The lingering crisis rocking the apex-Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo
came to the fore at the weekend when
notable Igbo leaders, including governors,
ministers, national and state assembly
lawmakers boycotted the annual Igbo Day
celebration.
This is coming as the group's President-
General, Gary Igariwey, foreclosed the
possibility of an Igbo occupying the
presidency of the country by 2015, saying
Ndigbo could only aspire for the plum job
when President Goodluck Jonathan or any
other South-southerner would have served
out his eight-year unbroken rule.
However, apart from President Jonathan and
Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, who
were represented by Minister of Power, Prof.
Chinedu Nebo and Commissioner for Culture,
Joe Mammel, respectively, former Ministers of
Aviation and Health, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi
and Prof A.B.C. Nwosu, respectively, a
handful of traditional rulers, various cultural
groups, and other notable leaders were
absent.
In his speech, Jonathan acknowledged the
massive support he had continued to receive
from the people of the South-east since he
became president, pledging his commitment
to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring the
development of the zone.
"You have remained a pillar of support for my
administration; you have indeed given me
greater support than any other ethnic group
in the country. I want to also assure you that
I will not take your support for granted.
"As you are aware, my administration has
continued to make efforts towards addressing
the marginalisation of the zone. We are
already addressing the infrastructural deficit
in the zone; the international airport has
taken off and plans are underway to develop
it as one of the major aerotropolis in the
country. With the dredging of the River Niger
and the award of contract for the second
Niger Bridge, you can agree with me that the
South-east can no longer remain the same,"
he said.
The president further used the opportunity to
praise the Igbo people for the unwavering
belief in the unity of the country as evidenced
in the manner the people of the area have
continued to invest massively in every part of
the country.
"Igbos are resourceful, sociable, highly
industrious and have a strong republican
orientation," he said, and, therefore, urged
the people of the zone to rediscover and hold
tenaciously that the great attributes that made
the first and second republic Igbo leaders
thick.
Also speaking, Igariwey reviewed the place of
the Igbos in the country, noting that the event
called for a sober reflection.
"Our people have been expose to lots of
dangers; our people are killed recklessly by
Boko Haram and their properties destroyed.
Time has come for the federal government to
do all it can to check this ugly situation," he
said while calling on the people to cultivate
the habit of investing at home.
On the presidency of the country, Igariwey
lamented that the major challenge facing the
people of the South-east was their inability to
speak with one voice, noting that the only way
the people of the zone would get the
presidency would be for them to be united.
"Whether they like it or not, we remain the
largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Ohaneze made
it clear three years ago that we will seek the
presidency immediately after the South-south
would have completed its unbroken tenure
whether in 2015 or 2019.
"But let's us bear in mind that we have been
too quiet and that cannot get us the
presidency. The Yorubas fought for June 12
and eventually got the presidency with
Obasanjo; the South-south did the same and
were destroying pipelines and now they have
the presidency. Though, I am not advising
that we should destroy pipelines but we have
to show that we equally deserve to have the
presidency," he said.
On his part, the chairman of the occasion and
First Republic Minister of Aviation, Amaechi,
took a swipe at Igbo political office holders
especially governors, ministers and legislators
or having failed to take Igbo land to the next
level.
The elder statesman who went down memory
lane, lamented that unlike during the First
Republic when no serious decision was taken
in the country without inputs from the Igbos
was made, the South-east has been relegated
to the background, a problem he heaped on
the heads of the governors.
"Did we elect them to be blowing siren and
accumulating wealth? We gave them power so
they could use it to better the lot of the Igbo
man but unfortunately, they have failed us as
a people," he said, while calling for a
rediscovery.
socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo
came to the fore at the weekend when
notable Igbo leaders, including governors,
ministers, national and state assembly
lawmakers boycotted the annual Igbo Day
celebration.
This is coming as the group's President-
General, Gary Igariwey, foreclosed the
possibility of an Igbo occupying the
presidency of the country by 2015, saying
Ndigbo could only aspire for the plum job
when President Goodluck Jonathan or any
other South-southerner would have served
out his eight-year unbroken rule.
However, apart from President Jonathan and
Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, who
were represented by Minister of Power, Prof.
Chinedu Nebo and Commissioner for Culture,
Joe Mammel, respectively, former Ministers of
Aviation and Health, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi
and Prof A.B.C. Nwosu, respectively, a
handful of traditional rulers, various cultural
groups, and other notable leaders were
absent.
In his speech, Jonathan acknowledged the
massive support he had continued to receive
from the people of the South-east since he
became president, pledging his commitment
to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring the
development of the zone.
"You have remained a pillar of support for my
administration; you have indeed given me
greater support than any other ethnic group
in the country. I want to also assure you that
I will not take your support for granted.
"As you are aware, my administration has
continued to make efforts towards addressing
the marginalisation of the zone. We are
already addressing the infrastructural deficit
in the zone; the international airport has
taken off and plans are underway to develop
it as one of the major aerotropolis in the
country. With the dredging of the River Niger
and the award of contract for the second
Niger Bridge, you can agree with me that the
South-east can no longer remain the same,"
he said.
The president further used the opportunity to
praise the Igbo people for the unwavering
belief in the unity of the country as evidenced
in the manner the people of the area have
continued to invest massively in every part of
the country.
"Igbos are resourceful, sociable, highly
industrious and have a strong republican
orientation," he said, and, therefore, urged
the people of the zone to rediscover and hold
tenaciously that the great attributes that made
the first and second republic Igbo leaders
thick.
Also speaking, Igariwey reviewed the place of
the Igbos in the country, noting that the event
called for a sober reflection.
"Our people have been expose to lots of
dangers; our people are killed recklessly by
Boko Haram and their properties destroyed.
Time has come for the federal government to
do all it can to check this ugly situation," he
said while calling on the people to cultivate
the habit of investing at home.
On the presidency of the country, Igariwey
lamented that the major challenge facing the
people of the South-east was their inability to
speak with one voice, noting that the only way
the people of the zone would get the
presidency would be for them to be united.
"Whether they like it or not, we remain the
largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Ohaneze made
it clear three years ago that we will seek the
presidency immediately after the South-south
would have completed its unbroken tenure
whether in 2015 or 2019.
"But let's us bear in mind that we have been
too quiet and that cannot get us the
presidency. The Yorubas fought for June 12
and eventually got the presidency with
Obasanjo; the South-south did the same and
were destroying pipelines and now they have
the presidency. Though, I am not advising
that we should destroy pipelines but we have
to show that we equally deserve to have the
presidency," he said.
On his part, the chairman of the occasion and
First Republic Minister of Aviation, Amaechi,
took a swipe at Igbo political office holders
especially governors, ministers and legislators
or having failed to take Igbo land to the next
level.
The elder statesman who went down memory
lane, lamented that unlike during the First
Republic when no serious decision was taken
in the country without inputs from the Igbos
was made, the South-east has been relegated
to the background, a problem he heaped on
the heads of the governors.
"Did we elect them to be blowing siren and
accumulating wealth? We gave them power so
they could use it to better the lot of the Igbo
man but unfortunately, they have failed us as
a people," he said, while calling for a
rediscovery.
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