By: Emmanuel Onwubiko
categorical imperative, in the ethics of the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, founder of critical philosophy, a rule of conduct that is unconditional or absolute for all agents, the validity or claim of which does not depend on any desire or end. “Thou shalt not steal,” for example, is categorical, as distinct from the hypothetical imperatives associated with desire, such as “Do not steal if you want to be popular.” For Kant there was only one categorical imperative in the moral realm, which he formulated in two ways. “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” is a purely formal or logical statement and expresses the condition of the rationality of conduct rather than that of its morality, which is expressed in another Kantian formula: “So act as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in another, always as an end and never as only a means.” For further discussion of the role of the categorical imperative in Kant’s moral philosophy, see Immanuel Kant: The Critique of Practical Reason and Ethics: The Continental tradition from Spinoza to Nietzsche: Kant.
(Read Peter Singer’s Britannica entry on ethics.)

In short, the above explains the concept of categorical imperative and applying it in the context of a conversation on the agenda for development of the Igbo states, we are simply saying that development of South-East of Nigeria is morally, logically, legally imperative so as to ensure equity, equality of rights and the promotion and protection of human rights of all citizens of Nigeria other 21st century.
Of course, South-East Nigeria, no doubt, has suffered historical marginalisation from the Nigerian state since after the civil war days when the then military dictator General Yakubu Gowon launched his programme of three R’s namely Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Reintegration. His military administration failed spectacularly to implement the core values of his widely applauded programmes which were the immediate, comprehensive and concrete rebuilding, Reconstruction and restoration of basic infrastructural development to the core Igbo states and the rest of the components of the defunct Eastern region which was composed of some states now known as South-south of Nigeria. Those who were bureaucrats under the then Gowon’s junta may have mounted pressure on General Gowon not to reconstruct what the Nigerian State destroyed during the 30-month-long fratricidal civil war. Other values like the Reintegration programme were established. Still, even after 60 years since the civil war ended, the Igbo-speaking region with well over 50 million Igbo speakers residing in all parts of the World, are yet to produce the executive elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Omoyele Sowore, a political activist was quoted as saying that there exists a presidential secret memo that bans Igbo from becoming the President of Nigeria. This allegation has neither been affirmed nor denied by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Be that as it may, it is commendable that a regional development commission aside from the NNDC, has not been set up although not yet inaugurated for the development of the Igbo states. It would be historically appropriate to emphatically state that Igbos are not the only beneficiaries of the coming onstream of the regional development commission because all others of the 6 unofficial geopolitical zones got one commission each and the governing boards have also been constituted by President Tinubu even as the senate had similarly named the committee chairman for each of these other development commissions. Our focus is centred around the development commission for the South-East of Nigeria because of the peculiar developmental shortfalls that the Igbo states are confronting.
It bears repeating to once more remind the readers that the lack of federal government presence in the South-East is mainly because of the consequences of the 30 months of ceaseless bombardment of the Infrastructural facilities that adorn the rapidly evolving advanced society known then as Eastern Nigeria.
As aforementioned, the civil war ended but the Eastern region didn’t get the needed rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated infrastructures of roads, hospitals, business institutions, markets, and schools amongst the numerous meaningful socio-economic institutional platforms.
Also, the South Easterners suffered additional individual financial haemorrhage when the then Federal finance secretary of the re-united Nigerian federation the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo introduced the toxic policy of repayment of just €20 pounds to Easterners who ran away from the rest of the then Pre-war Nigeria to their original nativity and spent 30 months of war.
The reimbursement of just the paltry savings to millions of Igbos most of whom left multimillion pounds in the banking system of Nigeria, crippled millions of Igbos financially. This apartheid policy didn’t weaken the resolve of the Igbo to advance themselves economically and otherwise. Igbos then started from ground zero to economically empower their families. But the failure institutionally to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure of the South-East caused the South-East a lot.
This failure to rebuild and reconstruct the South-East was like a collective punishment for accepting to struggle for the dismemberment of Nigeria.
However, Igbos being a well-known resilient population, successfully overcame this institutional economic starvation by the Awolowos of this world and regained their pride of place as successful business and corporate individuals.
The agitation for a Marshall Plan similar to what the USA did to some European nations after the Second World War, became loudest and it hasn’t abated even with the creation of the South East Development Commission that has just been actualised in the current political dispensation just as the governing body and the legislative oversight officials have been appointed but the President is yet to inaugurate the commission just as I’m told that it would be inaugurated soon.
