Emelayo Nwosu
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing has demanded the dissolution of the Board of the South East Development Commission, SEDC.
In a statement on Tuesday, the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the Managing Director of the SEDC, Mark Okoye, and other members of the Board.
Last week, Okoye and his team appeared before the Senate Committee to answer questions over the board’s management of funds released by the government.
The Senate expressed disatisfaction over the expenditure of about N4 billion from its budget without any concrete project in the South-East.
There was also outrage over reports that the commission was paying an annual rent of N153 million for a modest office in Abuja, while its headquarters is in Enugu.
In his reaction to these developments, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike said the SEDC, under Okoye, failed on the mandate given to it by President Tinubu.
Okwu said the SEDC was established to meet the yearnings of the people of the South-East in the area of addressing infrastructural imbalance.
“That dream is being eroded, as the Commission has shown a total lack of focus, lack of ideas and lack of a clear vision on how to drive the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“When Mr President swiftly signed the SEDC bill into law and inaugurated the Board, we were all delighted, hoping to see an immediate action in the area of infrastructure intervention.
“Unfortunately, the only thing we have seen in workshops, seminars and well coated speeches that do not in any way translate to a tangible project for the desirous people of the South-East.
“It is most shocking that the government released N16 billion to the Commission, yet they had earlier claimed that no kobo had been made available.
“It is also unthinkable that a whooping sum of N4 billion has been wasted from that sum just for holding talk-shops.
“What it means is that they are not representing the President’s interest; rather they are making things worse for the government in the South-East.”
Okwu said the situation was unacceptable and urged President Tinubu to reconstitute the Board with men with clear vision.
“The Board as presently constituted cannot drive Mr President’s vision, and this is why we urge the President to dissolve them and appoint people with capacity.
“We did celebrate the appointment of a youth as the MD of the SEDC, but the reality on ground has proven that the Board under him cannot see through the vision behind the establishment of the Commission.
“Our people are tired of rhetorics, they are tired of talks without action.
“What they want to see are projects that have direct bearing on their lives, and presently not a single of such can be attributed to the SEDC in any of the South-East states.”
The Ohaneze youth leader urged the President to dissolve the Board in the interest of the people of the South-East.
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