The insecurity plaguing the northern region of Nigeria appears on a new cutting board as the leader of Igbo people in Kano raised new alarm over the treatment meted to the people of the south east region resident in Kano by the government of Rabiu Kwankwaso. The Igbo leader, as 247ureports.com gathered, accused the Kwankwaso administration of bias against Ndigbo.
The Igbo leader, Eze J.C Nnaji, addressed reporters in his palace in Kano today. In his address, he charged that Ndigbo have suffered undue agony under the administration of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso – more than previous governors of the state. He lamented Kwankwaso’s stance on the minority dominated community of Sabon Gari. In his words, “Kwankwaso seemed to have been misled into taken some unpopular position on issues affecting the race, especially in the Sabon Gari area of the city predominantly inhabited by non-natives”.
The Igbo leader stated Ndigbo constituted over 80 per cent of the population in Sabon Gari – while adding that the said area has suffered undue neglect. In his words, “we lack potable water, good road network and other facilities, including health centres”. He charged that Ndigbo are heavily invested in Sabon Gari, economically.
Based on their massive investments, they have assumed the status of a major stakeholder in the state, stressing that in the last election Sabon Gari voted en-emasse for the PDP in which platform the contested and won in the 2011 gubernatorial election.
Also, Nnaji frowned at what he described as disrespect and disregard to the leadership of the Igbo community to what he termed: “His emotional relationship with Chief Boniface Ibekwe, a disputed leader of Ndigbo in Kano, who has been feeding him with tissues of lies, parading himself as Eze Ndigbo in Kano.
“Ibekwe is believed to have influenced the appointment of Special Adviser on Igbo matters, who now owes his allegiance to Chief Ibekwe rather than the community, so how do you expect things to work for us?”, he queried.
“And so as far as we are concerned, his recognition of the Ibekwe is based purely on sentiments, rather than on merit because he claimed to have worked for him during his campaign which is all false.”
On the dilapidated state of roads and other infrastructure in Sabon Gari, he recalled that when the governor was confronted, he stated clearly that his government will invest in Sabon Gari on 40 per cent-60 per cent basis but silent which of the two gets the lion share of the percentage.
However, the Igbo Community Association Kano registered its protest against the planned award ceremony, scheduled to hold in Kano by the Ibekwe group of the Igbo leadership, warning the prospective awardees against receiving any award from the group “because it is illegal”.
“On no known occasion had Ibekwe been installed the traditional ruler of Ndigbo in Kano, as Ndigbo in Kano recognize the traditional leadership of Chief J.C Nnaji, whose throne was endorsed by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and the South East Council of Traditional rulers”.
The Eze status for Igbo leaders in Diaspora has long been abolished by the South East leaders for Igbos in Diaspora and rather preferred them to be addressed as Onye-Ndu Ndigbo (Igbo leader) in their respective states.