Chief Emeka Wogu, a former Labour and productivity minister, is head of the South East Development commission and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is the Senate Committee chairman of the South-East Development commission’s senate’s committee.
We will analyse the agenda of development that this commission is saddled with and highlight the role of the civil society and community leaders to monitor the activities of the commission so as to ensure that every penny released is utilised for the benefits of the South East geopolitical zone.
The South-East Development Commission:
The Sun newspaper has the following words on the commission: “Recent signing into law the bill establishing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) by President Bola Tinubu is a commendable move to address many years of neglect of the region by subsequent federal administrations since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970. The establishment of the SEDC is a significant step towards healing the wounds of the civil war and addressing the region’s special needs.
It is hoped, the newspaper argued, that the SEDC will accelerate the socio-economic development of the highly marginalised region and lay the foundation for its infrastructural development. We urge the five governors of the zone to work in tandem with the SEDC to give the zone a new development paradigm.
The newspaper said the move to establish the SEDC has been long in coming, having been introduced in the previous National Assembly by some lawmakers from the South-East and other zones. Although it did not pull through during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, it succeeded under the current dispensation of President Bola Tinubu. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, led the movement alongside other legislators from the South East and other zones. The signing of the SEDC bill into law by the President is a step in the right direction.
When it is inaugurated, the SEDC will specifically address the socio-economic challenges facing Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states. The commission will use the allotted funds from federal allocation to address infrastructural challenges of the region ostensibly caused by the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970. The commission will also tackle the ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental shortfalls in the South-East region, reports Sun newspaper owned by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Primarily, the SEDC will provide essential infrastructural facilities such as roads, bridges, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. It will also stimulate economic activities in the South-East region by addressing past neglect and disparities. The commission will equally improve the quality of life of the citizens of the zone through enhanced social amenities and healthcare services.
The SEDC came after the establishment of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). It was established alongside the North-West Development Commission (NWDC). It is expected that the SEDC will start where the federal government’s post-civil war Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation (3Rs) stopped. The famed 3Rs were established by the then Nigerian military leader, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), to address the ugly effects of the Nigerian civil war in the South-East region. Unfortunately, it failed to address the challenges as the rehabilitation programme was poorly implemented.
The newspaper asserted that no doubt, the South-East region has been structurally, economically and politically marginalised since 1970 when the war ended. Being the only zone with five states, while the rest have six each and one zone has seven states, the South-East quota in admission to federal government colleges, universities and other tertiary institutions, military institutions and the federal civil service has been greatly reduced by the absence of one additional state. The structural imbalance in state creation is also reflected in the creation of 774 local governments with the zone having the least in the country. This has equally affected federal allocation to the region.
It is sad that 54 years after the Nigerian Civil War, the South-East still bears the scars of the war fought to cement our unity and oneness. Even in the nation’s politics, the South-East has been seemingly excluded from the central seat of power since 1999. While the North and the South-West regions have dominated the presidency since after the war, the South-East has been left out of the power equation. There is a need to address these imbalances.
The coming of the SEDC is therefore auspicious. We commend the President for assenting to the bill creating the body. It is good that the South-East governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other stakeholders have lauded him for this great decision. We salute the South-East lawmakers and their colleagues from other zones for their contributions to the establishment of the SEDC. We believe that the commission will bring development to the South-East and also address the insecurity in the region.
Therefore, we urge those to be saddled with the management of the SEDC to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and patriotism. If the SEDC is judiciously managed, it will quicken the developmental pace of the region in practically all sectors, the Sun newspaper emphasized conclusively.
The South-East Development Commission must first and foremost evolve a development blueprint and set out timelines or completion deadlines for each of these core development programmes for each of these member states in the South East. The commission has representatives of the entire South-East states so ascertaining the peculiar developmental needs of the states wouldn’t be so much of an issue. The South-East needs security, stability, and economic rejuvenation. There is a need to ensure that the five states in the South-East work in harmony to build up a viable regional economic backbone and introduce pro-industrialisation initiatives to bring investors into the 5 South East states. Industrialising the South-East would be a formidable step to create employment opportunities for millions of graduates of Igbo origin. The commission should interface with traders, farmers, youth groups and all town unions to gauge and determine the peculiar needs of every town or constituency of the South East. All elected representatives of the South East in the two Chambers of the National Assembly and the states’ Assembly must work closely with the South-East Development Commission to maximise the developmental benefits of the commission to their people at the grassroots. Agriculture is a key area of focus for this commission also. The commission should roll out plans to support genuine mechanised farmers based in the rural communities of the South East to enable them to expand their operations. There is a strategic need to make sure that the rural and community roads are made passable and sustainable to power the movements of agricultural products from points of farm production to the markets. The commission should set up agricultural storage facilities for strategic grain reserves for the region so the South-East is immune from food insecurity. Man-power and skills educational training of the young Igbo students should be supported by the commission just as the commission should fund and support programmes that preserve our language, our culture and our traditions from extinction because our Igbo identity is a central area of development of Igbo humanity.
