings from consultations, as well as results of

independent studies undertaken by the commission shall be compiled.

These findings shall be presented to the governors’ forum of the zone for

consideration and to the leadership of Ohaneze ndi Igbo, Ijaw people’s

assembly, Ikwere people’s union, Uroboh and Ishekiri progressive union,

etc. for their support.

INAUGURATION OF JOINT POLICY REVIEW AND STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION AND

DEVELOPMENT ASSEMBLY

A joint policy and strategic review mechanism board shall be established

parallel and independent of the Eastern Nigeria

integration and Development Commission. However,

while the duties of the commission is

administrative, the review mechanism Assembly

will perform solely advisory and recommendation duties

The assembly will be composed of researchers and academicians. It shall be

set up by a resolution reached in the various sittings of the Ohaneze ndi

igbo, Ijaw people’s assembly, Ikwere people’s union, Uroboh and Ishekiri

progressive union, and the governors forum and adopted by both the

governors’ forum and Ohaneze ndi Igbo cultural assembly, Ijaw people’s

assembly, Ikwere people’s union, Uroboh and Ishekiri progressive union.

Finance of the Commission

Apart from

fund

raised

from:

lunching

of the

integration plan and donations to sponsorship fund. The states of the

Eastern Nigeria zone shall set aside a certain amount of government

revenue for the funding of the commission, based on yearly budget plan of

the commission, and approved by the state houses of assembly and the

policy review and strategic mechanism Assembly. The ENEIDC (eastern

Nigeria economic integration and development commission) and PRASMA

(policy review and strategic mechanism Assembly) shall together constitute

the development committee for realizing the vision of (ENEU).

INAUGURATION AND OPERATIONS OF EASTERN NIGERIA ECONOMICS UNION

The Union shall be inaugurated before

assuming operations.

The Union shall as a matter of fact

adopt the 7 point agenda contained in

the (ENEIDP) Eastern Nigeria Economic integration and development

plan which will be implemented under a fivefold linear- stages

developmental phase.

The ENEU will liaise with development partners and agencies

including; international diplomatic missions, to sign bi-lateral

agreements for joint operations, partnerships, cordial existence and

mutual relationships.

FINANCE OF ENEU COLONIAL-EASTERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC UNION PROGRAM

The union program shall be financed from:

annual dues of member states

corporate social responsibility commitments of corporate

institution

willful donations of citizens

foreign development assistance

International development finance from international finance

corporation etc.

Enterprise funding services

Foreign donor funds

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF STATES OF THE ENEU WITH

PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

There shall be a

mobile parliamentary chamber under the jurisdiction of 1 year tenure-ship

of ENEU Lord Chancellor, who is chair to the joint state legislative

council/legislative council of states of ENEU. The parliamentary chamber

shall serve as venue to ENEU parliament. Consequently, the parliamentary

composition shall comprise of:

1, Council of speakers of ENEU state

2, Chamber of ENEU parliamentary delegates

3, ENEU legislative assembly

ESTABLISHMENT OF ENEU GENERAL SECRETARIAT

There shall be a general secretariat which

shall co-ordinate the general assembly of CENEU.

STATE DELEGATIONS TO ENEU GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Every member state of ENEU shall send

delegates to the general assembly of ENEU led

by a permanent representative whose tenure

shall last four years with a possible re-

appointment for a second tenure

representation. The permanent representative

to ENEU shall be joined by other members of the state contingent to the

general assembly to include four representatives, one person from the

following bodies:

Business community

Academic union

Labor union

Women organization

Member states shall also delegate none permanent delegates to the

general assembly special sessions where there expertise skills and

intellect were required in decision taking. They shall be designated

none concurrent membership/delegates to general assembly ENEU.

INAUGURATION OF PROGRAM COMMITTEE PROTOCOLS

Program committees shall be organized in the following protocols

Regional free trade zones implementation protocols.

Border patrol intelligence core

Development Bank and finance commission

Regional protocols collaborative volunteer forces

Regional protocols on human right, and social ethics

Regional human capital Development Commission

Regional protocol on Health care Delivery

Regional Integrated Energy Commission

Joint Regional Environmental Regulatory Commission

Regional logistics protocols on free movement of goods and services

Commission on zonal passport and regional identification number

Commission on Regional dispute resolution and peace mission core

Regional judicial enquiring commission

Regional infrastructural development technical committee

Joint regional natural resources regulatory and development

commission

Aid administrative council regional intervention fund

Regional council for scientific and technological transfer and

development

Joint Regional cultural promotion and advancement commission

Regional protocol for diasporas inter-relations and foreign co-

operations

Zonal protocols on food security and eradication of extreme poverty

and hunger

INAUGURATION OF EVALUATION AND INVESTIGATION COMMISSION OF THE UNION

There shall be an evaluating and investigatory

body monitoring and reviewing activities and

conducts of the union operationals.

