An Elder statesman, Dr. Uma Eleazu, has advocated for the concept of “Strategic Autonomy”, where the Igbo of South East will control the economy of Nigeria from within as against agitation for a separate country.
Eleazu, who stated this recently, when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Alex Otti in his country home, Nvosi, Isialangwa South also called on the Governors of the South East states to come together and work to create the conducive environment for such ideas to come to fruition.
The 93 year old astute intellectual who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Anya Ndigbo, an inner caucus helping to bring a reform to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said he came to formally congratulate Dr. Otti on successfully assuming office,expressed confidence that the Governor would do well in his present job having demonstrated capacity as a former bank chief executive officer, adding that the people of Abia State needed somebody like him.
“I have had a heart-to-heart chat with him (Governor Otti) and I told him that I’m available to offer whatever development advise that he would require of me. When I was with UNDP, I was a private sector development adviser and I worked in Kenya, Uganda, and for five years I worked to make the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) a household name.
“So, we talked about the development, strategy for all of the South East”, Dr. Eleazu, who has been a long time friend of the Governor said.
Gov Otti, had in a writeup in 2021 on his column, ‘Outside the Box’, paid a tribute to Eleazu, describing him as “among the last of a vanishing breed”, adding that “Nigeria has only a handful of his kind who practice what they preach”.
He thanked the nonagenarian for coming to felicitate with him and prayed for good health and strength for him.
