*Condemn call by South East APC youths for withdrawal of appointment
Members and leadership of the United Professionals for Umuigbo Development Initiative, also known as Igbo United Professionals, have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mr. Obinna Ihedioha as one of the six Executive Directors of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
Recall that, in line with the provisions of the NRS Establishment Act, six Executive Directors were appointed into the management team of the Service, one from each of the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Mr. Ihedioha represents the South East geopolitical zone and has been appointed Executive Director, People, Stakeholders and Communications at the Nigeria Revenue Service.
The commendation was contained in a press release signed by the group’s Publicity Secretary, Barr. Collins Ikenna, and made available to journalists in Enugu, South East Nigeria.
Igbo United Professionals strongly condemned calls by a political group known as the South East APC Youths for the withdrawal of Mr. Ihedioha’s appointment, describing the move as politically motivated and contrary to the principles of meritocracy.
The group described the actions of the so-called South East APC Youths as not only unbrotherly, but also an act inconsistent with the culture, heritage, and values of the Igbo race, which the organisation seeks to promote.
According to the group, one of its core objectives is to foster unity, love, professional development, and socio-economic empowerment among Igbo professionals through networking, training, and capacity-building programmes.
Igbo United Professionals further described President Tinubu as a leader who places capacity above party loyalty when making appointments to sensitive positions, noting that this approach is evident in many of the appointments made so far by his administration.
“This is the quality of a leader who desires efficiency and service delivery for the general good of the people,” the group stated. “A leader who understands that party loyalists can be rewarded through other means, but not at the expense of the nation’s progress.”
The group described Obinna Ihedioha as a man of proven capacity with a strong track record of results across the organisations he has served.
“His recommendation to the President and the subsequent approval of his appointment were not accidental or based on political reward, but purely on merit,” the statement added.
Mr. Ihedioha brings to the role nearly 25 years of strategic leadership experience in project finance, infrastructure investment, governance, and public policy management. He previously served as Senior Adviser and Head of Strategy at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), where he managed an investment portfolio exceeding $4 billion.
The statement further noted that he played a pivotal role in establishing several flagship national platforms, including the Africa Sovereign Investment Platform, InfraCredit, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Development Bank of Nigeria, and RIPPLE (Renewable Investment Platform for Limitless Energy).
Igbo United Professionals urged the South East APC Youths to desist from actions that promote hate and discord among the Igbo people, advising them to resolve internal disagreements constructively rather than “washing dirty linen in public.”
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