From Chidi Nnadi and Petrus Obi, Enugu
‎The South-East Governors’s Forum yesterday elected the governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi as its new chairman.

The last chairmen of the forum was the former Abia State governor, Chief T.A. Orji and since his exit the governors of the zone have not met under one umbrella.

The Abia State governor, Chief Okezie Ikpeazu who disclosed this to newsmen at the Enugu Government House after their meeting said that Anambra under former Governor Peter Obi and Abia under ‎T.A. Orji had served their terms as chairmen, saying that it is now the turn of Ebonyi State.

Okezie therefore handed the microphone to the new chairman, Umahi to brief the press on the outcome of their meeting.

According to the new chairman, one of the decisions they took was to support the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which the governors in the zone have neglected over the years.

The governors who are also meeting for the time with all of them‎ in attendance may have also resolved the differences between Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State who had engaged themselves in war of words.

The two governors had greeted themselves in a friendly manner at the meeting, which also saw the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo in attendance.

Umahi disclosed that Ekweremadu briefed the governors on the state of infrastructure in the zone, particularly as it is in the 2017 budget.

He also said that they discussed about security integration and the need for the governors to always compare notes so as to reduce the incidences of kidnaping, ‎armed robbery and other security challenges.

Umahi said that they also discussed about the economic integration of the region with a mandate to the relevant state commissioners to develop a blueprint on how to achieve the new initiative.

He noted that with the abundant wealth scattered in the region they can work together to enhance the wealth of the people.

He said that they also agreed it was important they work together by adopting the peer group mechanism whereby the governors would learn from what is happening in brother states, saying that “through that means we will be able to copy and paste what is happening in the states for the betterment of our people.‎”