Ohanaeze Youths Council(OYC) the Apex Socio-cultural organization of Igbo youths have condemned what it described as efforts of misguided and misinformed persons such as 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, Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu in passing the age-long bill that has established the South East Development Commission, SEDC, describing Mr. Onoh as an enemy of progress, who wants to create disunity in South East polity.
OYC through its President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka made the condemnation while speaking to journalists on Wednesday 11th Sept 2024 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.
It’s once said that “Ignorance is what makes any one refer to old attempts as the part of the ownership of the success especially when the final bill that was signed is different from the previous attempts.
“Dr Josef Onoh is lobbying to be MD 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 Most Honorable Deputy Speaker of Federal House of Representatives 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 quipped.
Igboayaka further stressed that while several bills usually introduced in the House Assembly dies off naturally for many reasons; all accolades ought 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 Kalu deserves accolades for painstakingly using his time, office and good relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to positively affect the South East Development Commission bill, while describing the relationship of the Most Honorable Deputy Speaker and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a great resource to Ndigbo. Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) extols President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for signing the bill into law in record time to ensure even development across the country.
“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 shadows, because of his desperate ambition to become the MD of South East Development Commission, with zero capacity to drive such all important development tool of the president. So anyone 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, our 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, SouthEast Development Commission as actualized through the effort of Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu is like the vision of Dr. M. I. Okpara has been revisited by Honorable Deputy Speaker to foster economic development in SouthEast”.
(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 Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant the prayers of Hon Benjamin Kalu for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu release using a political solution on his matter”, Comrade Igboayaka added.
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