Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –By Albert OGRAKA:
The Executive Director to the Delta State Governor, on Orientation and Convener, Ika Village Square, IVS, Barr Eugene Azukaego Uzum, has said that the forthcoming Ika Economic Summit that has been scheduled to take place in June at Ika National Hall, Agbor, will attract both local and foreign investors to Ika Land. The IVS Convener, flanked by other IVS members, who include, the first member, Post Primary Education Board, Mrs. Ifeoma Agbomah and Mr. Alex Okunbor, disclosed this on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, during a press conference organized by IVS at Eagle Square Hotels and Suite, Asaba, ahead of the Ika Economic Summit. According to the Orientation Boss, the summit which is the first in the history of Ika nation promises to be an epoch making event.
Below is the excerpt from the press interview.
SIR COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT IKA VILLAGE SQUARE STANDS FOR AND ALSO, THE REASON FOR THE IKA ECONOMIC SUMMIT.
Thank you very much. Ika Village Square, IVS,is an online forum created for all persons of Ika ethnic extraction. It is a socio-cultural group, out to articulate, propel, promote and sustain the interest of Ika nation in Nigeria’s political system. It is a forum where ideas on the growth and development of Ika nation are shared. It’s membership comprises all Ika sons and daughters, both home and abroad. It started about a year ago and has since inception, embarked on a tour (Tour D’Ika) of all communities and towns that make up Ika nation. The essence of the tour is for us to identify with our people and the natural resources our land is blessed with. The forum is private sector driven and her aim is purely for the advancement of Ika nation. For the record, Ika nation is blessed with both human and natural resources. There is no community in Ika nation that is not blessed with one natural resources or the other. In Ika Land, we have kaolin, granite, petroleum, potash, bitumen, palm-wine, palm-oil, fertile land, forest reserves, rivers, laterite and other resources. The quantity of the agricultural produce in Ika Land can feed a large number of Nigerians. Also, in Ika Land, we have the source of the Orogodo River in Mbiri, a tourist site, the proposed Umunede Rest Park, Otolokpo Power Plant, among other places of tourist attraction. Ika Land is also a gateway and the potential heart beat of Nigeria as you cannot access the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western parts of Nigeria without going through Ika Land. Therefore, the reason for this press conference is to announce the forthcoming Ika Economic Summit with the theme, “Harnessing the Economic Potentials of Ika Nation Through Strategic Partnership. “The economic summit is not to veer off the economic plan of the Delta State Government, but, to show our potentials and rich cultural heritage to the world, in order to attract private investors to our land. We are also going to partner with government to see how the economic potentials in Ika Land can be well harnessed. The summit is going to feature the display of those natural resources our land is endowed with and resource persons who have excelled in different fields of human endeavors. We are also going to take a look at the socio-cultural ties that bind us together as a people. For the record, Ika nation has two local government areas in Delta State and four in Edo State. The population of our people if well harnessed can make a political statement in Nigeria. Apart from the natural resources Ika nation is blessed with, the area has sons who have excelled in the banking, media, political, religious, agriculture, advertising, judiciary and other sectors. For the avoidance of doubt, we have notable Ika sons such as; Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank PLC, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, of Thisday Newspaper, Steve Omojafor of the advertising agency, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the executive Governor of Delta State, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, His Eminence, Rt Revd Dr Nicholas N. Okoh, Primate of the Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria, Prof Sam Ukala, SAN, Chairman, Governing Council, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, General Lucky Irabor Theatre Commander, Operation Lafia Dole, among others, including the names of our legends of blessed memories like: Dr Okah Orewa, Chief Anuku, Chief Vincent Egbarin (The Orikeze of Agbor), and others too numerous to mention. We are therefore welcoming the whole world to the Ika Economic Summit taking place in June this year at Ika National Hall, Agbor. The date of the summit will be announced soon.
HOW IS THE IKA ECONOMIC SUMMIT GOING TO ASSIST THE SMART AGENDA OF THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT?
Our executive governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, in our judgment is the Chief custodian of prosperity in the state. His policies as governor are all people-oriented. One of the aims of the summit is to partner with the state government by keying into her programs, particularly, on job creation and agriculture. Ika Village Square perfectly understands the SMART Agenda of the state government towards the overall development of the state and will always support the efforts to better the state.
YOU SAID THE IKA ECONOMIC SUMMIT WILL BE PRIVATE SECTOR DRIVEN, HOW DOES IVS INTEND TO ACHIEVE THAT IN THIS PERIOD OF ECONOMIC RECESSION?
Thank you. The journey of a thousand miles they say begins with a step. IVS has redefined that statement by saying that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a mere understanding that you have a journey to embark on and when to move. So, you can even be on your bed and start the journey. Our people are determined to contribute resources towards the success of the economic summit. We successfully did it during the tour of the different communities and towns in Ika Land, so that of the summit will not be different. According to our local adage, “Onu kokome Ogbu Ofifi,” meaning, if a mouth is closed together it will blow whistle. I am therefore, on behalf of IVS, using this medium to call on our dear people of Ika nation both home and abroad to work towards the success of this economic summit which is out to promote our land among other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
E.I.C: Albert Eruorhe Ograka
