Coalition Faults Appointments Into SEDC

A group, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has faulted appointmens into the South East Development Commission (SEDC), saying they were not in compliance with the law establishing the commission.

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, president-general of COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, and the publicity secretary, Okey Nwaoru said Imo and Ebonyi States were excluded from executive portfolios.

“A situation where one person hijacked the process and nominated only his aides into the SEDC board will end up destroying the good intentions of the president,” the statement said.

The group said the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu is behind the plot, adding that “South East stakeholders were not carried along which is against the tenets of democracy.

“It smacks of corruption for one person to nominate those under his employ to run a government agency meant for the development of the entire South East States.”

They said he misled President Bola Tinubu to announce “the appointment in which five of his personal staff were appointed executive directors while Imo and Ebonyi States were left behind.”

The statement also appealed to President Tinubu to review the nominations so that the two states and the stakeholders would be carried along in compliance with the law.

“We’re confident that the president is a man that believes in the tenets of democracy and he will do the needful to address the situation,” the youth group noted.