Ohanaeze Youths Council (OYC), the apex socio-cultural organization of Igbo youths expressed satisfaction over the signing and establishment of South East Development Commission (SEDC) by President Bola Tinubu. The group also commended the swiftness with which the deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu towed to see the the Commission became a reality.
OYC, however, condemned in strong terms the outburst and misinformation of Dr. Josef Onoh; the acclaimed President Tinubu's South East Campaign Spokesman in the South East for discrediting the dogged and patriotic inputs of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives on the establishment of the commission.
The group described Mr. Onoh as an enemy of progress, who wants to create disunity in South East polity.
The President of OYC, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka made the condemnation while speaking to Journalists in Owerri, where he noted that "there is nothing like former spokesman of Bola Tinubu in south east, accusing Mr Onoh of playing the Devil's Advocate while seeking ways to clinch the Managing-Directorship position of SEDC through the back door without knowing the true background, and makeup of the Act that established the Commission.
"Dr Josef Onoh is lobbying to be the Managing Director of SEDC from the back door, unfortunately he has not even read the law to know what the Act says and he is looking for how to be the MD, and his failed effort to pull the deputy speaker down.
"You do not become MD of South East Development Commission by attacking any political leader and most especially Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu who saw to the finality of the of the bill as deputy speaker of Federal House of Representatives," Igboayaka queried Dr. Onoh.
Igboayaka stressed that while several bills usually die off naturally for many reasons; all accolades ought to be given to any parliamentarian who introduces a bill, revives, sponsors and dutifully ensures the bill sees the light of the day as an Act or law.
He stated that Hon. Benjamin Kalu deserves the accolades for painstakingly using his time, office and good relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to positively see to life of the South East Development Commission bill, while describing the action as very commendable.
"We are talking of proposing and processing a bill to become an Act, which is a no mean assignment and the likes of Dr. Josef Onoh is somewhere chasing shadow, because of his desperate ambition to become the MD of Commission, with zero capacity to drive such all important development tool of the president . So any one he suspects will not be in support of his ambition is made an enemy on the pages of the newspaper.
"The chief sponsor of the bill when it is signed should be addressed as the one who worked for it, not those who attempted and failed previously in the past assemblies . It was display of ignorance listing those who had the desire to achieve this in the 8th and 9th assemblies as every assembly commences her activities de novo (anew). Stop telling us about who tried, tell us we made it happen.
"Ndigbo are not ingrates, we appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for breaking the jinx of 54 years as Ndigbo are deeply appreciative to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, an illustrious Igbo son for asking the president to remember Ndigbo by signing the SEDC Bill into law"
"Like Dr. M. I Okpara whose visionary Leadership made old Eastern Region the fastest developing region, developing faster than China and Singapore between 1953 to 1966. Therefore, South East Development Commission as actualized through the effort of Kalu is like the vision of Dr. M. I. Okpara has been revisited to foster economic development in South East"
Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) however appealed to President Tinubu to initiate more cheering developmental programme and projects for South East region while calling for the release of IPOB detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
"Ndigbo are waiting for another celebration, appealing to President Tinubu to grant the prayers of Of o leaders for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu's release using political solution on his matte," Igboayaka added.
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