Ahead The December 29th official unveiling of The Advocacy Group Peace in South-East Project, (PISE-P), the group has called on the people of South-East to embrace the project to tackle complaints about marginalisation of the zone.
The group, which has identified fundamental areas to engage youth of the zone after the unveiling to include: education, agriculture, commerce and industry, infrastructural development, culture and tourism, sports and entertainment, governance and leadership, noted that the PISE-P project is already gathering momentum in the South-East and beyond.
Speaking on Skills 87.7 FM, Okigwe on Saturday through a member of the PISE-P and a former lawmaker, that represented Arochukwu State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Mike Ukoha, The PISE-P, stated that various concerns of the South -East zone, including release of the leader of The Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, allegations of marginalisation, has been noted by the advocacy group.
He emphasized that the brain behind the formation of PISE-P, The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, had already met critical stakeholders at the Federal level and presented the blueprint through which the group intends to work with after unveiling, revealing that the non-kinetic approach would be employed to arrive at sustainable peace in South-East.
Hon. Ukoha hinted that the group after it is armed with requisite mandate an the 29th of December, 2023, would engage and jaw jaw with youths, women leaders among others, with a view to finding a permanent solution to issues fueling insecurity in the zone.
He said the group is also prepared to engage relevant stakeholders and work in synergy to end the Monday sit-at-home, stressing that those in the zone including the PISE-P, are not happy that schools, banks, commercial activities are grounded on Mondays while also reiterating that businesses have collapsed in the zone despite the zone being been known as beehive of economic activities over the years.
In his words, Hon Ukoha said, “no one is happy that economic activities, schools, among others are grounded on Mondays. We want to see peace restored in South-East, we want to hear complaints about marginalization of the zone reduced to the fringes. The PISE-P is poised to ensure that proper dialogue is applied to achieve sustainable peace in the zone.
Hon. Ukoha, who emphasized the place of the youth of the zone in realising the initiative of the project, added that the youth will feature prominently, as there will be programmes geared towards rehabilitating, re-integrating and reconciling all agitating groups in the zone, appealing to the people of the zone to work in tandem with this initiative of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Contributing during the programme, Ibrahim Hanza, a member of the PISE-P, and the former Senior Special Assistant to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives on Humanitarian Affairs, said peace is paramount not just in the South-East but to the entire country.
Hamza who recounted his working relationships with people from the South-East and how viable the zone is economically, said there is need to dialogue with people of the zone to ensure that the economic potentials inherent in the zone benefits the zone and the country at large.
He commended the brain behind the initiative, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu. saying that he believes that the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu will support this peace initiative.
Meanwhile, callers in during the programme, including: Emma, White, Evangelist Okeke, said the only way peace can be attained in the South-East geopolitical zone, is through the release of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu just as they prayed that the initiative, does not die a natural death after unveiling on the 29th of December.
