Deputy Speaker Kalu, Party Vice Chair Clash Over SEDC Nominees’ Qualifications

The crises rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders, South East zone, has assumed a worrisome dimension as the camps of Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and the party’s National Vice Chairman, South East, Ijeomah Arodiogbu, renewed hostilities over the nominees into the newly-created South East Development Commission (SEDC).

Arodiogbu had in a recent statements expressed reservations over the nominees, claiming that they were personal aides to the Reps helmsman and unqualified for the positions.

He equally claimed, in almost all his media interactions, that the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah sponsored the SEDC Bill.

However, describing his claims as a blatant falsehood, former Zonal Anchor South East, Election Planning and Monitoring, APC/Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council 2023, Elton Onwu, urged Arodiogbu to stop progressing in error to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public.

Onwu, in the statement in Abuja noted since his claims have been grossly misleading, it’s essential for him as a stakeholder for both APC and the South East to set the record straight.

“Firstly, Arodigbo’s assertion that the appointees to the SEDC are unqualified is nothing short of astonishing. Emeka Wogu, a former Minister of Labour and Productivity, lawyer, PhD holder, and former Abia State representative in the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, is more than qualified to chair the board of SEDC.

“Similarly, Stanley Ohajuruka’s impressive credentials make him an excellent fit for the Executive Director of Finance position. Ohajuruka, a two time former Speaker of a State House of Assembly, an Acting Governor, former member of the House of Representatives not qualified? How else can Arodigbo display his crass ignorance?

“Arodigbo’s allegations that Wogu and Ohajuruka are personal aides of the Deputy Speaker are also baseless. I challenge him to produce evidence to support his claim. They are not personal aides of the Deputy Speaker.

“Furthermore, Arodigbo’s account of stakeholders’ meeting where names were chosen, without mentioning Kalu’s name, is suspicious, to say the least. But perhaps the most egregious error is Arodigbo’s claim that Late Ifeanyi Ubah sponsored the SEDC bill. This is a blatant falsehood, as Uba’s version of the Bill never progressed beyond the first reading.

“The actual SEDC Bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Kalu, was received by the Senate with the number HB626. And that is the one assented to by President Bola Tinubu,” he explained.

Arguing that the list reflected a diverse representation of the five states of the geopolitical zone, Onwu, noted: “It will be pertinent at this juncture to even say that the list of nominees approved by President Tinubu reflects a diverse representation from the five states of the South East.”

“This includes notable individuals such as Mark C. Okoye, Managing Director (MD) (Anambra); Emeka Wogu, Chairman (Abia); Sylvester Okonkwo, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs (Anambra); Toby Okechukwu, Executive Director, Projects (Enugu); Anthony Agbo, Executive Director, Infrastructure (Ebonyi) ; Clifford Ogbede, Executive Director, Agriculture (Imo); Stanley Ohajuruka, and Executive Director, Finance (Abia); Ugochukwu Agballah (Enugu).

“Others are; Okey Ezenwa (Anambra); Hyacinth Ikpor (Ebony); Chidi Echeazu (Anambra); Ifeanyi Agwu (Imo); Nasiru Usman (North West); Hamman Adamu AG Kumo (North East); Edward David Onoja (North Central); Orure Kufre Inima (South South); Daniel Akwari (Abia) and Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma (South West).

“It is clear that Arodigbo’s campaign of calumny against Deputy Speaker Kalu will not yield any positive results. Instead of spreading misinformation and maligning Kalu’s character, Arodigbo should focus on supporting the young leader’s legislative efforts to bring democracy dividends to the South East.

“In fact, Deputy Speaker’s exceptional leadership qualities and his legislative sagacity have endeared many people to APC in the South East already and APC will not lose voters in the South East,” he wrote in the statement, denying that Kalu influenced the list of nominees.