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Hardship: Why South East is quiet – Josef Onoh replies Usman Yusuf
Former Spokesman of President Bola 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 is presently 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 not good enough for Nigeria leadership or any other substantial inclusive infrastructure.
Onoh spoke against the backdrop of the recent television interview by former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, who while expressing surprise against the worsening economic hardship said,
“I honestly don’t know why the South East is quiet, uncharacteristically quiet, but the President needs to find out.“
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 had 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 for 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 tried to exercise some certain levels of franchise.
“The South East is quiet because they are always the region that various forms of hostilities of extreme levels are leveled against once there is crisis in Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because they are the only region that are threatened by withdrawal of sales, supplies and distribution of food, livestock and all agricultural produce by a certain region once they express divergent views in the same Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because we are the least employed in the CBN, FAAN, NPA and all major Federal Government Agencies and Departments in Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because we are the only region without anything to leverage upon except our resilient spirit to persevere even in the darkest scenarios.
“The South East is quiet because they are the only region that is heavily discriminated against by other regions in Nigeria, while we are meant to be one Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because it is the only region that their Regional Ministerial appointment was withheld during the current Ministerial appointments.
“The South East is quiet because they are the least beneficiaries of any government policies in Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because the current government which I worked tirelessly for has not shown them any sign of fellowship and has been the only government that has fully isolated them to the point they don’t feel like they are part of Nigeria.
“The South East is quiet because we are the only region in Nigeria that the cost of airfare from other regions in the same Nigeria is the most expensive and most exploited every festive season.
“The South East is quiet because the extent of neglect the region has received from the Federal Government has made it more expensive for us to die and cheaper to be alive in continuous frustration.
“The south east is quiet because they have lived under extreme hardships, that even in the midst of abundance they have only known hardship and hardship has become an accepted way of life for them in Nigeria. They have lost the will to dream and their children have grown hoping for the hopeless.
“They have lost the will to come together and build a nation because they are too frail to even have the luxury to dream dreams.
“They have lost the ability to have a goodnight sleep because they only know suffering inflicted by certain government policies that affect their businesses and imports. Successive Politicians, presidential candidates, and ministers have lied to them during campaigns of what they will do for the region. It is now expected, and it is now accepted by the region.
“They are of course correct to invade the high moral ground, but in the real world, the South Easterners gave up long ago.
“Dishonesty from the Nigerian Government no longer has political consequences because they expect no better from Nigeria.
“Rather, they are now a region that simply sit and watch successive governments put more effort into crafting words to avoid telling the truth than there is invested into drafting a complex policy and working out what is good for the country.
“Finally, we need to transform the political narratives and perceptions of Nigeria from a nation saturated by looters instead of leaders hence I urge the President to strengthen the EFCC and unbundle every political shackles that has interfered with their duties from prosecuting the so called sacred cows, Nigeria isn’t India that has abundance of sacred cows. the South East is quiet because we do not have the political luxuries, influence, entitlement and benefits the same region asking why we are quiet has continuously basked in its glory.
“The North has held and produced Presidents, the South-South and South West but not the South East hence we see it as a problem between a husband and his wives while we are the houseboy.
“The same North asking why we are quiet today forgot that they told us we are a dot in a circle so why has the dot become important now.
“When we had tears to shed, no region wiped away our tears. When we had a voice to shout, they said we were mad. When we cared, they said we had other motives.
“Today we are the least represented region in the current administration, we feel we are not wanted, we feel we are hated, we feel isolated, we feel distant, we feel the current administration doesn’t care about us hence we have continuously lived under a state of hardship and hopelessness that we don’t have any more tears to shed nor voice to shout.
“We have been so traumatized to the extent that we now laugh rather than cry but our laughter is actually the highest level of wailing.
“Unfortunately, we feel your pain, your cry and we hear your message loud and clear but unfortunately we are helpless to offer any support or assistance.
“Our only message is “welcome to the club.” Nigerians are suffering but we the South Easterners have never known anything other than hardship and suffering. We are constantly treated like outcasts in our country.
“Irrespective of the above, I still believe in President Bola Tinubu, he might not have all the solutions but if we come together as a nation irrespective of whether we like each region or not, I believe a variegated group must agree they want to be a people, preserving our tolerant permissive society and to achieve that we must have the will power to do so.
“My advice to the President is simple, “the problem with Nigeria is political, the supposed technocrats and 90 percent of your current appointees have failed you with exception of Nyesom Wike, his response and actions in taming the politically orchestrated kidnappings in the FCT to cripple your administration is a testament to my position that your technocrats have failed you because they know nothing about the political problems affecting Nigeria nor have the structure to support you in moving the country forward.
“They only wait for the master to show the Jagaban magic and have left you to be a lone sailor, sailing against turbulent waters.
“It’s time to reshuffle your cabinet because you can’t fight politicians using technocrats who are best suited to work as lecturers in a university environment. Same politicians and their political structure made you the revered Jagaban of today, a magician can never perform his magic without his wand, hence it’s time to pick up your wand.
