The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said the group is disturbed by President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of only five persons from the South-east as ministers while some other regions had nine ministers.
In a statement on Thursday by its President-General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the group demanded the appointment of more ministers from the South-east region to correct the alleged marginalisation of the region in the ministerial appointments.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo feels that it is unfair and unjust. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes in one united Nigeria and this can only be achieved in an atmosphere of fairness, justice and equity.
“We therefore demand justice, fairness and equity for every ethnic group in Nigeria including the Igbo,” the statement read in part.
President Tinubu submitted a total of 48 ministerial nominees with the majority of them confirmed by the members of the Nigerian Senate.
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The South-east region has the lowest number of nominees with five persons on the list.
The five ministerial nominees from the region are David Umahi (Ebonyi), Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra), Nkiru Onyejiocha (Abia), Uche Nnaji (Enugu) and Doris Uzoka (Imo).
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that some senators from the South-east, last week, demanded the appointment of two additional ministers from the region to ensure fairness and justice in the representation of all geopolitical zones in Mr Tinubu’s government.
One of the senators, Tony Nwoye (Labour Party – Anambra North), stressed that the insufficient ministerial representation from the South-east region in Mr Tinubu’s government does not promote national unity and national loyalty as enshrined in section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, would later promise that the leadership of the Senate would meet with Mr Tinubu very soon to table the matter before him.
More areas of marginalisation
Ohanaeze argued that beyond the recent ministerial appointments, the South-east has continued to suffer marginalisation in various areas beginning from the creation of states in Nigeria.
The group said that the creation of states in the country was carried out by successive military governments and that the South-east was shortchanged because they did not “play much part” in the exercise.
“As a result, the South-east was shortchanged with five states while other zones have a minimum of six states. This situation has placed the South-east in a very difficult position, politically, economically, and socially,” the group stated.
It added that the situation further resulted in the reduction of the number of senators, members of federal and state houses of assembly, governors, and local government areas.
“In federal revenue allocation, the South-east is denied the revenue that comes on the basis of states. In federal board appointments and other resource distributions, we are strategically short-changed,” Ohanaeze added.
The group noted that the alleged marginalisation of the South-east was not caused by Mr Tinubu given that it started long before he became the country’s president.
“We, however, appeal to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to help us remedy the situation and restore justice, equity and fairness in Nigeria,” it stated.
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