South East youth leaders support FCT director

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankoeze, to remain focused in discharging his duties.

The COSEYL, in a statement signed by its President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Okey Nwaoru, said it supports legitimate scrutiny of public officials but rejected what it described as attempts to use accountability mechanisms to intimidate, defame or unfairly target a professional. Project reports

The group questioned what it described as the sudden intensity of criticism surrounding the Director of Lands office since Nwankoeze took the position.

He argued that officials of different ethnic backgrounds had previously occupied sensitive positions within the FCT’s land administration system, raising concerns that the current campaign was focused more on the person occupying the office than on the policies and procedures that guide its operations.

According to COSEYL, accountability must be applied fairly and should not be influenced by ethnic considerations.

The group also expressed concern about what it described as attempts to create an impression of guilt against Nwankoeze before any relevant authorities had established wrongdoing.

The COSEYL stressed that the existence of a petition, accusation or request for investigation does not constitute evidence of misconduct, insisting that Nwankoeze, like every Nigerian citizen, has the right to the presumption of innocence, a fair trial and a fair opportunity to respond to any allegation against him.

The Group defends professional conduct

The organization recognized the sensitive nature of land administration in Abuja, stressing that the sector involves competing interests, real estate transactions, planning regulations and compliance with the Abuja Master Plan.

He said decisions made by officials in enforcing regulations could sometimes target powerful interests, stressing that disagreement with an administrative decision should not automatically result in personal attacks against the official responsible for its implementation.

COSEYL said the information at its disposal suggests that Nwankoeze had conducted himself as a professional public servant and had sought to fulfill his responsibilities within the framework of applicable regulations and the Abuja Master Plan.

He advised individuals or interests dissatisfied with decisions of FCT land administration authorities to use established institutional and legal channels to challenge such decisions rather than resort to what he described as personal defamation.

The group also called on relevant authorities to resist pressure from activists, political interests or ethnic sentiments when dealing with matters concerning public officials.

COSEYL challenges civil society groups

COSEYL also challenged civil society organizations involved in the campaign to ensure that their activities reflected the principles of justice, accountability and fairness they claimed to uphold.

The group accused some actors of selective outrage and double standards, arguing that accountability should not be pursued with varying intensity depending on the ethnic identity of the official involved.

“You cannot preach justice by practicing selective indignation,” the group said, urging civil society organizations to apply the same standards of scrutiny to all public officials.

The COSEYL said it would not remain silent if it believed that an Igbo professional was subjected to disproportionate scrutiny due to his or her ethnic origin.

He argued that his objection was not to investigations or accountability, but to what he described as selective accountability, ethnic prejudice and persecution masquerading as legitimate investigations.

The group also argued that Nigerian professionals should be able to occupy sensitive public positions anywhere in the country without being subjected to discriminatory treatment because of their ethnic identity.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Abuja belongs to all Nigerians,” the COSEYL said, stressing that public offices should be governed by competence, law and due process rather than ethnicity or intimidation.

Efforts to get a response from the FCTA remain fruitless.

The group approves the vote of confidence

COSEYL urged Nwankoeze to remain focused and professional in the discharge of his duties, assuring him of its support in what it described as the upholding of fairness, due process and equal treatment before the law.

The organization also expressed a vote of confidence in the FCT director of land administration, praising what it described as the positive things he had done in the FCTA and urging him to support his efforts.

The group warned that it would continue to speak out whenever it believed that the rights, dignity and legitimate interests of people of the South East were under threat anywhere in Nigeria.

However, he reiterated that his position should not be interpreted as opposition to accountability, saying he supported oversight of public officials where such oversight was based on facts, due process and equal application of the law.