HIGH LIGHTS OF THE 7 POINT AGENDA OF THE (ENEIDP)

1) To Work for economic emancipation of people of old eastern Nigeria

2) To promote self determination, government and popular political

participation of people of old eastern Nigeria

3) To work for social transformation of customs, traditions and values of

the people thought social re-orientation of people of old eastern

Nigerians

4) To work for human empowerment of people of old eastern Nigerians

5) To work for justice and peace attainment in the old eastern Nigeria

6) To promote security, law and order within the region of eastern Nigeria

7) To promote cultural development of people of old eastern Nigeria

REGIONAL DEPARTMENTS AND OPERATIONS WITHIN THE UNION

Economic Department of (ENEU)

To oversee the following operations:

Regional free trade zones

Development Bank and finance Commission

Regional integrated Energy Commission

Joint Regional Environmental Regulatory Commission

Regional logistics protocols on free movement of goods & Services

Regional infrastructural development technical committee

Regional natural resources regulatory and development commission

Regional council for scientific and technological development and

transfer

Eastern Nigeria economic union (ENEU) industrialization intervention

fund Agency

Self Determination, Government & Popular Political Participation

department of (ENEU)

Commission on zonal passport and Regional Identification number

Commission on zonal dispute resolution and peace mission core

Regional protocol on diasporas inter relations and external foreign

collaborations

Social Transformation Department (ENEU)

Health care delivery Regional protocol

Regional intervention fund and aid administrative council

Regional protocols on food security and eradication of extreme

poverty and hunger

Human Empowerment Department of (ENEU)

Commission on human capital Development

Justice and peace Department of (ENEU)

Regional protocols on human right and social ethics

Regional judicial of inquiring commission

Security Department of (ENEU)

Border patrol intelligence core

Regional protocol collaborative volunteer force

Cultural Development Department of (ENEU)

Joint Regional cultural promotion and advancement commission

COLONIAL-EASTERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC UNION (ENEU) INDUSTRIALIZATION

INTERVENTION PROGRAM

The Secretary General of ENEU under the office of

the secretary general shall appoint a special

Rapporteur to lead the ENEU industrialization intervention program, the

industrialization intervention program shall be jointly implemented under

a federal government, private sector, state government, and ENEU co-

financing. Priority giving to this program is because industrialization is principle to

development.

(ENEU) COLONIAL-EASTERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC UNION PROJECTS

The union shall implement projects broadly categorized into:

A, enterprise projects

B, social projects

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT BOARD

The Social- infrastructural projects of the

colonial-eastern Nigeria economic union (ENEU)

will be facilitated through a project Development

board whose board members have tenure-ship of

Eight years.

The social infrastructural projects shall include the following:

ENEU University

ENEU Railway Corporation

ENEU Airways

ENEU Funded Road projects

ENEU Specialist Hospitals

ENEU oil Refineries

ENEU Power Projects

ENEU Housing Development Corporation

ENEU community Agricultural Projects

ENEU Integrated water scheme projects

ENEU state Intra city transport scheme

ENEU waterways service scheme

ENEU Steel Corporation

ENEU broadcasting corporation

ENEU monorail project

The enterprise projects shall include the following:

ENEU Development Bank

ENEU Manufacturing Corporation

ENEU Agro Industry Company

ADMINISTRATIVE HEAD QUARTERS AND SECRETARIAT GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNION

The Union shall locate her Head Quarters-administrative complex in Enugu

and set up a General assembly secretariat in Port-Harcourt (any other

preferred location) as approved by governors forum of the zone and Ohaneze

ndi Igbo and other interest groups so required.

ENEU PROJECTS FINANCE

ENEU shall adopt a PPP counterpart-funding pattern in the finance of her

developmental projects.

ADMITTANCE AND EXPULSION FROM UNION MEMBERSHIP

Under the freedom of association act, the

union is originally intended for states within the old eastern region of

Nigeria. In consideration to that however, membership to the union shall

be by application of government of the states seeking admittance with due

approval from the house of assembly legislative council of said states. In

view of the aforementioned, states such as Benue, Kogi etc, in boundary

with any state in the union may seek admittance into the union and be

accorded right to membership. A member state of the union shall also be

suspended from membership on basis of gross violation of human rights by

government of the state, or for reasons of anti-union activities or none

compliance to binding resolutions of the union while every peace process

to resolution has been exercised to no accord.

EXCLUSIVE CLAUSE UNDER ADMITTANCE

That admittance of member states as participatory members of the union,

under a ‘’Benue–Niger arrangement’’ shall be based on the premise that

such member state shall not be in membership with any labeled institution,

or institutions, body, or organization which existence, operations, and

activity is not viewed in best interest of the union-states, and of agenda

of the union-state. An instance to this prescription is membership of

member state to the 19 northern state governor’s form or her allegiance to

Ariwa consultative form, etc.

