Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has expressed anger over the exclusion of the entire South-East from first phase disbursement of the students’ loan.

This is coming amid claims that tertiary institutions in the region was marginalised by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

It could be recalled that the Federal Government, through NELFUND, announced last week that N2.9 billion had been disbursed to 27, 667 students as the first set of beneficiaries of the loan scheme across 19 tertiary institutions in the country.

The list excluded potential beneficiaries from the South-East.

In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike described the development as unacceptable.

Okwu, who said the reasons given by the NELFUND was unjustifiable, noted that it flies in the face of reason for the managers of the loan to state that no tertiary institution in the South-East met the criteria.

“We completely reject the reason adduced by NELFUND as to why the South-East was conspicuously sidelined in this first phase disbursement of the Federal Government loan.

“Without mincing words, we find this as a continuation of the age-long marginalisation of Ndigbo by some persons who don’t want the best for this country.

“We the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide reject in its entirety the claims made by NELFUND and demand that the South-East should be fully integrated into the programme.

“It is saddening that our people have continued to receive second class treatment in this country. This should not continue under the current administration, which has received enormous goodwill and support from Ndigbo more than any other zone,” Okwu cautioned.

He, however, urged authorities of the various tertiary institutions in the zone to do the needful and not become a stumbling block to the future of students.

“All those who have a role to play in the verification exercise should sit up and do the needful without further delay.

“Failure to do so, we shall mark them as enemies of the youths. Our future should not be toyed with any longer,” he warned.