By Segun Adeyemi

Copyright pulse

The South East Youth Forum (SEYF) has urged the Federal Government to immediately release funds for the South East Development Commission (SEDC), warning that delays are worsening frustrations in the region.

Speaking in a statement on Thursday, September 18, SEYF convener, Obiora Osunkwo, described the withholding of funds as a betrayal of promises made when the SEDC was established.

“The inability of the SEDC to access its approved funds has rendered the commission handicapped and incapable of delivering the reconstruction, reintegration and reconciliation that the people of the South East were promised,” Osunkwo said.

He noted that the region has waited decades for the implementation of the “three Rs,” adding that the creation of the commission was seen as the tool to deliver those guarantees.

“We remind Mr President that the agitation in the South East remains intense and that promises unfulfilled deepen frustrations and widen the trust deficit between the region and the centre,” he said.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, had earlier revealed that despite presidential assent, board appointments and an approved budget, the SEDC has yet to receive its operational funds.

The youth forum warned that withholding funds undermines peacebuilding, stressing that development across agriculture, infrastructure, energy, trade and technology was essential for reducing insecurity.

“The SEDC is not just a development tool, it is also a peacebuilding mechanism,” Osunkwo added.

SEYF called on the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant-General’s office and other relevant agencies to publish a timetable for disbursement, while urging the SEDC to release a 100-day implementation plan.

“To the people of the South East we say: hold your peace but keep your vigilance; your demands for justice, development and dignity are legitimate and must be answered with concrete action and not mere rhetoric,” Osunkwo concluded.