The Ohanaeze Youths Council (OYC) has lauded President Bola Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Ben Kalu, for creating the long awaited South East Development Commission, SEDC, even as it condemned the comments of President Tinubu’s South East Campaign Spokesman, Dr. Josef Onoh’s comments aimed at undermining the efforts of the duo.
The apex Socio-cultural organization of Igbo youths described Onoh’s comments discrediting Kalu’s inputs in passing the SEDC Bill to law as misguided and capable of creating disunity in the South East. Onoh had in a recent report said the Deputy Speaker was not the architect of the bill.
But OYC President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka noted that Onoh should not seek the management position of SEDC through the back door by discrediting Kalu “without knowing the true background and makeup of the Act that established the Commission.” He added that, “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.”
“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 SouthEast Development Commission by attacking any political leader and most especially Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who saw to the finality of the bill as Deputy Speaker of Federal House of Representatives.”
Igboayaka stressed that while several bills usually introduced in the House of Representatives died naturally for many reasons, accolades ought be given to any parliamentarian who successfully sponsored and ensured a bill became law.
He declared that Hon. Benjamin Kalu deserve commendation for painstakingly using his time, office and good relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to positively affect the SEDC bill, describing the relationship of the Deputy Speaker and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a great resource to Ndigbo.
OYC also extolled President Tinubu for signing the bill into law in record time to ensure even development across the country.
“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,” Igboayaka said and called for more projects for the zone as well as the release of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
