By Charity Ikenwa
Member of House of Representatives representing Mbaitoli-Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Rt Hon Henry Nwawuba, has condemned in strong terms, the approval of $22.7b loan request submitted to the National Assembly for approval by the Executive.
The Hon. member who condemned the act, stated that despite agitation by South East Lawmakers over the exclusion of the zone in the loan utilisation plan, the lower chamber went on with its approval.
Rt Hon Henry Nwawuba had earlier in March, moved against the passage of the loan request via a petition from the South East Elites, pin pointing the deliberate exclusion of the South East in the distribution of key infrastructural projects to be funded with the $22.7b loan.
Also, Nwawuba called for a review of the spending plan to accommodate projects from the South East.
“It is regrettable, and very undemocratic to note that the loan request got the approval of the National Assembly without the South East which contributes substantially to the GDP and revenue earnings of the Federation.
“It has become very difficult to fathom the rationale behind the stark discrimination against the South East in such critical matter that affects not only the present generation, but generations unborn,” he said.
He described the move as being worrisome, stressing that, “the South East will contribute to the repayment of the loan.
According to him, the federal government has by the act, succeeded in implanting in the psyche of South Easterners, a feeling of distrust, discrimination and marginalisation.
“As representatives from the South East, my colleagues and I have on different occasions communicated the displeasure of our constituents to the leadership of the National Assembly, on the need to redress the injustice done to our geopolitical zone.
“Unfortunately, our arguments were drowned out by the voice votes of the rest of the members of the House and the “Ayes” carried the day,” he lamented.
He therefore, called on all political leaders from the South East, irrespective of political affiliations to join forces with National Assembly members from the zone in demanding that federal projects in the South East are given the same level of priority as projects in other geopolitical zones in the country.
“There is need for the Federal Government to convince the South East that they are an integral part of this country by seeking alternative ways of funding the Eastern Corridor Rail Line that runs from Port-Harcourt through Enugu to Makurdi, down to Maiduguri, just as they seek to fund projects like the Western Rail Line that runs from Lagos through Ibadan to Kano, with the approved $22.7b external loan,” he added.
