$22.7bn Loan: Exclusion Of South East Recipe For Crisis, Ohanaeze Youths Warn

Following the approval of 22.7 billion dollars loan by the Senate for the federal government, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) Worldwide has decried alleged plans to exclude Ndigbo from list of zones to benefit from the infrastructural revitalization loan being sought by President Muhammadu Buhari.

OYC expressed worry that any attempt to exclude the zone will be a minus for the administration of President Buhari which it supports, saying it will breed crisis and political uncertainty.

OYC in a statement signed by the President General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and the Secretary General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike also took a swipe at Buhari’s administration for not fulfilling his campaign promise of reviving Enugu coal, appealing that the zone should not be neglected because of what it called political reasons.

It challenged the federal government to complete the following projects before the expiration of its tenure in 2023, 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 valendatory session of the Federal Executive Council on 22nd May 2019,Which it said the Hon Minister of Works and Housing had kept mum on, Reconstruction and Dualisation 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,

Read full release below;

(1) Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide are studying diligently the details of the approved 22.7 billion dollars loan by the Senate for President Muhammadu Buhari to address the infrastructural deficiencies in Nigeria, OYC  demand that Federal  Government Should publish the details of the zones ( with Proposed Projects) that will be beneficiaries for the loan, as an alternative plans to exclude Southeast from being beneficiary will send wrong signals capable of shaking up the foundation and the Unity of the Country as it will not augur well for the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which We Support.

(2) OYC state categorically Clear, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 Electoral Promise to Revamp Enugu Coal Mine had not been formally addressed since 5 years ago, OYC Presents 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 valendatory 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 Dualisation 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. 

(3) OYC Observed that tensions are brewing up in the South East, as the mood of the people are tensed up on the rumour of Exclusion of Southeast from the 22.7 billion dollars loan, We call on the Federal Government to publish the beneficiaries of the Proposed loan with inclusions of South East Projects to douse the tension, as silence in these Situations will be a Provocative Attempt to push Southeast Zone out of Nigeria, We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct those involved to include the above listed Abandoned Federal projects for Southeast to save Nigeria from Disintegration.

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro 

President General 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide 

Mazi Okwu Nnabuike 

Secretary General 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide