Ebonyi State indigenes in Lagos State are to receive additional N200 million empowerment from Ebonyi State Government in 2019 to further enhance their economic activities and social welfare.
Governor David Umahi announced this on Sunday during the grand finale of the 2018 Ebonyi Cultural festival held at the National Stadium, Lagos, under the auspices of Ebonyi State Development Association.
Umahi, who noted that the gesture was to further demonstrate his administration’s policy of inclusiveness and economic enhancement of Ebonyi citizens anywhere in the country, also indicated that his administration by 2019 would set up Industrial Clusters across the 13 local government areas of the State.
He called on Ebonyians in Lagos and elsewhere to take advantage of the clusters to invest as well as find rewarding jobs at home.
Concerning Ebonyians displaced on daily basis from troubled areas within the country and in the diaspora, Umahi assured that a special Commission would soon be set up to take full charge of their affairs and welfare.
Attributing his successes so far to the grace of God, Umahi asserted: “Ebonyi State has taken the lead in all areas of infrastructure and human development.”
He called on Ebonyians in Lagos to arm themselves with their Voter Cards to support him and other Peoples Democratic Party candidates for more results come 2019 general elections.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who was a Special Guest at the event, commended Umahi for his leadership style, which he said has brought peace and unity to Ebonyi people at home and across the world.
While he prayed that Umahi’s successor in 2023 would continue in his steps, Ekweremadu said: “Umahi is pioneering unprecedented development in Ebonyi State.”
Ekweremadu, who further maintained that Ebonyi State people in particular and Ndigbo in general have been the highest contributors to the development found today in Lagos, assured that Igbo representatives at the national level would never relent in fighting for their rights and privileges.
In his remarks, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the event, Anyim Pius Anyim, said the event was significant not only because it portrayed the cultural unity of Ebonyi people, but offered opportunity to Ebonyi residents in Lagos to express their preparedness to support the return bid of Governor Umahi in 2019.
The President-General of Ebonyi State Development Association, Lagos branch, Elder Peter Alo, appreciated the Governor for empowering over 500 Ebonyians resident in Lagos with business start-up capital during the 2017 edition of the festival.
Describing the gesture as first of its kind among Nigerian governors, Alo noted that the beneficiaries proudly own various businesses today.
He pledged total support of the association and indeed all Ebonyi indigenes in Lagos to the Governor.
On the event, Alo said: “We are here to make a remarkable mark towards promoting the culture and rich endowments of Ebonyi State and present ourselves once more as a refined set of people, repositioned to take the leading stage in remodelling the image of this country….”
Goodwill messages were received from prominent associations and individual Ebonyians across the country and in the diaspora.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Elizabeth Ogbaga, capped the goodwill: “Ebonyi people anywhere in the world are known for decency, respect, hardwork and detest for anything evil.
“As we hold our cultural day in Lagos today, I encourage all of us to incubate all those virtues into our siblings, for our culture is our pride and identity.”
The event, which climaxed in a dinner party at the Sheraton Hotel, also featured various dancing groups, masquerades and other cultural displays indigenous to Ebonyi State.
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