MODALITIES FOR INTERVENTION IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF MEMBER STATES

The union’s engagement in internal affairs of member

states shall be purely on conditions of diplomacy,

using sanctions and diplomatic bargains as tools of

engagement and persuasion but according supreme role to

the authorities of the federal republic to investigate

and manage conflicting interest to unity peace and progress of the

federation.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE UNION

Recently, the people of south-west Nigeria

through a joint forum of state governors of

south-west Nigeria drafted a developmental

plan of the people and economy of western

Nigeria. Likewise the northern Nigeria

governors have gone beyond north-central,

north-west, north-east regional divides to

jointly hold deliberations on common northern

interests, known as forum of the (19)

nineteen northern state governors. In view of

the forgoing, it is evident that the main aim of political, social and

economic integration is for improving quality of life and enhancing

standard of living of a people, through collective and collaborative

effort and merging of available resources in the zone. The eastern Nigeria

economic union (ENEU) is on this note proposed to serve this same

objective …to utilize collective and collaborative effort of people and resources of the zone

to enhance livelihood, quality of life, and standard of living of people of the zone. Thus, the

various unions of the western and northern Nigeria states as exist

presently place the southeast and south-south states at disadvantage in

national dialogues, as states from these geo-political zones bargain as

single separate states against joint regional block powers of west and

northern Nigeria. This premises led to the conceptualization of this

proposal with a view of balancing political power play in the nation.

ADVANTAGE OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN EASTERN NIGERIA (southeast-south-south)

To engage collaborative action for social development and enhanced

livelihood via functional values, norms, culture, and traditions of the

social system

To engage collaborative action for economic development, poverty

reduction, wealth creation, and improved living conditions

To engage collaborative action for protection and security of life and

property

To engage collaborative action for capital formation as development

finance, and resources accumulation, required for integral development

To engage collaborative action for objective interest groups or pressure

group negotiations

To engage collaborative action for Integra educational development, health

care delivery, free market-economic development, etc.

To engage collaborative action for scientific and technological

development and transfer

To engage collaborative action for intercultural Integration and peaceful

co-existence of citizenries

To engage collaborative action for commercial agricultural capacity

utilization and food security

To engage collaborative action for effective and efficient land tenure

system practices

PHASE COMMENCEMENT OF (ENEU) OPERATIONS

The implementation procedure indicates an integrated and holistic approach

to development strategies and program, having as it’s high lights, the

inter-dependence of all aspects of development: social, structure, human,

institutional, environmental economic, and financial. This has been

adopted into a fivefold development process structured on the linear-

stages of growth model that is given as follows:

1. The traditional society stage - Agrarian economy

2. The preconditions to take-off stage - High government Revenue

(export of raw material and primary goods)

3. Take-off stage -(a) investments spending from savings

/Aid/foreign investments

- (b) Cottage industries -(c) socio-political and

institutional frame work

4. The drive to maturity stage - market friendly environment

and open economy

5. The age of high mass-consumption stage - industrialized and

developed economy marked by high standard of living.

Leadership Structure of (ENEU)

Colonial Eastern Nigeria Economic Union (ENEU) shall be structured on both

political and administrative and legislative organs of governance. The

political structure, which is the Eastern Nigeria Economics union state

council (ENEUSC), will provide chair to the union, and shall comprise of

member of the governors forum of south -east and south –south geo-

political zones. Tenure-ship of the leadership of the political organ

shall be 2 years double tenure, but the administration organ of the

secretariat led by the secretary general shall serve a tenure-ship of four

years double tenure. Candidates eligible for positions shall be elected

among citizens of the region. The secretary general will be deputized by

under secretaries. Consequently, the legislative council of states sitting

in three different forums and led by the Lord Chancellor shall become the

third arm of ENEU leadership. It shall be comprised of houses of assembly

of member states of the union. All leadership position in the three

leadership organs of the union shall rotate among the states comprising

the region, which make up the union.

BENUE-NIGER POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

As a political forum and pressure group platform, the Benue-Niger

political organization for Jonathan-Sambo, shall by affiliation to this

economic union function to provide support to the 2015 presidential

ambition of president good luck Jonathan and Vice-president Namadi Sambo,

and to lead Campaign for it in the 2015 polls.

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

Considering our elaborate research and findings on the gains accruing from

this union, we conclude that economic integration in principles and

practice remains the quickest known economic theory and model for massive

and robust economic development world over. Hence, the reason for

emergence and existence of; European Union, African union, ECOWAS,

southern African economic community, etc, out of this conviction, we

recommend ENEU for implementation.

Disclaimer The (ENEU) Eastern Nigeria Economic Union is not a regional government of the republic

(state), or of any kind. Nor is it an institution of the federal government of Nigeria, or of any

other country anywhere in the world. It is none governmental, hence, it shall exist as a civil

organization which advance the course of people of the region and states of the federal

republic comprising the zone that constitute it and which singly as states compose it and are

signatory to it. ENEU therefore is nothing else other than an economic community of states

under its constituent or put simply a common wealth of states of old eastern Nigeria.

Appendix Holder beware this is classified as secret document and need be handled as

confidential