TheCable

The Ohanaeze council of elders says it is exploring the possibility of establishing a south-east university that will specialise in engineering, medicine, science and technology, and skill acquisition.

The elders said this in a communique signed by its chairman, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, after an inaugural meeting of the Ohanaeze council of business leaders on Saturday in Abuja.

Iwuanyanwu said the meeting reflected on the past, examined the present circumstances, and looked into the future of Nigerians of Igbo extraction.

“We have taken a decision today that we are not going to depend on government again, we are going to take our destiny in our own palms by making sure that Igbo land is industrialised,” he said.

“We have carried out studies which revealed that in every field if we work very hard without relying on the government since we know we have no one in power, for now, we can develop our place. We have taken a decision to focus on education because it is actually the mainstay of our development.”

He said the council will set up a committee to look into the status of education in Igbo land and present a report in one month.

“It is likely that when the committee comes up with its report, we are going to build a South-East University which will specialise in medicine, engineering, science and technology and skills acquisition. Because skill acquisition is very important today, so our people can acquire entrepreneurial skills,” Iwuanyanwu added.

He said apart from establishing the south-east university, the council would also focus on agriculture, and industrial development, which would include cement manufacturing, tiles, textile and ceramics production.