Omiete Blessing
A group under the aegis of Coalition of Youths in the South-East (CESYD), has warned political stakeholders fanning the embers of disunity in the Southeast to desist and allow the people in the region to enjoy peaceful environment.
The group in a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, and signed by its coordinator, Wisdom Akunna Fabulous, said the Southeast people will rather want peace and unity, than allow some individuals in the name of politics continue to cause disunity in the region.
In the statement, the group also threatened to henceforth name and shame the individuals whose interest they claimed is the hijack of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
Fabulous alleged that the individuals he is yet to mention are planting their stooges to serve as conduits to channel public wealth into their pockets while denying long-suffering ‘Ndi Igbo’ of the benefits that should accrue from the Commission.
According to the group “The Coalition of Youths in the South-East under the auspices of the CESYD, is compelled to react again to the choreographed and innocuous attempts at sponsoring disunity amongst political stakeholders in Igbo land.
“For the avoidance of doubts, the commendations and appreciations that greeted the passage and signing into law of the Southeast Development Commission bill by prominent Igbo groups and civil society organizations were spontaneous and altruistic.
“Such patriotic gestures are only meant to reverse the very negatives narratives promoted by anti-Igbo development elements who did not even believe in the promises of President Bola Tinubu when he visited Ala Igbo before the presidential elections”.
They further lauded the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, for his input in ensuring that the SEDC Act becomes reality.
“Drawing political parallels with past efforts by our representatives at the Senate and House of Representatives, is a wicked crafting by those whose only interest is divisiveness amongst our stakeholders.
“CESYD believes that as much as this is an unnecessary strategy, we view it as reverse psychology for this group of individuals to seek to compare the genuine and patriotic effort of Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu with past efforts made by our past representatives.
“From all available evidences including publications and speeches, never has the Deputy Speaker made attempts at impeaching or impugning or reducing the contributions of our past representatives”.
The group noted that “groups making very unfortunate comments about the Deputy Speaker not holding any political position as at 2016 when the idea of a Southeast Development Commission was first mooted, are kindergartens by not understanding that the age of Methuselah has no business with the wisdom of Solomon. Such commentaries only reek of deep-rooted hatred and unhelpful gerontocratic bias.
“Of a truth, Ndi Igbo are in search of sociopolitical renaissance and not counterproductive age long beliefs which has rather chained us to the backseat of national integration and development”.
Fabulous expressed that the group “aligns totally with one of the champions of this new awakening who also is the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. CESYD warns all fifth columnists fanning the embers of disunity in Ala Igbo to desist and allow our people breathe”.
