The Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, has threatened that there will be a problem in Nigeria if the government of President Muhammadu Buhari excludes the Southeast region from benefiting the dividend of the $22.7 billion loan expected to be provided to Nigeria.
According to the group, excluding the southeast region from benefitting from the said loan is capable of throwing the region’s political calculation to uncertainty which will ultimately throw them into chaos and ultimate succession from Nigeria.
The statement was contained in a communiqué signed by the President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, its Secretary-General which was made available to Daily Post.
The group said it was painstakingly studying the body language of President Buhari and the detail his government claimed to use the money for which is addressing the infrastructural deficiencies across the country, calling on the government to publish how much each zone would benefit.
Ohaneze threatened that any attempt to exclude the South Eastern part of the Country would spell doom which is capable of shaking the very foundation of our corporate existence.
The statement which partly reads; “President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 electoral promise to revamp Enugu Coal Mine had not been formally addressed since 5 years ago.
“[We] present these Southeast Federal projects that should be factored into the 22.7 billion dollars loan and shouldn’t be denied for any political reasons, they include, completion of 2nd Niger Bridge; drainage of Imo River with establishment of Owerrinta Dry Sea Port in Abia State; Revamp Of Enugu Coal Mine; Resuscitation of Nkalagu Cement Plant and Factory Ebonyi State; Commencement of Federal Roads approved during the valedictory session of the Federal Executive Council on 22nd May 2019, which the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing had kept mum on.
“These Federal abandoned Expressways approved are, “reconstruction and dualization of ABA-ikot Ekpene Road, rehabilitation and dualization of Umuahia-ikot Ekpene Road, dualization of Owerri-ABA Expressways , rehabilitation of Akoka-Okigwe Expressway, reconstruction of Abaomege-Ugep Expressway and completions of Enugu-Abakiliki-Ogoja Trans African Highway.
“OYC insists that these Capital Projects should be factored into the 22.7 billion dollars loan on behalf of the Southeast Zone. We are still monitoring the development of ongoing Works on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Onitsha- Enugu Expressway and Ohafia-Arochukwu Roads,” it said.
The Igbo group warned that tension is already brewing in the region and while they are diligently monitoring as things unveil itself over rumour that their region was excluded from benefitting from the $22 billion.
They said the council cannot keep mute as doing so would extinguish the region out of Nigeria.
Ohaneze therefore called on President Buhari to with immediate effect direct those responsible to include the region abandoned Federal Government projects to guarantee our togetherness.
