By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
A pressure group, South-East Revival Group, SERG, has insisted on an alleged plot to remove the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, from office under the guise of zoning within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

This comes against the backdrop of denials by National Vice Chairman of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, that no such plot was in the offing.

The group warned those behind the alleged plot to desist from the move and allow the SGF focus on the job of contributing to the building of the nation at this critical time.

SERG in a statement said it was sad that people could engage in acts that amounted to distracting Chief Anyim, whose choice for the position of SGF was unanimously reached by the people of the South-East, after they initially rejected the position as being inferior to other posts in the country.

The group in the statement by its Co-coordinator-General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said:  “Anyim’s appointment was hailed across the country, especially considering that a man who was once the Senate President agreed to serve in the capacity of SGF just because the people of South-East nominated him and Mr. President accepted the nomination.

“When the people of South East zone nominated Chief Anyim, it was commendable that President Goodluck Jonathan accepted the nomination and the SGF has since then served with such humility that the office is now rated positively among Nigerians.’

“This is why it is troubling to discover that there are people who are bent on distracting this humble man in the performance of his duties.

“We are aware that a principal officer in the National Assembly, in collusion with his chief of staff, is among those causing distractions for Chief Anyim.

“We are already seeing their handiwork in the form of newspaper stories that are being planted to confuse people about the commitment, loyalty and patriotic zeal with which Chief Anyim does his work.

“It is on this note that we sound a note of warning that no amount of scheming will bring us back to those dark days. Pius Anyim is the Igbo choice for the position of the SGF which has been zoned to the South-East.”

“SERG is also aware that these schemers have made contact with prominent Igbo leaders with the sole aim of conscripting them to join the ranks of those with distracting  influences since they are desperate to disguise their activity as something that has the backing of the Igbo nation.

“The South East is resolute in getting its focus right as far as governance of Nigeria is concerned. It took quite some persuasion for the South East to accept the position of SGF, which we equated with sidelining the Igbo people.

“It is also on record that the Igbo people had the highest turnover of senate presidents in the history of Nigeria because of dirty scheming that went on when the office was zoned to us.

“It is on this note that we sound a note of warning that no amount of scheming will bring us back to those dark days. Pius Anyim is the Igbo choice for the position of the SGF, which has been zoned to the South-East.”