The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has called on Nigerians of Igbo extraction not to participate in the planned nationwide protests against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
Addressing reporters Wednesday in Abuja, Kalu assured that the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill, signed into law by Tinubu, would address the ecological and infrastructural damages suffered by the South-East geopolitical zone as a result of the civil war.
Kalu, who noted that the SEDC Bill remains a historic milestone for the South-East geopolitical zone, implored Ndigbo not to join the planned looming anti-government protests.
He remarked that the SEDC Act is a testament to the President Tinubu administration’s resolve to heal the wounds of the past, bury the rumours of the “marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone,” and renew the hope of the nation towards equitable economic growth and socio-cultural renewal.
He said: “This is a time for unity and progress, not division and unrest. I also implore Nigerians from all walks of life and the entirety of the country to not heed the calls for protest but instead continue to trust in the process.
“The reforms of the current administration will take time but will soon start to suffice, including a reversal of inflation, stabilisation of the economy, and the ensuing multiplier effects in a massive employment boom as a result of industrialisation, and the outcomes of the work organisations like the SEDC will engineer.
“With SEDC, we will leverage to improve agriculture, entrepreneurial skills will enable industrialization of the region, and our innovative mindedness will leverage the opportunities in the digital economy. Our creativity will birth greater cultural and entertainment platforms such as Igbowood. Our youth and women demography will play a major role in the energy of our development.
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“It is time to put our huge gas deposit in the region to use for industrial parks that will bring value to the nation. Most of the radicalised youths will now have jobs to engage them productively among others.
“I therefore urge you to participate more in governance by following the right channels of engagement with your respective state governments and the legislators representing you in the National Assembly and the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
“It is through active and constructive engagement that we can make our voices heard and drive meaningful change. As the great Chinua Achebe once said, ‘A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, and participatory followership.’ Let us follow with the spirit of patriotism, not protest, for a lot is achieved with a non-kinetic approach rather than forceful coercion, violence, conflict, or war.”
Kalu particularly expressed gratitude to the governors of the five South-East states and his colleagues in the National Assembly for their support towards the passage of the SEDC Bill into law.
