Rt.Hon Arthur Egwim
By Martin Nwoko
The Imo State House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon. (Dr) Chiji Collins has passed a motion urging the state government under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma to take up with the presidency the issue of exclusion of Imo State and other South Eastern states from the distribution of allocation of the $22.7 billion foreign loan recently approved by the senate for infrastructural development in the country.
In a motion sponsored by the member representing Ideato North State constituncy, Rt. Hon. Barr Arthur Innocent Egwim, the legislator wondered why none of the five Eastern states was included in the allocation of the infrastructural loan as approved by the senate. He maintained that Nigeria remains one indivisible entity but regretted the level of marginalization the South Eastern states are facing in the country most especially in the areas of critical appointment and equitable distribution of national resources belonging to the entire citizens of Nigeria.
Hon. Arthur Egwim motion stated, “observing with utter and embarrassing disappointment from the detailed breakdown of projects to be funded from the loan, that most of the South Eastern states especially Imo State were not allocated any amount of money from the loan for developmental projects, like other federating units of the country”, thereby implore this honourable house to adopt a resolution urging the federal government to redress this anomally.
He further stated that the said loan is to be obtained in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and when it will be repaid, it will be by the entire country including Imo State and other states in the South East Geopolitical Region that were excluded from the distribution of the loan.
The member representing Ideato North State Constituency expressed displeasure over the inability of most of the federal lawmakers representing the people of South East to raise alarm over the exclusion of the South East Geopolitical zone of which they represent from the allocation of the infrastructural loan to be disbursed by the federal government in no distant time.
The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Chiji Collins who presided over the plenary session after much deliberations on the motion by other House members urged the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma to take up the matter with the presidency to find out why Imo State and other South Eastern states were deliberately and annoyingly omitted in the distribution of the developmental loans and to ensure that the omissions are immediately redressed.
The House also urged all the Governors in the South East to work in synergy with other leaders of the zone to ensure that the South East Geopolitical zone is not marginalized in the scheme of things in future considerations.
