In a bid to address the perceived exclusion of the Southeast from the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Project, the Odinala Cultural Heritage Foundation, also known as OCHIE Igbo, has issued a demand for the inclusion of the Southeast and South-South regions in the Nigeria Gas Expansion Program (NGEP). The call is part of OCHIE Igbo’s efforts to protect and advance the socio-economic interests of the Southeast in the Nigerian project.
In a letter addressed to Sen. Agom Jarigbe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, OCHIE Igbo raised concerns about the neglect of the Southeast in the multi-million-dollar AKK Gas Pipeline Project, NGEP, and the National Gas Master Plan. The letter, signed by Dr. Chukwuma Ogugua Orji, National President of OCHIE Igbo, and Okoro Chinedum Benedict, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, outlines the organization’s stance on the matter.
OCHIE Igbo is leading a coalition, named the Coalition for the Defense & Economic Development of the Southeast (CODEDOSE), comprising Civil Society & Human Rights Organizations, Security and Safety groups. The coalition aims to champion a review of the AKK, NGEP, and NGMP to ensure the inclusion of the Southeast and South-South Regions.
The letter emphasizes that the National Gas Survey Plan (NGSP) identifies substantial gas deposits in the Niger Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Abia States. OCHIE Igbo questions the deliberate exclusion of these regions from direct participation or derivable benefits in the NGMP.
The organization argues that there is no known and exploitable natural gas along the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano axis, which further strengthens their case for the inclusion of the Southeast and South-South in the developmental project.
OCHIE Igbo proposes dialogue and quiet diplomacy to achieve objectives such as the review and expansion of the NGEP to include the Southeast and South-South, the establishment of a Gas Power Plant in Imo State, and the inclusion of the Gas headquarters in the region.
The organization seeks Sen. Agom Jarigbe’s partnership and advocacy for the inclusion of the Southeast and South-South geopolitical zones in the National Gas Plan. The letter requests an audience for further elaboration on the outlined objectives.
As OCHIE Igbo endeavors to secure the inclusion of the Southeast in vital national projects, the demand underscores the importance of regional equity and balanced development in the pursuit of Nigeria’s economic growth.
