•It is a welcome development—Ohanaeze

•It’s a good idea—Ahamba,  SAN

•Let them be sincere, committed to their mission statement—Nwodo

•Restore security; release Nnamdi Kanu before talking of investment —Wabara

•PISE-P will add to the existing confusion in Igbo land —Chief Obika

By Anayo Okoli, Vincent Ujumadu, Steve Oko, Ugwueze Alumona & Emmanuel Iheaka

FOLLOWING the security crisis that devastated the South East region and ruined its economic and social life, an organization, Peace in South East Project, PISE-P has birthed to rebuild and give hope to people of the region.

The group aims to promote peace, stability, and sustainable economic and social development in the region.

To achieve this goal, the group said they have devised a non-kinetic approach based on seven vital areas: education, agriculture, commerce and industry; infrastructural development, culture and tourism, sports and entertainment, as well as governance and leadership to be sustained within the next five years.

The idea, according to them, is to ultimately restore the South East’s rightful place in the national political and economic space. The idea has already been sold to the Vice President, Kashim Shettima who endorsed it, an indication that the Federal Government is favourably disposed it.

Who are behind the project?

From its activities so far, it is clear that the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives,  Benjamin Kalu is leading a group of passionate Nigerians anchoring the project. He led the delegation to Vice President Kashim Shettima to market the project to him.

According to the PISE-P, their agenda encompass a range of transformative actions, such as identifying the root causes of conflicts, developing effective strategies for their management and re-orienting citizens towards national peace and unity.

They also include establishing and renovating schools in conflict-affected areas; enhancing teacher training, providing teaching materials, and establishing scholarship programmes for vulnerable and disadvantaged students. They will equally engage in entrepreneurship and vocational training for young people, establish business incubation centers and provide access to start-up.

The project coordinator, Ogbonna Ukuku, said the objectives of PISE-P “encompass a range of transformative actions, such as reorienting citizens towards national unity, identifying the root causes of conflicts, and developing effective strategies for their management” , among others. He emphasized that the overarching goal of PISE-P is to promote peace, stability, and sustainable development in the South Eastern region of Nigeria.

Explaining further, the Director of Programmes, Rt. Hon. Simon Karu, disclosed that renovating schools in conflict-affected areas, enhancing teacher training, providing teaching materials, and establishing scholarship programmes for vulnerable and disadvantaged students form part of their agenda. PISE-P, he said, “plans to establish business incubation centers, provide access to start-up capital, strengthen market linkages, support value chain development, and encourage the establishment of cooperatives and business associations”.

FG gives its blessing

During a visit to the Vice President by the group led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, the Vice President endorsed the concept, noting that the “approach is the most beautiful I have seen so far. We need to build bridges, there is a need for a handshake, that way, and those that have not been radicalized can be captured”.

He explained the wisdom in adopting a non-kinetic approach in addressing the security situation in the South East.

“Unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, a non- kinetic solution to the crisis in the South East must be explored and deployed. The most atrocious of wars are at the end of the day sorted out on the negotiation table. We have to reach out to the youths, we have to empower them. Once we empower them, the crisis, the agitation and insecurity will vanish”, the Vice President said.

It is a welcome development —Ohanaeze

Igbo apex social cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said although they are yet to be contacted or briefed on the activities of PISE-P, they welcome any idea aimed at bringing peace to the South East region.

“Sincerely,  I am not aware of such group, but it is a welcome development. Of course,  it is in line with the philosophy of the current leadership of Ohanaeze. We are prepared to offer any form of support or collaboration they may need from us”, Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze said.

It is a good idea —Ahamba

A leading Igbo leader, Chief Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, commended the initiative, saying that it is a good move.

Ahamba however expressed hope that something good comes out of it to the benefit of the entire South East. He maintained that the group should be given the chance to try its best towards making the zone better.

“I can only hope that something good should come out of it. It will be wrong to assume that nothing good will come out of it. Let’s give them a chance to try. It is a good idea”, Ahamba stated.

Let them be sincere, committed to their mission statement —Nwodo

The former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, in his reaction charged PISE-P to be sincere and committed to its mission statement.

Chief Nwodo, also a former National Chairman of PDP, said that the achievement of the goals of the group depends on the quality of personalities behind it. He warned against selling out the Igbo nation or using the zone to gain selfish favour from the Federal Government.

“The important thing is for their aim and objectives to be altruistic and for them to put the South East first, not to use the organization to have access to the Federal Government to sell out the Igbo nation”, he said.

Release Kanu before talking of investment —Wabara, ex-Senate President

Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara said that the most important initiative first by any group for South East should be how to restore security to the zone.

Senator Wabara argued that no meaningful investment would thrive  in the zone if the prevailing insecurity is in not frontally tackled first.

He further argued that the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would help to quell insecurity in the zone, and urged the Federal Government to comply with the subsisting court judgments which ordered Kanu’s release.

Salvation of South East has come — Ohuabunwa

Former Chairman, National Economic Summit, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, welcomed the initiative and described it as a good omen for the region.

“It is part of the signals of the ripeness of the time. When the time is ripe, things begin to happen. I believe this is the time God has decided to favour the South East.

“South East has been looking for salvation from somewhere else but it is clear their salvation will come from God, and from themselves. So, when you have this group and other initiatives rising up this way, there are other initiatives all about the same time, people focusing on South East, to make it competitive and make its contributions to the national economy”, and expressed hope that the initiative would reduce poverty, unemployment and social upheavals.

“Our youths should be ready to take the  opportunity. They should prepare themselves too because when preparedness meets opportunity, you call it good luck. They need to be ready and prepare themselves educationally and skill wise. The investment requires skills. They should get proper education”, Mazi Ohuabunwa.

Freedom for Nnamdi Kanu,only way forward—Chief Obika

A public affairs analyst in Anambra State, Chief Christian Obika argued that the only thing that would bring back peace and restore security in the South East is the release  of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

He said: “I am of the opinion that the problem of insecurity in the South East would be over if Nnamdi Kanu regains his freedom as all these people masquerading as Biafra agitators would no longer have a reason to continue. This so-called PISE-P is another outfit that could add to the existing confusion in Igbo land and I see it as an appendage of the political party in power.

“The Igbo man does not need this kind of group to know the right thing to do and those behind it only want to fester their political nests. If the governors of South East could not map out programmes for the development of the region and restoring peace in our various communities, what makes this group think that it would succeed where these governors fail?”.

However, for Chief Dominic Mbadiugwu, there is need to give the group opportunity to tell the people the programmes it has mapped out for the South East.

“Let us watch the group to know its real motive. Igbo people are intelligent enough to know when they are being used or deceived and I am sure that once they discover that members of the group want to use it to play politics, it will be dead on arrival,” Mbadiugwu said.