AdminHuman Rights Writers Association of Nigeria ( HURIWA) has appealed to President Tinubu to fulfill his campaign promises to make South-eastern Nigeria the Taiwan of Africa.
The human rights group said the deputy speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has failed in the so-called 6-month peace in south east project which he announced on December 2023, to restore, peace, stability and economic rejuvenation of the South-east.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHURIWA recalled that a not-for-profit organisation, the Peace in South-east Project, set up by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Benjamin kalu unveiled a six-month action plan which he claimed was geared towards implementing its eight pillars of thematic focus to bring about peace in the region.
Media reports then had it that PISE-P, an initiative of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is an intervention strategy with a focus on the use of non-kinetics means to address the security challenges in the South-East zone.
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Unveiled on 29 December 2023, PISE-P’s eight pillars include education, agriculture, commerce/industry, infrastructural development, culture and tourism, sports/entertainment, governance/leadership and reconciliation/rehabilitation/reintegration.
The group recalled that in a statement issued around the end of 2023 by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu was quoted as saying that the six-month strategic plan would witness improvement in education and healthcare delivery amongst other developmental pursuits.
He had told the Igbos that: “We already have what we call our six-month strategic plan, our operational plan that will be addressing socio-economic challenges, enhancing security and peacebuilding, stakeholder engagement, strategic implementation, resource management, monitoring and evaluation, communication and awareness – all these things have been done by experts and we are looking at achieving and promoting Sustainable Development Goals.
The Rights group which bemoaned the unprecedented failure of this project by the Deputy Speaker quoted the Deputy Speaker as promising then that: “We’ll look at conflict integration and peacebuilding. We are going to be looking at enhancing access to education and healthcare. We are going to look at infrastructural development, empowerment and capacity building, community engagement and participation as well as sustainable peace and stability.
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In a statement, HURIWA also appealed to the Nigerian President for the umpteenth time to free the detained leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kalu, as the necessary step towards his government launching any meaningful economic rejuvenation initiatives in the South-east of Nigeria.
The group then reminded the president that his campaign promises are solemn and must be fulfilled.
The group recalled that President Tinubu had on 18 November 2022 promised the people of South East massive economic development and forward-looking government, which would assuage past difficulties of the region.
Tinubu, who made the promise while speaking at a town hall meeting in Owerri, Imo State capital was responding to remarks by the then Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi who is now the Works minister, who said the region had been neglected and abandoned since the end of the civil war, asking what Tinubu had in store for the region.
Delivering his remarks, Tinubu addressed the issues raised by Umahi, as well as other development challenges of the region by recalling his experience as a little boy brought up by a mother who was a trader and market leader.
Tinubu said based on his experience and lessons learnt, he understands challenges traders, business owners and people of the region are facing.
Laying out his development plan for the region if elected the next president of Nigeria, Tinubu said new industrial hubs would be created in Aba and Owerri, while existing ones would be modernised. He also promised that access to credit facilities would be available to traders across the region and the country in general.
Tinubu stated then, that his administration will make South East zone the Taiwan of Africa through industrialisation if elected into power.
Tinubu stated this at the APC Campaign Rally organised at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki.
He noted that his administration would resuscitate the economy by connecting all parts of the country with rail line and phasing out estimated billing to save Nigeria from extortion.
The then Presidential Candidate emphasised that he would negotiate with all agitators to strengthen the peace of the country noting that Education would remain a priority to secure the future of the children.
HURIWA lamented that since he got into office and for almost two years, the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu jettisoned or rather forgot his promises to the South East of Nigeria but has instead rejected all entreaties by leaders of Ndigbo, civil Rights advocacy Groups such as HURIWA and many others, to free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and set the stage for the actualization of his solemn campaign promises to Ndigbo.
HURIWA has also asked the Deputy Speaker to swallow his pride and apologise to Ndigbo for failing to actualise his widely publicised peace and development initiatives and to speak to the governors of the South-East East to convene a regional leadership meeting of leaders of Ndigbo including all groups agitating for self determination to give peace a chance and end the killings and the destabilisation of the South-East.
