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From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Simon Okeke has said that he has no doubts over ministerial slots due for Anambra State since it is a constitutional provision as he called for extradition of the factional leader of the IPOB, Simon Ikpa.
Chief Okeke in a media chat with some journalists in Anambra weekend said the State had made and continued to make significant contributions to the overall development of Nigeria and should, therefore, not be relegated to the background in giving appointments by any governement in power.
He said that nobody should be worried about Anambra State’s due ministerial slots coming to it, adding that anything contrary to that would amount to a constitutional breach.
The elder statesman took a look at what many now see as infrastructural decay especially roads in the South East geopolitical zone.
With a particular reference to a portion on Onitsha-Owerri expressway which has almost been divided into two by gully erosion, Chief Okeke said that spoke loudly of Federal Governement’s denial of infrastructural development in the South East. He regretted that Federal Governement had abandoned many roads under its list in the South East to be eaten away by the erosion.
He noted that the denial which he said extended to construction of railways across some major cities in Nigeria with the exclusion of the South East had not been addressed.
“Railways are put in different parts of Nigeria and even beyond with Nigerian money without any in the core South East, not a single construction. I have always advocated that there should be a railway line to link up the second Niger Bridge. I advocated that even before the construction of the second Niger Bridge started. Nobody listened to that. There should be a railway linking Nnewi-Onitsha across Asaba to Lagos.
“But you find railways with standard gauge being built across other places without the inclusion of the South East. It’s unfortunate, ” said the former police boss.
He talked about the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy which he said was not a bad policy by itself but he condemned the process of its removal.
He said the removal of the fuel subsidy should have followed a gradual process of some months and adequate palliatives made available to cushion the effect.
“The so-called N8,000 palliative for each Nigerian poor family is adding salt to injury. That doesn’t have any cushioning effect whatsoever. How do you determine and get the number of the poor families to pay N8,000? Who are handling the payment?
“You set aside N70 billion for the National Assembly; N35 billion for the judiciary and the rest to the Presidency. That’s nonsense. Why should it be so, ” he queried.
Chief Okeke also said that the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu was long overdue. He wondered why a court of competent jurisdiction should order the release of Kanu for quite some time now and the order was disobeyed.
He said it was a sign of anarchy in a country where court decisions were not respected. He insisted that there was no point and justifiable reason to still hold Kanu at DSS facility.
On the factional leader of the IPOB, Simon Ikpa he said: “Regarding Ikpa, who is 6,000 miles away causing havoc in Nigeria, it’s long overdue for him to be extradited.
He also noted that the insecurity situation in the South East could only be fixed through collaborative efforts of the five Governors of South East zone.
