Billionaire businessman Prince Arthur Eze has said that President Bola Tinubu means well for Ndigbo, stressing that his recent visit to Enugu State, the establishment of the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC), the promise to complete the eastern rail line, as well as support for the Anambra-Imo River Basin Authority, among others, are indications of his love for the people of the region.
He stated that in spite of the inability of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to win the Southeast region during the 2023 general elections, the President is ready and determined to address grievances that could integrate Ndigbo back into the mainstream politics of the country.
Eze, who spoke to reporters at the weekend in his residence in Enugu, urged the people of the region to support the policies and aspirations of the President for the good of Nigeria.
“We need to thank the President for his concerns towards addressing the infrastructure gaps in the Southeast region. We have to thank Tinubu for establishing the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC). Remember, we have clamoured for this commission since the end of the Nigeria/Biafra war without success. It is only Tinubu that has demonstrated his love for us by establishing this commission. That commission will solve our problem.
“The Managing Director of the Commission is Mike Okoye from Ukpo, Dunukofia, Anambra State. There were appointments from Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi States, changing Igbo lives. Very soon, many youths will start getting jobs, and it will go a long way to address the security challenges we have in the region,” he said.
Prince Eze, who spoke about the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, absolved Tinubu of his ordeal.
“Nnamdi Kanu was detained by Buhari, not Tinubu. Buhari is a hardliner. But we shall beg Tinubu to forgive him. He has the spirit of forgiveness. He has no enemy,” he said.
Turning to youths spoiling for war over developments in the country, Eze stated, “They don’t know anything about the war. I was a refugee for three years with my father. I lost seven of my brothers on the battlefield. Those talking about war don’t know anything. My brother, who is the Igwe now, had a bullet in his heart. He was the brigade commander in Arochukwu. All these people running about don’t know what it means to fight a war. I was here when Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra. They don’t know what war is. It (Kanu’s detention) is not Tinubu’s fault, but Buhari’s fault. But we shall beg Tinubu to forgive. So I appeal to them to exercise patience and continue to cooperate with the government.”
On the recent visit of Tinubu to Enugu State, he stated that it has rekindled a sense of belonging in the people of the region, stressing that it would be celebrated for a long time.
“His visit was a beautiful one, such that everybody was rejoicing. The Igbo and the Yoruba were rejoicing all over the place—in Abuja, Lagos, everywhere—the traditional rulers, all of them were rejoicing.
“He recognised our son, Governor Peter Mbah, as a man of wisdom and peace. When Tinubu was speaking during that visit, he hadn’t any notes but spoke extempore with wisdom. God actually sent him here concerning the Igbo.
“I’m happy; that’s why I will continue staying here (in Enugu). I don’t want to go back to any other place. I have security. Mbah has provided security and stability, changing the face of the entire state and making urban development real. He’s spending a lot of money (on development). We thank God that God brought him to save us. He’s making us remember the old Eastern Nigeria when the likes of Okpara, Azikiwe, and Awolowo held sway in governance.”
Prince Eze said that if other governors in the Southeast region can do what Mbah is doing in security, the region would be a place “for everyone to live in and for businesses to thrive.”
