Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia state, Barr. Nnanna Ukaegbu has called on the delegates at the ongoing national conference to abolish the discrimination between indigenes and non indigenes in Nigeria.
Ukaegbu who stated this while receiving some disengaged non indigene workers from the Abia state civil service who called on him at his office, described it as a discriminatory policy which has continued to retard the development of the country.
“The non indigene system should be abolished in Nigeria because it is anti development. It is unfair to brand someone who was born in a place, has lived all his life there and pays all taxes and levies to develop the place as a non indigene. It doesn’t make sense. In America and other parts of the West, once you are born there, you are an automatic indigene with full rights.
“The issue of non indigene is one of the antics employed by politicians to cause disaffection among people. Does it mean that every Nigeria will go back to his state and work? This cannot help the development of the country. Let us de-emphasize these things that disunite us in this country. This policy of non indigene should be done away with, not just in Abia state, but Nigeria at large. The national conference should take a second look at the policy and abolish it,” he said.
The APGA boss condemned the recall of some of the disengaged workers, particularly those who are not from the South East zone and urge the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, Gov. Theodore Orji to rescind the policy in the interest of the unity of Ndigbo.
“I’m appealing to Gov. Theodore Orji who is now the Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum to totally rescind this policy because it is not in the interest of Ndigbo. If he can’t reinstate the workers, he should at least pay off their entitlements. Those who are due for retirement should be paid gratuity and pension for which they have worked for all their life. Until this visit, I could not understand the enormity of this problem because at a point non Igbos among them were recalled. You cannot chase away your brother to embrace somebody who one can call a stranger.”
He called on the other 35 governors to emulate Rivers state governor, Chief Chibuike Amaechi who recently abolished the policy of non indigeneship in his state.
