The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said that the insecurity pervading the southeastern part of the country has led to huge losses to the region in particular and the entire country at large.
Kalu, who spoke when a group of Nollywood actors and musical icons from the southeast visited him to show support for the peace in southeast project said the region has lost over N3.8 trillion in revenue to the sit at home while the transport sector has lost about N13 billion.
The deputy speaker also said the insecurity las led to crippled small businesses, while night life has been brought to naught with fear becoming the order of the day, while south easterners no longer want to visit the region.
He said: “A shadow now falls across a section of the nation. The vibrant streets of the South East, once bursting with creative energy, now echo with the whisper of fear. The economic engine that powered your dreams and fueled your talents is taking an unfortunate halt. It calls for a concern.
“You will agree with me that the statistics paint a grim picture: trading losses of up to N3.8 trillion due to the sit-at-home on Mondays, transportation sector losses of up to N13 billion, and small businesses have been crippled by daily losses due to the violence.
“The transport and nightlife sectors, lifelines for countless artists and vendors, stand decimated. This is not just a statistic; it is a human story – your story, the story of your colleagues, your families, and your communities. And I know that you know that this is real. It has affected part of us and all of us.”
While stressing that the shadow cast by insecurity extends far beyond economic losses, suffocating the very breath of creativity, Kalu recalled the days of vibrant Highlife rhythms filling the airwaves and the captivating storytelling of “New Masquerade” with Chief Zebrudaya?
He added: “That fertile ground for artistic expression has grown barren. Fear stifles collaboration, and inspiration withers under the weight of uncertainty. Young talents daily flee in search of an environment where their dreams can take flight, leaving the region’s cultural landscape depleted.
“If it doesn’t hurt or give you a concern, it does to me, not just as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the eye of the South East in the federal government, but as a person and lover of the south east and Nigeria.
“The ripple effects of insecurity touch every fiber of society. From shuttered shops to deserted streets, social life and cultural vibrancy are dimmed. Man hours lost add up to diminished national GDP, a blow not just to the South East’s economy, but to the entire nation’s progress.
“We face a stark reality – most talented young people, including yourselves seated here, do not find the Southeast an enabling environment for their aspirations. This exodus cripples not just your industry, but the arteries of national success because your success in your field is the success of the region, the nation and the world.
“What you create in your little corners across south east resonates across the globe. I hear them when I walk through the halls of malls, streets of malls all around the world. People celebrate you and this is why this engagement is important.”
The deputy speaker who lamented the decline in the Igbo Apprenticeship System which was once lauded by Harvard and credited with fueling post-civil war recovery said this system and its potential decline and contribution to the present challenges in the region must be critically examined.
He maintained that while the economy thrives on the free flow of people and ideas, saying “when fear curtails movement, when creativity is choked by the grip of violence, the very lifeblood of economic growth stagnates.
Kalu noted: “We cannot prosper when artists cannot perform; when businesses cannot operate; when the vibrant heartbeat of the region is silenced. You have a role to play. You are important that’s why you are in this room.
“In our stakeholders mapping, you occupy a very important, extremely position. Not the business men, politicians alone but you because through your arts, you engage with the people. You stimulate a socialization process that through acculturation lives are changed, mindsets of people are channeled towards what will build us rather than what will destroy us.
“You are important. We recognize that. Your gifts must be celebrated. This time around it will be celebrated in peace. You will start a conversation with your gifts. Your gift is what that region and the nation need because you construct the nation through your actions. We need your input. And I pray you will answer this clarion call for nation building.
“Do we want a southeast where all the best of us in the creative economy have to carry out all their artistic endeavors outside the region due to the insecurity?
“Yet, even in the face of such darkness, your light shines brighter. You, who build bridges with melody, and forge connections through shared laughter and tears in movies and comic skits, know this: Peace is not merely the absence of violence; it is the symphony of hope and opportunity sung in unison”.