“Until the current government changes its political position on the South East and show inclusiveness, and be fully integrated into the government and treated as equals,the APC led government isn’t accepted in the South East because the faith of the entire region is decided by only two APC stakeholders and the administration accepts their position and recommendations as what’s best for the region without looking deeper to see the extreme disconnect between their choices and the true choices of the region.
“Until these reservations are holistically and politically given attention, be assured that the South East will remain deaf and dumb without the will power to see our nation or the current administration from a different light outside the hardship and suffering they have always known and dealt with in Nigeria.”
Vanguard
Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Governing Board of the South-South Development Commission, SSDC, Chibudom Nwuche, has urged the Federal Government to grant amnesty to repentant cultists and militant youths in the Orashi area of Rivers State who are willing to lay down their arms and embrace peaceful and productive lives.
Nwuche also called for the rehabilitation, reorientation and reintegration of such youths into society, saying the initiative would help restore peace and security to the troubled communities.
The Orashi area comprises Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas of the state.
Nwuche made the appeal through his representative, Chief Kingdom Ajugo, at the commencement of the 2026 Upata Folklore, Ele, at Ula Upata, Ahoada East Local Government Area, on Tuesday.
He expressed concern over the deterioration of security in Ahoada and other parts of the Orashi region, saying the area had witnessed killings and various forms of criminality.
He recalled the gruesome killing of the then Divisional Police Officer, DPO, late CSP Bako Amgbashim, whom he described as a dedicated, intelligent and gallant police officer.
According to him, several appeals have been made to Rivers State government for an amnesty programme for repentant youths in the area, with no action taken.
Nwuche, therefore, appealed to the federal government, particularly the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, headed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to consider an amnesty programme for repentant cultists and violent youths.
He said the programme should include proper rehabilitation, reorientation and reintegration measures to enable beneficiaries become productive members of society.
He also appealed to youths still involved in cultism, kidnapping, robbery and other criminal activities to abandon violence and embrace legitimate livelihoods.
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“Those who are still carrying guns and killing our people indiscriminately should stop and accept amnesty and be ready to be reintegrated into society,” he said.
Nwuche said the predominantly farming and trading Ekpeye people should be able to carry out their legitimate businesses without molestation, harassment or fear.
He said hundreds of Ekpeye people had lost their lives to cultism and related violence over the years, declaring that the situation must end.
He urged traditional rulers, community leaders, government and the people to work together to restore peace, insisting that Ekpeye land could no longer be allowed to become a haven for criminals.
Urges Ekpeye unity
Nwuche also urged Ekpeye traditional rulers to provide exemplary leadership and work together to advance the interests of the people.
He appealed to the people of Upata to support their monarch, Eze (Dr.) Felix E. Otuwarikpo, Eze Igbu Upata III, and preserve the cultu ral heritage of the kingdom.
He described the annual Upata Folklore as an important platform for promoting unity, culture and hospitality among the people.
The monarch had earlier declared the 2026 celebration open, describing it as an enduring tradition through which the people celebrate their culture and heritage following the harvest season.
Use your votes wisely in 2027
On politics, Nwuche urged the people of Ekpeye to vote wisely in the 2027 general elections, saying they should support politicians who had demonstrated commitment to the development of the area.
“We have seen and known all those seeking our votes, and I will therefore urge you not to waste your votes but to support those who have shown attention and developed Ekpeye land,” he said.
Nwuche also spoke in support of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid and the political platform associated with FCT Minister and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.
He said he would, at the appropriate time, tour Ekpeye and the wider Orashi region to mobilise support for the political coalition led by Wike.
He recalled projects executed during Wike’s tenure as Rivers State governor, saying they remained significant to the development of Ekpeye land.
The event attracted traditional rulers, chiefs, community leaders, women and youth groups, students and representatives of Ahoada East and Ahoada West local governments. It featured cultural displays, traditional dances, goodwill messages and presentation of gifts to the monarch, chiefs and participants.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, on Wednesday alleged that some pilgrim boards have been involved in corrupt practices in the country.
Olukoyede stated this at the Inter-Religious Council meeting in Abuja and the public presentation of the commission’s inter-faith manual to religious bodies.
While speaking about past investigations carried out by the commission, the EFCC chairman spoke on how monies released by government for both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages were siphoned.
He urged Christian leaders to use their platforms to champion the anti-corruption fight, explaining that the moral dignity of honest living must return through preaching.
Olukoyede also underscored the importance of the inter-faith manual in addressing topical issues that affect religious adherents.
The EFCC, therefore, urged religious leaders to deploy their influence to sharpen the conscience of their faithful as part of Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
The leaders of the two major religions in the country, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh, in their separate remarks, emphasis end the importance of fostering unity for a better Nigeria and leading the effort against corruption in the country.
The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, said the second edition of the anti-corruption preaching and teaching manual was developed through the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the EFCC.
He said the manual and facilitators’ guides were designed to assist Christian and Muslim preachers in communicating authentic religious teachings against corruption while promoting peaceful coexistence.
