A coalition of accomplished political leaders and entrepreneurs from the South East, operating under the Eastern Conscience Group, has issued a stern warning against what they describe as "sponsored blackmail and propaganda" targeting the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

In a press statement signed by the group's convener, Evangelist Myke Ikoku, the organization condemned the spreading of falsehoods regarding alleged procurement of a "phantom and non-existent loan facility" by the commission.

The group expressed concern that such actions could undermine a critical developmental initiative for the Igbo people, which was facilitated by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

"This is a very uncharitable way to engage this long-awaited Igbo-centered developmental initiative by the current federal government," the statement read in part.

The Eastern Conscience Group called on all Igbo people, both at home and in the diaspora, to resist attempts to sabotage what they described as a "rare opportunity" to implement the unfulfilled 3R promise (Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration) made after the civil war.

According to the group, the commission has not yet received its budgetary allocation because the National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2024 budget until June 2025. They revealed that the management of the commission has been making personal sacrifices to keep operations running.

"We cannot under any guise become our own enemies," Ikoku stated, emphasizing the importance of unity in supporting the commission's work.

The group expressed gratitude to the SEDC management for their transparency and willingness to engage with stakeholders in the region. They highlighted the commission's ambitious mandate to address the infrastructural deficit in the South East and to rehabilitate, reconstruct, and reintegrate the region both infrastructurally and economically.

The South East Development Commission was established to spearhead development initiatives in the five states of the South East geopolitical zone, addressing decades of infrastructural neglect and economic challenges facing the region.