A former spokesman of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the South East, Dr. Josef Onoh has stated that the region has restrained itself from the isolated hardship protests across the country because Nigeria has refused to accord the South East its due status as an integral part of the country, but had rather imposed hardship on the region in the past 54 years.
Onoh, who presently is the chairman of Forum of Former Members of Enugu State House of Assembly (FOF-MENHA), and a former governorship aspirant in the state, stated that the rest of the regions in the country should not expect the south East to be in the vanguard of the present discontent when those other regions feel that the South East is good enough for Nigeria leadership or any other substantial inclusive infrastructure.
Onoh spoke against the background of the former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, who recently expressed surprise against the worsening economic hardship.
Onoh in his reply to Yusuf, said: “The South East is uncharacteristically quiet because since after the civil war, the South East has continued to be dealt with extreme hardship and suffered in the midst of plenty while other regions basked in the euphoria of riches and power with a section of the regions feeling very entitled.
The South East is quiet because after the civil war, our properties in the south-south were taken from us and claimed they were abandoned properties and I ask, abandoned by who? That is hardship!
“The South East is quiet because they started life afresh with only £20 after the civil war, given by the Nigerian government. That is hardship. The South East is quiet today because we have the least number of representatives in both chambers of the National Assembly. The South East is quiet because we are the only region with the least number of states. The South East is quiet because we are the only region with the least federal government presence in almost all areas. The south east is quiet because we have the least federal government projects in our region till date.
“The south east is quiet because we are the region with one of the largest markets in West Africa based on geographical size and volume of goods yet has never benefited from the rail project the federal government embarked upon during the last administration and focused mainly in the north. The south east is quiet because we are the only region with the highest number of security check points on the roads leading into our region. It’s easier to drive past Ukraine than south east.
“The south east is quiet because we are the only region with an international airport yet no international airline departs from our region, except for Ethiopia airlines that save the day, and that only international airport is still under construction. The South East is quiet because the only major mining activity which is coal has been abandoned for years after Eagle Mining Company left in the 90s and the Federal government never showed any interest again. The south east is quiet because even the railway properties in our region have all been sold hence the dream of a railway is totally forgotten.
“Some people ask why is the South East always bitter, but they forget that the past administration called it a ‘dot in a circle’ and today there is not one single foreign embassy in the region, yet we are the largest importers in the country. The South East is quiet because they are the only region always punished by every ruling party for exercising their democratic voting rights for their choice of candidate. The South East is quiet because they are mainly the region that has its buildings demolished and their businesses closed down in other regions of Nigeria once they try exercising some certain levels of franchise.”
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