BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA
Ndigbo across Nigeria and the diaspora have expressed displeasure and
discontentment over the demise of federal roads and other federal
infrastructure in the igbo region of the country.
They concurred that the demise and deplorable condition of federal roads in
the igbo region of the country were what they described as heart-breaking
as they observed that one can not travel from Enugu to Onitsha, from Enugu
to Port-Harcourt and from Onitsha to Nsukka noting that the federal roads
in these areas have not been re-visited years after construction during the
Shagari regime.
Nigerians of the igbo extraction made the observation at a one-day wake-up
call forum in Awka the Anambra state capital organized by the Igbo World
Assembly, a non-governmental organization championing the cause of Ndigbo
home and abroad.The theme of the forum was ‘’ Achieving Sustainable
Security For Ndigbo In Nigeria’’ .The forum however provided veritable
platform for participants to realize that it was time Ndigbo had a common
front to pursue as well as realize the overall objective of pride of place
for the igbo nation in the Nigerian polity .
At the forum Lolo Kate Uzoamaka Ezeofor President-General Umuada-Igbo
Nigeria and Diaspora , who delivered a lecture on ‘’ Ndigbo: A Great Nation
‘’ observed that president GoodLuck Jonathan has given the best to Ndigbo
and has equally fulfilled the promise he made to Ndigbo in 2011 , stressing
that it was incumbent on the igbo nation to support president Jonathan in
his second tenure aspiration while suggesting that igbos should go back to
the drawing board and develop a 4 year development plan as strategy for the
2019 presidency noting that the turn of Ndigbo for presidency in Nigeria
was long over due .
Meanwhile chief Rommy Ezeonwuka proprietor of Rojenny Stadium and Tourist
Centre Oba in Idemili-South local government area of Anambra state , on his
part observed that the construction of the Second Niger-Bridge was of
paramount importance for the south-east geo-political zone .Chief Ezeonwuka
emphasized that the presence of the Second Niger-bridge would greatly
enhance socio-economic activites in the zone .He however urged the federal
government not to play unnecessary politics about the construction of the
Second Niger-Bridge .
The proprietor of Rojenny Stadium and Tourist Centre Oba also used the
occasion to emphasize that the acceptance and endorsement of president
GoodLuck Jonathan for another term in office by Ndigbo would translate into
the actualization of full and uninterrupted electricity supply,
construction of the Second Niger-Bridge as well as institution of other
federal projects in the Igbo nation.
On the other hand , president of the Igbo World Assembly Dr.Nwachukwu
Anakwenze while reeling out the demands of Ndigbo from the polity stated
that Ndigbo needed a Nigeria where political structure is based on equity,
fair-play, balance and equal access to political power , a Nigeria where
the current political structure would be re-structured to ensure true
federalism based on regions or zones and that to that extent therefore ,
implementation of the key agreements of the just concluded national
conference was critical .
Dr.Anakwenze said that the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC
] recently awarded more voting boots to Northern Nigerians which he saw as
subtle way of INEC playing to the gallery. He therefore did not conceal his
resentments on the aforesaid development on the grounds that the extra
polling units created by the apex electoral body should be rejected by all
Nigerians describing the move as attempted injustice on the part of the
electoral body.
The demands of Ndigbo judging from the blue-print presented by the
president of the Igbo World Assembly were legion but the bottom line was
that the igbo nation has decided to rise up to confront the relegation it
is currently facing in the Nigerian polity .
