By Cross Udo, Abuja
As the claim over those responsible for establishing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) rages, some Igbo youths have raised the alarm over what they called an attempt by some elements to cause disunity in Southeast.
The Igbo group, under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth for Democracy, CESYD, issued a statement on Sunday titled “Stop using reverse psychology to cause division in Igboland,” signed by its coordinator, Comrade Wisdom Akunna Fabulous.
In it, the group warned fifth columnists fanning the embers of disunity in Ala Igbo to desist and allow our people to breathe.
It further threatened to name and shame individuals planning to hijack the SEDC by 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.
The statement read, “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.
“To avoid 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 negative narratives promoted by anti-Igbo development elements who did not even believe in the promises of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he visited Ala Igbo before the presidential elections.
“One of such groups that spontaneously hailed the passage of the SEDC Bill is our group, and we also noted the fact that our son, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, put his boots on the ground to ensure the SEDC Act becomes a 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 Benjamin Kalu with past efforts made by our past representatives.
“From all available evidence, including publications and speeches, never has the Deputy Speaker made attempts at impeaching or impugning or reducing the contributions of our past representatives.
“We, however, note quickly that in Igboland, we do not address women who were pregnant but suffered stillbirth as Mama Ngozi or Mama Emeka. Only the woman who gives birth can identify and mention her children’s names. Thus, the pregnancy that took place in the 10th National Assembly championed by Benjamin Okezie Kalu is the baby that has a name (SEDC).
“The groups making deplorable comments about the Deputy Speaker not holding any political position as of 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 gerontocracy bias.
“Of truth, Ndi Igbo is searching for a socio-political renaissance and not counterproductive age-long beliefs that have chained us to the backseat of national integration and development. Therefore, our group aligns totally with one of the champions of this new awakening, who is also 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 to breathe. We shall henceforth name and shame these selfish individuals whose only interest in the immediate future is the hijack of the SEDC by 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 this Commission. Let Ndigbo breathe.”
