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Tony Udemba
A socio-cultural group, Igbo National Stakeholders’ Assembly (INSA), has berated the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for excluding Igbo from the leadership of the National Assembly, saying the action is contrary to the provisions of section 14 of the Nigerian constitution on federal character.
The group’s President General, John Uche, during a press conference, stated that Igbo were disappointed with the outcome of the election of the National Assembly leadership which excluded them, thereby contradicting the provisions of section 14 of the constitution on federal character.
“Having zoned the president to the North West, vice president to the South West, Senate president to North East, Senate deputy resident and deputy speaker to South South and North Central respectively, the speakership position should have been zoned to the South East,” he said.
He stated that the speakership slot zoned to the South West which had already produced the vice president was an expression of nepotism and hatred for Igbo.
“All judicial heads are from other five geopolitical zones, excluding South East. The only position left is the Secretary General of the Federation which should be given to Igbo, Ogbonnaya Onu, to be precise.”
He accused the ruling APC of planning and executing the act against South East aimed at further alienating them from key leadership positions in the nation, even as he referred to the action as a “clear demonstration that Igbo is not part of the entity known as Nigeria.”
The leader of INSA added that it was a slap on the entire Igbo nation and a disgrace to Igbo who are members of APC.
Uche noted that it was appalling that the APC-led administration was dividing the country the more at a time peace and unity was needed most, just as he maintained that those applauding President Muhammadu Buhari on the trend of events in the country were enemies of Nigeria.
“The divide and rule game being practised by a political party which claims to have national outlook only in words is creating more problems.”
He noted that the unity of the nation has been jeopardised for the personal gratification of a few in the corridors of power, while lamenting that the clarion call by elder statesmen and patriotic stakeholders to unite Nigeria has fallen on deaf ears. He accused current politicians of being over desperate and in the game not to better Nigeria but for their personal gains.
