An elder Statesman and former Commissioner in Abia State, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, has warned Igbos against playing politics with the recently established South East Development Commission (SEDC).
He said it was regrettable that instead of acknowledging the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu as the arrowhead of the establishment of the SEDC, some Igbos have decided to play politics with the matter.
Chief Ogbonnaya, who was reacting to an alleged claim by Mr Josef Onoh ,son of former Anambra State governor, Chief Christian Onoh, said that Kalu was not responsible for SEDC establishment, said it was the height of ingratitude for him to have imputed such.
According to him, while Kalu did not spearhead the establishment of SEDC for personal glory, but for the overall good of Ndigbo, there was a need to accord him that honour of the initiator of the commission.
” I know some people have been lobbying to head the commission and in the process bent on concocting lies to gain a milage,but desecration of facts is a new low,” he averred
He said those overreaching themselves just for personal aggrandisement have been unfair to Kalu, who spent sleepless nights , empanelling the bill, and achieving bi-partisan consensus in passing it
He also noted that the speed with which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the SEDC bill was as a result of the clout and personality of the Deputy Speaker as a high ranking member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
He said such an effort by Kalu regarding the establishment of SEDC deserves commendation instead of distortion of facts.
Chief Ogbonnaya, therefore, warned the younger Igbo politicians to learn and acknowledge the efforts of people like Kalu working for the interest of Ndigbo instead of dampening their patriotism through baseless claims.