South-East-Governors (from left): Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Willy Obiano of Anambra, David Umahi of Ebonyi, Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia
‘Stop luring Buhari to S/East over inconsequential projects, ex-Ohanaeze spokesman blasts govs
Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of the World Igbo Peoples Assembly (WIPAS), Chuks Ibegbu, has warned southeast governors to stop luring President Muhammadu Buhari into commission inconsequential projects in the region.
Ibegbu, who is also the Immediate past spokesman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo spoke againstv te backdrop of Thursday’s one-day working visit to Imo by President Buhari to commission projects on the invitation of the state governor, Hope Uzodinma
According to Ibegbu, the commissioning of few kilometer roads in Igboland rather than federal projects of immense value to Ndigbo was inconsequential.
The WIPAS chieftain berated Buhari for ‘citing gigantic federal projects and rail projects only in the north and west while neglecting the southeast.’
“Buhari cited Air force University in Bauchi, Transport University in Daura, Military University in Biu, Modern rail line from Lagos to Kano, and from Katsina state to Niger Republic and so on.
“Which one did he cite even in Hope Uzodinma or Rotimi Amaechi local government or state? I don’t know the problem with these southeast and south south politicians.
“Are they slaves or useful idiots? The agitations in the east are the product of long years of marginalisation which has made our youths slaves in their land,” he said.
it would be recalled that Governor Uzodinma had disclosed that Buhari’s visit was intended to ‘address some political matters and some critical issues,’ in addition to commissioning some ‘significant projects’ while in Imo.
He had listed roads constructed through federal government/World Bank intervention and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management (NEWMAP) projects.
“Imo has been able to attract additional support from Mr. President on the management of some ecological problems in the state,” Uzodinma had said.
Continuing, Ibegbu called for the immediate release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, even as he praised the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, ‘for his patriotic stand on the Value Added Tax (VAT) matter.’
“Monkey cannot be working and baboons are chopping, let the solid mineral resources in the North be exploited and shared among the states in Nigeria,” he said.
The WIPAS BoT chairman further warned against quota system instead of merit in Nigeria’s educational sector.
“A situation a boy from Zamfara with a score of two will be admitted in a unity school, and a boy from Abia with 200 will not be admitted, and when the Zamfara boy graduates from university his job is assured when the Abia boy will be walking along the streets of Lagos and Abuja with rickety shoes for years without job and you expect him not to protest and agitate”.