Lastly, i will recommend to the SEDC, the ideas that Senator Athan Achonu who was the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last November 11 Governorship election in Imo state, stated as his blueprint for development of Imo state. The South-East Development Commission should read with rapt attention and sift out what salient programmes that it can bring to bear for the Igbo states as soon as possible.
When asked to give a highlight of what his ‘administration’ will do when he becomes governor? What should Imo people expect from your administration?
Then Senator Athan said: first thing I’m going to do, I’ve been championing autonomy of local governments since Obasanjo left the stage till today, I’ve funded it, I’ve sponsored it.
After being inaugurated, I will inaugurate a caretaker. The caretaker is not known to the constitution, but just for six months to enable me, because I’m trying to set up an electoral umpire now for that purpose. So I’m already working on it. So they will work for six months. We’ll have the freest and fairest election in black Africa. Happening in Imo State. So we need to lead by example. So we’ll do that. Why am I insistent on local government autonomy? I’ve been saying that if you Google me, so many interviews I’ve granted, go to YouTube, see a lot of them. I’ve always believed that it was since they hijacked the local government system that criminality came in. You know the local governments used to patronize these local warlords. These men, the big men in the villages, the local governments, strong men, they used to be contractors. They used to build drainages. They used to grade roads and make money. But the moment governors started to pocket Local Government money, all hell broke lose . If you have a councilor elected by the people because for the people to elect you to lead them as a councillor, they believe in you, that you have the integrity to protect their interests. There is no way you will be an elected councillor and a criminal comes into that immediate environment and you will not notice. You will not be brought to your notice.
That’s why if you look at some of my billboards, I was advocating vigilante for communities and local governments. So, immediately, the first bill I’m going to send to the House of Assembly is to set up a vigilante, every local government has their own vigilante. So I’m going to work in partnership with all the arms of government, based on mutual respect.
Asked what he will put in place to create employment for the youths?
His words: Now, I’m going to, within the first one year, we have gas obligations from the gas companies working in Imo State. Now they’ve just signed into law the fact that state governments can produce their own power. So we’re going to go into partnership with power companies to give them the enabling environment. They’ll come and give us power 24/7 in Imo State because without power, you can’t do anything. We have mapped out six industrial layouts, two per geopolitical zone. Charity, they say starts at home. So already my home is an industrial, agricultural processing zone. Oh, yes, I’ll use my personal resources. So I’m going to enlarge it with government resources. So other people can come and invest. Some people can come and be producing tomato, canning, processing fish. I have a cattle stockade that can accommodate 5,000 cattle. I’m now breeding ehi Igbo (Igbo native cow) because it was going extinct. So right now I have 53. It’s growing. I’m buying more and more. So now my focus actually is job creation, industrialization. That’s why I’m focusing on power. I have a license to operate a refinery. I’ll activate it, but now I’m going to sell it because I will not have the time for the next eight years, I will be busy. Running a refinery is not an easy business. But I will encourage people to come and take it over, or get their own license, and have another refinery there. I’m going to create so many things. I have already completed plans with Afri-Exim Bank, and ADB, to support industries. I have the Imo Airport there, which I tried to take over as a private individual to activate, to become the hub for West Africa. I’m going to activate it. I asked Hope Uzodinma, when he was Chairman of Aviation at the time, in the Senate to support me in that, you know, that bit. But it didn’t work. He didn’t give me any support. So you know when I talk I say go and verify. So now I’m going to activate it. Look at Ghana, it’s now the international hub for Africa. Ghana, as small as Imo State. Because Lagos Airport has stopped growing. The city has surrounded it, no area, no room for expansion. Unless you build somewhere else. But here in Imo we have the land, Ngor Okpala has a lot of land. You can have phase one, phase two, phase three, phase four. I brought the people who built the airport, I engaged them, I paid them millions to come and do a study for me, to take it over. Jonathan gave me the go ahead. But before you know it, all the land around it has been acquired by government just because I was involved, so I just kept away. Now all those things, all those ideas I have, I’m goincg to bring them into play to create a lot of job opportunities. Look at Orlu, they are pharmaceutical people. I approached Orange Drug, he doesn’t support me, so he’s there to answer this, for people to go and verify. I approached him, I got banks to finance it. I wanted to docc pharmaceutical pack in that area, so that we create the enabling environment, investors will now come.
