The South-East Youth Consultative Forum, (SEYCOF) has described the recent verbal attack on President Jonathan by the Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC), as “misdirected and unwarranted”.
The newly elected Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro had in a media statement said Ndigbo were yet to feel the impact of Jonathan’s administration.
However, in a press briefing jointly addressed by the National Coordinator and the Secretary of SEYCOF, Dr. B.N Ogini and Mr. Nnamdi Anigbo, respectively, they described the OYC’s position as “a baseless propaganda being sponsored by opposition groups against President Jonathan”.
In the statement titled “Telling the Truth About President Jonathan and the South-East”, Dr. Ogini said the stand of SEYCOF was based on truth and not on frivolities as it was out to score any political point.
He urged Nigerians to avoid the temptation of mischief makers who are bent on feeding them with half-truths, thereby making them follow the whirlwind of deceit and many lies against President Jonathan.
The group said it was curious that Isiguzoro took the gauntlet against President Jonathan shortly after he assumed role as leader of the youth wing of Ohaneze.
According to Dr. Ogini, “we found it not only strange and unfortunate but also condemnable that the Ohaneze Youth wing has allowed itself to become a willing tool in the hands of anti-Jonathan elements at this point in time.
“From this development, one can see clearly that at this early stage the Ohaneze Youth Wing has already been hijacked by members of the opposition parties, who see nothing good in President Jonathan’s administration.
“While we understand the desperation of certain groups to satisfy their pay-masters, we urge the Ohaneze Youths Wing not to align itself with such-self seeking elements, but to seek better ways of fostering unity and progress of Ndigbo”.
Ogini cautioned the Ohaneze Youth Leader against the use of his new position to denigrate the office of President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that “Igbo people are not known for disrespecting elders.
“In the same vein, the New Ohaneze Youth leader should not use his position to insult elders, or to denigrate the office of the President.
“We want to urge Isiguzoro and indeed other groups toeing similar path not to take the calmness of President Jonathan for granted. They should desist from making frivolous allegations just to attract attention.
He added that instead of blaming all the challenges facing the people of South-East on President Jonathan, it should be placed on record that he had lived up to most of the promises he made to the people of the region.
Ogini urged “those mounting baseless virulent attack on Jonathan to remember that of all the presidents who had ruled the country in recent past, none had touched the lives of the people of the South East as President Jonathan.
“A former President of this country gave us fake promise of building a second Niger-Bridge for eight years, he did nothing until he left office, but for the first time in the history of Nigeria, we are seeing promise made and kept as far as that all important bridge is concerned.
“In demonstration of his sincerity, the President set the money aside and also put a deadline for the delivery of the project; it was happening for the first time.
“Construction has been done on the Enugu-Ebonyi road for the first time after Babangida’s administration; reconstruction work is also on-going at the Enugu-Onitsha express way, and the Onitsha-Owerri Road, among others. He has also not left us behind in the issue of appointments.
“It is the same case with the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu; our people now travel right from Enugu to any part of the world. Also, people going for pilgrimage traveled from Enugu to Israel for the first time this year. We have never had it so good.
“The President has equally immensely supported the growth of industries in the South-East zone. These are manifest in the area of Sabarmilla Brewery in Onitsha, coming on board of Orient Petroleum, and massive support to Innoson Group; other areas worthy of mention is the VVF centre in Ebonyi State, the Alaoji Power Station in Abia State, among others.
“So, while we are not saying that he has provided us with virtually all we need here in the South-East, we cannot deny the fact that he has made lots of record breaking efforts to better the lots of this zone. For this reason, he deserves our support”, Nnamdi Anigbo added.
The group equally faulted the Ohaneze Youth over its demand for amnesty, stressing that “what we need is programmes, policies and infrastructures that will drive the entrepreneurial vision in every Igbo man”.