“According to the late George Obiozor, who was a quintessential Elder statesman during his impactful time with us, “The Igbos are not at war with anybody”, and rightly so. This profound statement asks us to transcend conflict and embrace the shared humanity that binds us. It urges us to seek understanding over division, and collaboration over discord.
“The Igbos, known for their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, have always sought to build bridges, not walls. Their history is one of overcoming adversity, not perpetuating it. In this spirit, let us honor Obiozor’s words by building a future where dialogue replaces violence, and cooperation fuels progress.
“That is why, in response to the challenges of the South East, a different kind of song is rising – the song of the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P). PISE-P is not about guns and boots; for the sounds of fun and the barrels of guns have not helped us in solving the problem in south east.
“Militarization has not helped us. Kinetic approach to resolving the problem has not been the best solution. If it is not, then there must be something out there that is better than the guns. It is about education, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and cultural revival. It is about restoring the fertile ground where your talents can take root and soar.
“These are the tools, pillars upon which PISE-P stands. How do we use what we have to create peace? How do we use what we have to create peace? How do we bring in those one who are in the bush, offer them free education to train? How do we use entrepreneurial skills to give them sense of inclusion by telling those people who are angry and agitating?
“We can help you start a life. How do we use agriculture, we have arable land, fertile land across south east, how do we introduce mechanized farming, increase more people that we will employ there, reduce unemployment rate in the south east, calms the nerves of those who are agitating, focus them where they can go and produce more for the nation through our region.
“How do you use infrastructure? How do we bring in those in the hinterlands and calms the nerves of those who feel they are not included. I can go on and on. This is what PISE-P stands for. We can no longer wait for government to do it for us. That’s why we are coming up with this platform which we must buy into to raise funds all around the world.
“There are organizations that are interested in peace and if building infrastructure will bring peace, they will come. If building those health centres will bring peace, they will come and partner with us.
“If redefining agriculture to mechanized farming will bring peace, they will come. If increasing the number of class room blocks will bring peace, they will come. But they are looking for a platform. PISE-P is that platform”.
“Non kinetic approach to conflict resolution is the new thing. It has worked in so many places and it is going to work in south east. I am tired of the blood of my brothers on the streets. You should be. Whatever explanation that is given behind it is irrelevant.
He further stated: “I am tired of the market being burned down. I am tired. You should be. I am tired of students not going to school on Monday, losing their aspiration in academic and education, of you are not tired, I am and you should be.
“I am tired of complaining of government not building infrastructure when we can come together through the gifts God can has given to us, use a platform that many organizations around the world are looking for to be able to intervene. I can’t wait for the government anymore. They will do their part; we will do our part. Let’s think about what we can do for Nigeria starting from our zone and I know you can do it.
“Let us, in the spirit of your craft, rewrite the narrative. Let us replace the discord of violence with the harmonious chords of collaboration. Let us ensure that the South East becomes, once again, not just a stage for your talents, but a canvas for your dreams to flourish.”
In their separate responses, the Nollywood stars promised to be part of the project with their creative talents and skills to restore peace in the south east.
Zack Orji said: “We are willing to partner with you. We have some projects; in due time we will be discussing some of it with you. We are looking forward to 29 December where we will be in one place to drive a message home. We are optimistic thereafter there will be peace in the South East.”
Similarly, Benedict Johnson said: “I’m supporting this cause because I want a safe Igboland. Igbos are not known for killing each other, we are highly hospitable people. I plead with my colleagues to take this very seriously. We should mobilise people and make them understand the importance of peace in the southeast.”
On his part, Fransis Duru said: “I am elated because you presented a problem, defined an approach and embraced a technique. A non-kinetic approach. I hope you will not go off.
“There are so many persons waiting for this. You called, we answered, but let it not be said we answered and you left us. Please, don’t let the candle go off. We’ve started and we are not going back.”
Yul Edochie on his own said: “History will be kind to you, sir. You have started something laudable. We are in support of this. We can come up with a lot of strategies for peace in the Southeast.”
