HURIWA laments renewed exclusion of South-East from national projects

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in strong terms the persistent marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone in the allocation of national infrastructure projects, key appointments, and federal development initiatives.

The association described the pattern of the alleged systemic exclusion as both unacceptable and unconstitutional, calling on senators and political leaders from the region to maintain relentless pressure on federal authorities to reverse the injustice and uphold equitable governance in Nigeria.

A statement signed by the national coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Sunday, said the renewed outcry follows the alarming revelation that the South East was once again excluded from a N3.2 trillion irrigation project of the Federal Government, spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

“The multi-trillion-naira initiative, set to benefit other regions of the country through comprehensive irrigation infrastructure, has no provision whatsoever for any part of the South East,” the group said.

HURIWA expressed dismay that this fresh slight comes barely a month after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) came under scrutiny for serious irregularities in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of students from the region, adding that to date,  the exam body has failed to transparently disclose the actors behind what was tagged a “human error.”

“The continuous exclusion of the South East from key national projects is becoming intolerable and clearly indicative of systemic discrimination.

“How can a region that is part and parcel of the Nigerian federation be repeatedly sidelined in project planning, appointments, and budgetary allocations with no consequences or official remorse?”

The rights group hailed the intervention of South East senators—Kenneth Eze (Ebonyi State), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia State), and Osita Ngwu (Enugu State)—who raised the issue of the irrigation project’s regional exclusion on the floor of the Senate.

“Senator Eze particularly faulted the non-inclusion of the Anambra–Imo River Basin Development Authority in the 2025 irrigation scheme and emphasized that viable projects such as the Ivo Dam in Ebonyi State, Uzuakoli, Igbere, and Abba dams in Abia State qualified for consideration under the N38 billion phase of the programme.

“The motion was stepped down to allow Senate leadership interface with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, describing the exclusion as a possible “administrative oversight,” it said

“When an act of marginalisation repeats itself so frequently and across different sectors, it becomes implausible to dismiss it as a mere oversight,” Onwubiko asserted.

“This is the latest in a long string of evidence that the South East is being deliberately reduced to a footnote in national development planning. It is time our senators, governors, ministers, and leaders spoke with one voice and maintained sustained advocacy. Nothing will be given unless we persistently demand what is ours.”

The rights group cited several other examples of exclusion to back its claim.

“Among them is the consistently lopsided distribution of key federal appointments under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “Of the 49 ministers in his cabinet, only five are from the South East. Worse still, only two of them hold substantive portfolios—far less than other regions. In a batch of 21 new federal agency appointments announced on May 23, 2025, the South East secured only two slots—despite comprising one of the six zones in the federation.

“In the critical area of national security and defense, the pattern is no different. In a document released by the Presidency in November 2024 detailing 20 major military and paramilitary appointments, the South East was allocated just one position, with the North West and South West dominating the list,” HURIWA frowned.

HURIWA also recalled that during the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, the South East was not considered in the construction of the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, part of Nigeria’s flagship National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP). The rail modernization plan that was expected to transform national logistics and commerce similarly treated the South East as an afterthought, allocating only narrow-gauge rail lines to the region, while other zones received standard-gauge networks.

“Even the painful echoes of Buhari’s infamous ‘dot in a circle’ remark still reverberate in the actions of government today,” HURIWA lamented. “It is time to put a stop to this institutional exclusion and begin to treat all Nigerians as equal stakeholders in the national project.”

HURIWA urged the Tinubu-led administration to walk the talk of “Renewed Hope” by ensuring inclusive governance. “The National Assembly must ensure oversight functions are exercised to prevent any section of the country from becoming a sacrificial lamb of national neglect,” the group warned.

The association concluded by calling on South East senators to keep the issue of regional exclusion on the front burner of national discourse until equity is achieved. “The South East must not retreat. We must not let this go unnoticed. From budget allocations to key projects, and top appointments, the South East deserves its fair share,” HURIWA emphasized. “There is no unity without justice.”