By Hon. Elton Onwu
National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, South East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu’s recent statements about the South East Development Commission (SEDC) have raised some concerns, and for good reason. He obviously has not rested since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointments of some worthy Nigerians to the Board of the new Commission. From one media House to the other, he has been peddling lies after lies, speaking like a sponsored lackey.
As National Vice Chairman South East of APC, one would expect a certain level of decorum and accuracy in his public utterances, especially his interview on a national daily on Sunday, December 22, 2024. Unfortunately, his claims have been grossly misleading, and it’s essential for me as a stakeholder both in APC and the South East to set the record straight so that he will not continue to hoodwink the unsuspecting members of the public.
Firstly, Arodigbo’s assertion that the appointees to the SEDC are unqualified is nothing short of astonishing. Chief Emeka Wogu, a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, precisely, the minister of labour and productivity, lawyer, PhD holder, and former Abia State representative at the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, is more than qualified to chair the board of SEDC. Similarly, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka’s impressive credentials make him an excellent fit for the Executive Director of Finance position. Ohajuruka, a two time former Speaker of a State House of Assembly, an Acting Governor, former member of the House of Representatives not qualified? How else can Arodigbo display his crass ignorance?
Arodigbo’s allegations that Wogu and Ohajuruka are personal aides of Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu are also baseless. I challenge him to produce evidence to support his claim. They are not personal aides of the Deputy Speaker.
Furthermore, Arodigbo’s account of a stakeholders’ meeting where names were chosen, without mentioning Kalu’s name, is suspicious, to say the least.
But perhaps the most egregious error is Arodigbo’s claim that Late Senator Ifeanyi sponsored the SEDC bill. This is a blatant falsehood, as Senator Ifeanyi Uba’s version of the bill never progressed beyond the first reading. The actual SEDC bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Kalu, was received by the Senate with the number HB626. And that is the one assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It will be pertinent at this juncture to even say that the list of nominees approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflects a diverse representation from the five states of the South East. This includes notable individuals such as Hon. Mark C. Okoye, Managing Director (MD) (Anambra); Dr. Emeka Wogu, Chairman (Abia); Sylvester Okonkwo, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs (Anambra); Toby Okechukwu, Executive Director, Projects (Enugu); Anthony Agbo, Executive Director, Infrastructure (Ebonyi) ; Dr. Clifford Ogbede, Executive Director, Agriculture (Imo); Stanley Ohajuruka, Executive Director, Finance (Abia); Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah (Enugu); Hon. Okey Ezenwa (Anambra); Chief Hyacinth Ikpor (Ebony); Chidi Echeazu (Anambra); Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu (Imo); Nasiru Usman (North West); Hamman Adamu AG Kumo (North East); Edward David Onoja (North Central); Orure Kufre Inima (South South); Daniel Akwari (Abia) and Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma (South West).
Surprisingly, Arodigbo does not know that the Deputy Speaker does not possess the constitutional powers to make nominations to the board of any government agency, including the SEDC.
This responsibility lies solely with the Presidency. Therefore, it is absurd to suggest that Kalu could have hijacked a list compiled by the Presidency.
It’s clear that Arodigbo’s campaign of calumny against Deputy Speaker Kalu will not yield any positive results. Instead of spreading misinformation and maligning Kalu’s character, Arodigbo should focus on supporting the young leader’s legislative efforts to bring democracy dividends to the South East.
In fact, Deputy Speaker’s exceptional leadership qualities and his legislative sagacity have endeared many people to APC in the South East already and APC will not lose voters in the South East. This tempo of support for President Tinubu, must be sustained for the greater good of Ala Igbo and Nigeria in general.
All major critical stakeholders of the South East are appreciative of President Tinubu for keeping to his promise of developing the South East region. I will advice Arodigbo to focus on uniting the party than championing selfish acts capable of destroying it.
Hon. Elton Onwu
Former Zonal Anchor South East,
Election Planning and Monitoring, APC/Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council 2023