Omonokhua said, “No nation can flourish in the face of corruption at all levels,” adding that a religious leader involved in corrupt practices could not claim to uphold the teachings of his faith.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu, said religious leaders and other stakeholders had a role to play in addressing insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.
Akume said violence, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and terrorism had left many Nigerians afraid, including parents who were reluctant to send their children to school.
He said religious leaders, traditional rulers and the government must work together to counter narratives of division and conflict.
The event was attended by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh; the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; former JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar El-Kanemi, among others.
The EFCC has previously identified engagement with faith-based organisations as part of its preventive anti-corruption strategy, including the development of interfaith manuals for Christians and Muslims.
• Enugu Air CEO: Enugu becoming a gateway
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the first-ever international service by Enugu Air, describing it as a major milestone in his administration’s vision to grow Enugu State into a major aviation hub and make it the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.
Speaking at a brief ceremony at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Wednesday, Mbah, who heaped commendations on the leadership of the state-owned airline for the fast growth of Enugu Air, said it was not an isolated story, but a part of connecting the dots as his administration strives to grow Enugu State into a $30 billion economy.
“Months ago, right here, we watched Enugu take to the skies. In just barely six months after a rigorous regulatory process, Enugu Air obtained her Air Operator’s License. This is not a mean feat.
“Today, 14 months after, we can see that dream flying beyond our expectations, as Enugu Air is one of the fastest-growing airlines in Nigeria, without a doubt.
“But we did not conceive of Enugu Air as a bragging right or because of the clamour, or to gain some political acclaim. Enugu Air is part of the masterplan to make Enugu State the premier destination for investment, living, business and tourism. For us, Enugu Air is part of connecting the dots,” he stated.
Mbah described Enugu Air as a campaign promise kept, saying the Enugu–Douala service was the beginning of many more international flight operations to many parts of the world.
“What you are seeing here today is performance above promises. So, we ask you to judge us by the things we have promised and have delivered to you.
“Besides, today is Douala, but I am hoping tomorrow, we are not only going to be talking about the continent of Africa, we will be talking about Enugu to the world,” he added.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu “for consistently demonstrating his commitment to aviation infrastructure and for the support he is also giving to the states to enable us to create businesses like Enugu Air,” commending also the Minister of Aviation and Aerodrome Development, Festus Keyama, SAN; and the agencies under him such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) supporting Enugu Air’s growth and making Nigeria a standard bearer in the African aviation industry.
Speaking, Enugu Air CEO, Capt. Tolu Ita, said Enugu Air was not merely launching a flight, stressing, “we are launching a new chapter.”
“This is a chapter in which Enugu is no longer simply where a journey begins or ends. Enugu is becoming a gateway.
“Today, much bigger than an aircraft will be moving across our skies. Opportunity will be moving. Business will be moving. People will be moving. Ideas will be moving. And Enugu will be moving with them. This is what makes today so significant.
“Enugu Air was never built with the vision to simply put aircraft in the sky. The vision was to build an airline that connects people, connects markets and connects possibilities.
“We began by strengthening our domestic network — connecting Enugu with Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Owerri, Asaba, Benin City and Warri.
“Today, we take our first major step beyond Nigeria. Enugu to Douala. Nigeria to Cameroon. The Southeast to Central Africa. And this is only the beginning.
“Our ambition is to continue building a stronger regional network across Africa, while progressively opening the door to wider international markets,” she said.
In growing Enugu Air, Ita reaffirmed the airline’s responsibility and commitment to authorities, passengers, and all stakeholders, upholding the highest operational and ethical standards.
In her goodwill message, the Managing Director/CEO of the FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, said Enugu Air’s inaugural international flight was “a strong statement of Nigeria’s growing capacity to connect7 people and businesses across West and Central Africa.”
Represented by Mrs. Onyeka Udenze, the7 FAAN DG said, “Akanu Ibiam International Airport now takes a firm step as a regional hub.”
While congratulating Enugu Air for the fast growth in 14 months, she assured that FAAN remained committed to providing the infrastructure, safety standards and support that make such services possible.
The DG of NCAA, represented by the Director of Air Transport Regulations, FAAN, Mrs. Olayinka Babaoye-Iruobe, said connecting Enugu to Douala directly represented would create opportunities for increased trade, investment, tourism, and movement of people, while strengthening social and economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, said the new service to Douala marked a monumental leap forward in the state’s trade, investment, and economic integration strategy.
“For decades, the vibrant traders, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs of Enugu and the broader region have navigated complex transit routes to access Central African markets.
“Today, that barrier is dismantled. This direct link directly advances our goal of transforming Enugu State into a premier regional hub for commerce and industrial development. We are now effectively bridging markets, shortening supply chains, and unlocking unprecedented opportunities for cross-border commerce across Central and West Africa,” he said.
The Maiden flight, which departed Akanu Ibiam International Airport in the early hours of the afternoon, touched down safely at the Douala International Airport where it was well received by the Cameroonian authorities in a brief ceremony before it returned to Enugu on the history trip.
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