Asked about his main interest as regards the development of Imo State? And he quickly said: What we are after is development, a way to create opportunities for young people. For example, as a private person, I’ve set up a studio now in my village. We invite young musicians who are talented, who have a bar with instruments, tablets who don’t have money to record themselves. When they come and play there and we like their music we encourage them. In fact, village I engaged one of my PA’s, a musician, my PA in the now for that purpose. When we like the music, we record them on credit. So we now, after sales, we collect our cost of recording, then we give them their profit so that they can grow from there.
What are your plans to develop sports in Imo?
Senator Athan Achonu said: “We have plans for sports as well because that’s the thing that’s making our young people generate income that are not direct employment. That we can enhance to now train and give them the opportunity to excel and then they go on from there. So sports academies, we’re working on it now, we’re going around to the whole of the State to sensitize the youths, football clubs, sports activities, towards that so that it will be ongoing, so that once we take over we hit the ground running. That’s why we are doing all these things now, sensitizing the people. So many things.
What is your take on the alleged huge debt burden of Imo State which is said to be running into hundreds of billions?
He said: That is a very good question. The huge debt profile of the state is unbelievable. There are people who have been owed six years salary from the last time. Up till now it’s the sixth year. Then when this government came, they said that they have found a lot of ghost workers, as a result there are so many people who have been laid off, people who have been working all their lives, and three years now going to four years, no salary, two years. And then pensioners. That will be a very big headache for any incoming government. Then the money that has been borrowed is unbelievable. The huge debt profile of the State is really scary. In fact only a ‘mad man’ like me can go there because I know what I can create. For me, as a private individual, I make money from the air. I use my brain, I create businesses. So I’m going to do that for the state. I’m going to find a way for it to survive. But I’ve told them, those pensioners and workers, I said we can’t pay it overnight. We’ll now start a gradual process with a timeline to pay all the debt. But it has to be gradual. And look, we are now 24th in education. From third, first three, we are now 24th. And that takes me to Education. Education will be our major focus because if as a state you are not educating your people, you can’t have the relevant workforce. Then, you have to go outside to bring your workforce. So we even have to first re-educate our teachers, because all of them have ran away. They’re in New Zealand, they’re in Australia. Teachers have, they have now ‘jappered’. So what we just have there are, we have to re-educate, and retool them.
On women and their empowerment, if you become governor what will be their expectations from your government?
He responded thus: Our women are very hardworking, very, very resilient. In my life, I’ve had that experience. I’ve had to trust women a lot. I’ve had to rely on them for survival in my business. So I’m sure of that. Do you know why I always work with women? They solve problems, even though we suffer a lot. I was giving somebody an example of what men go through. But women carry a lot of pain. These children that we have, it’s always their headache and their pain. When the children go out, from the moment they leave the house, the concern of the children will be in their brain until the moment they step back into the house. That is the same way they see us, their husbands, when they love you and you bring food home, when you step out, you’ll be stuck in their head, you will be their headache until you come back. I’ve lived with that as a young man growing up. So I understand that. And that’s why they boss us. Yes, they are very bossy. So I allow them to boss me in my business. I will also allow them to boss us in the government. So I’m going to give women a lot of opportunities as governor.
He was asked about his plans for the youth population that is growing by the day?
His words: We have plans for the youth. Someone has mentioned the Sports Academy, in addition to that, we also plan to develop our youth, especially in the area of ICT. What we have planned for them is to see that we turn Imo State into the next silicon valley of Africa, which is very doable. A whole lot of us are aware of what the young people are doing now from home, even with their phones. We see that happening in Yaba, and nothing stops us from bringing that home and ensuring that we’re able to mainstream our young people in ICT. And part of the initiative is actually what the current administration has attempted to steal, which is not working, but because we have the original manuscript, which is to develop 10,000 coders, meaning that every local government in Imo State will be developed. We will have what we call the IT E-Kiosks where, every local government will be interconnected, even amongst themselves, so there’s going to be a peer-to-peer connectivity and interaction amongst them, and we hope to get the very best of it. Those in the IT software companies and the rest of them to come in and help our young resourceful young people, help them to develop.
My proposition is that the Chief Emeka Wogu led South-East Development Commission should borrow extensively from these agenda items listed out by Senator Athan Achonu.
Emmanuel Onwubiko is the founder of HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA and was NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA.