By Toby Chuks
Popular mass movement group in Anamabra State known as Oga Ndi Oga Foundation has joined other well meaning people of the Southeast geopolitical zone to hail the birth of Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) describing it as an interesting development news of the year. Recall that earlier this week President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the SEDC bill into law after the bill was passed by National Assembly.
The Founder/CEO of the Foundation High Chief Godwin Agbasimelo who spoke to journalists at the Foundation’s office in Awka the Anambra State capital called on President Tinubu to distance the Commission from political jobbers and so doing channel the Commission to grassroots development in rural and urban areas across the five States of the zone with emphasis on job creation for the youth, fixing rural/urban roads, boosting agriculture with support for rural farmers, providing portable water, good classroom blocs and affordable health care services.
He said that the Foundation received the news of the signing of the SEDC bill into law with joy and it is the wish of the Foundation to call on Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the Commission is not politicised nor be left in the hands of political contractors who will end up using it to make personal gain and also patronanise their personal aids and relations noting that the Commission is for the good people of the Southeast and not for politicians in corridor of power.
He advised President Tinubu to rather use community leaders as town unions, traditional rulers, women, youth and religious leaders to drive the service of the Commission in other to safeguard it from corrupt and selfish political jobbers who will end up squandering the purpose of the Commission noting that former Governor of Anambra State and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 general election Peter Obi used community leaders and religious leaders to execute projects in Anamabra when he was governor and it worked out very well.
Butressing his point, he added “what I am saying is that everything is not politics and therefore SEDC shouldn’t be politicised, let Mr President hand the Commission over to Community leaders like town unions, traditional rulers, women, youth and religious leaders with a mandate to ensure that every kobo or material released for the Commission is properly utilised for the purpose it was meant for. As Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi applied that method of using community leaders and religious leaders to execute projects and it worked out very well”
