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
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