An Igbo socio- cultural organization, the Association of Igbo Town Unions, (ASITU) has urged the South East Development Commission,(SEDC), to initiate development projects across the local communities of the 5 states of the zone.
The Association stated that the SEDC can achieve development through partnership with town unions which are rooted with leadership structures in the communities.
National President of ASITU, Chief Emeka Diwe, also urged the commission to take bold initiatives which can attract development to the zone instead of limiting themselves to their administrative offices in Abuja and Enugu.
Diwe noted that as a commission set up to develop the South East zone, the SEDC needs to partner with the town unions to drive development to the rural communities.
The President General decried the tendency of most government agencies set up for development of the communities to only work from their headquarters churning out programmes and policies which do not have any positive effect on the local populace.
He noted that town unions have been at the heart and survival of the Igbo man and tasked the federal and state governments to partner town unions to develop the South East.
Diwe disclosed that town unions are behind the building of most schools, hospitals, churches, granting of scholarship and the training of many artisans and graduates in most communities in Igbo land.
He said;”The SEDC does not need to be reminded that the town unions are the heart and survival of the Igbo man. Even after the Nigerian civil war,It was through town unions that war victims got reliefs. Town unions gave them hope , giving business loans, granting scholarships on education and skill acquisition,building schools, hospitals, churches, etc. It is only through the town union structure that relevant government programs and policies could be marketed and communicated to the people and interpreted in the language they will understand.
“There would have been no grassroots development in Igbo communities without government – town union partnership. This is why the SEDC must not be used for politics.
“The South East is crying for development,and the SEDC can’t afford to fail. Therefore the SEDC needs to partner the town unions if it is really interested in achieving the objective of development which is the reason for its establishment. We have witnessed many commissions which were set up for development but didn’t achieve such objectives because of their wrong approach. The SEDC should be focused and unique.
“Some of the civil war victims who would have committed suicide rose to become today’s millionaires because of the intervention of the town unions. In most areas, many people would have committed suicide because they lost their wealth during the war ,but got succour from town unions. Town union is the original and natural government of the people,for the people and by the people.
“The town union is the structure in Igbo land that is deeply rooted in being your ‘brother’s keeper’. When you talk about being your brother’s keeper,you are talking of development beyond self. It’s the hallmark of the Igbo society. This philosophy gave rise to what we call town Union.The SEDC should not fail to engage this important agent of grassroots development.”
