- Igbo youths demand 3 extra slots … It’s violation of constitution – Sen Nwonye
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia; Lawrence Nwimo, Awka & Ugo Nosiri, Owerri
Angry reactions have trailed the marginalisation of South-East in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial nominees as only paltry five slots were given to the zone while North-West got a lion share of 10 slots.
Tinubu’s South-West followed closely with nine slots while North-East, North-Central and South-South got eight slots respectively.
Regrettably, attempts by the 15 senators from the South-East to protest the marginalisation Monday night after the Senate confirmed 45 out of the 48 nominees screened by the red chamber, was halted by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Immediately after hitting the gavel sealing the confirmation of the 45 successful nominees, the South-East senators attempted to move a motion on the non-inclusion of the zone in zonal ministerial slot, but Akpabio demanded whether the motion was listed on the Order Paper.
After some consultations, the Senate Presidents pleaded that the motion be stood down, promising that he will personally engage President Tinubu on the matter and would get better results.
South-East suffered similar fate during the eight years of the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari who also excluded the zone from the headship of the security architecture of the country.
Meanwhile eminent personalities and groups have condemned the sad development which they described as unhealthy for a country that is already polarised along ethnic and religious lines.
They are of the opinion that Tinubu should have rather concerned himself with how to weld the country together instead of taking actions capable of further widening the gap of disunity.
Senator Tony Nwonye representing Anambra North Senatorial District, described President Tinubu’s action as a flagrant violation of the Constitution which must not be allowed.
Nwoye, a former National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), said Tinubu violated the provisions of the Federal Character principles “which provides that in sharing any position, the President must take cognisance of zones, states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
Speaking with Ikengaonline, Nwoye said: “I am not happy about it at all. That is why senators from the Southeast – 15 of us in number – wanted to move the point of order since Friday on Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of the flagrant violation of that section.
“That section points out to the fact that in sharing any position, you must take cognisance of zones, you must take cognisance of Federal Character in anything you are doing.
“Then, Federal Character Commission Act, 2004, laws of the federation states very clear in Section 5(a) (b) Part 3, Section 4(b) Part 1 of the Federal Character Commission Act, that in doing any appointment, be it ministers, you must take cognisance of states, FCT or Zones.
“Zones in this subject matter are geopolitical zones. So, the South-East zone was not given one person in terms of geopolitical zones, while other zones, North-West has three additional from the zone, making it 10.
“North East has two, making it eight because they have six states. North Central has extra two added to the six states they have, making it eight. South-West has extra three added to six states they have making it nine. South-South has extra two added to six states they have, making it eight. South-East has none.
“They only gave us based on states. It is not fair. It offends the principle of Federal Character. It violates that section of the Federal Character – FA 5(b) Part 3, 4(b).
“It is not fair that out of six geopolitical zones we have in Nigeria, five zones have their own from two, three but only South-East doesn’t have any. It is not fair.”
Two-time Minister of Education and Health respectively, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, described it as “a calculated attempt to continue the marginalisation of Ndigbo.”
He said: “Those who worked out Nigeria had already made up their minds that the South-East will continue to be marginalised even after the civil war. The no victor, no vanquished slogan is a pure rhetoric.”
Professor Madubuike told Ndigbo to stop expecting so much from the Federal Government and start developing themselves for self reliance.
“Everybody from the South-East should know the mindset that Nigeria has for us. Since the war ended, which Government in Nigeria has given a fair deal to the South-East?
“For me, they are not making any mistake; they know what they are doing. I think by now our people should have read the handwriting on the wall.
“We have always been marginalized. It didn’t start today; it started with Nigeria.”
On the way forward, the octogenarian who was a former Commissioner for Finance in the Old Imo State under the late Same Mbakwe, said Ndigbo should rather focus on hard work and personal development, and think less about political offices.
“Our people should try to find a way to be self sufficient, and not to rely on Government. They should think less of Government and think more of what they can do for themselves. Let’s think home!”
He, However, regretted that the Igbo political elite were not patriotic but self centred and ready to betray regional interest for person gains.
“Unfortunately, the characters we have at the leadership positions are not interested in these interrogations that we need to have as a people. We should get back and think differently on how to help ourselves.”
Continuing he said: “The point is that Ndigbo must face the future on their own terms, not on the benevolence of others. In the 23 years of democracy how many federal industries are there in the South-East Zone as a result of being politically correct? When exclusion of a people becomes a national policy a few individuals may be favoured, not the region, not the polity.
“Remember also that in Nigeria of the Fourth Republic, positions are not always for the most competent; they are for the useful idiots,” the octogenarian fumed.
Reacting, the Chairman, Board of Trustees BoT Igbo Think Tank, Professor Madubuike Ezeibe, regretted that President Tinubu had jettisoned federal character in his ministerial nomination.
He argued that instead of considering the South-East for zonal slot, the President decided to restrict the zone to state by state slots.
The Professor who invented HIV/AIDS therapy regretted that even the Senate could not correct the imbalance during screening of the nominees.
“Ensuring federal character is provision of the constitution. Senate should not approve appointments made in violation of the law.”
In his reaction, President General, Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders COSEYL, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, described it as a deliberate policy of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to exclude the Igbo race from the political equilibrium of the country.
He regretted that President Tinubu, instead of giving the South East a sense of belonging to assuage the zone that has suffered protracted marginalisation by the Nigeria state, unfortunately decided to continue from where his predecessor, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari stopped in anti-Igbo policies.
“Now, it’s obvious to everyone that it’s a deliberate policy by the APC to sideline South-East. This was the same thing that Buhari did to us.
“It’s very unfortunate that Ndigbo will be relegated to the background despite their huge contributions for the Independence and development of Nigeria.
“Nnamdi Azikiwe who fought for the Independence of Nigeria was Igbo but look at how the same Nigeria he staked his life for is rewarding his region.”
The Igbo youths body helmsman also expressed disappointment that APC had decided to pay the South-East with the wrong coin despite huge sacrifices by some of the party’s chieftains of Igbo extraction.
“Dr Ogbonnaya Onu is Igbo. He was among the founding fathers of the APC who used their personal money to register APC. It’s very unfortunate for the same party to treat his region with so much disdain .”
The COSEYL President demanded extra three ministerial slots for South-East to bring the zone at par with other three zones.
National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, commended the South-East senators for the bold step they have taken in protesting the marginalisation of the zone .
He argued that If other senators from the zone, had in the past, taken similar positions, the rate of marginalisation of the south-East would not have continued.
“They should keep it up, Ohanaeze is behind them,” Ogbonnia told Ikengaonline, in a chat.
Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant for Ezinihitte Mbaise Federal constituency, Mrs Vivian Dimgba, decried the low representation of the South-East in the ministerial nomination, noting that it does not reflect the true spirit of federal character.
“There should be all round representation, but in this case, that is what the President has chosen. Unfortunately, there is really nothing much we can do about it. It is the country we found ourselves in.
“During political settlement, people tend to favour those they feel worked for them.”
Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Imo State, Mr Cajetan Duke, in his contribution, said the President had not contravened any constitutional position.
“The law said the President must appoint at least one nominee from each of the 33 states of the federation and the FCT. So, if the President has complied with the constitutional requirement, the rest of the nominations are discretionary and nobody has the right to question the discretion of Mr. President.”
The APC Publicity Secretary said that the responsibility of the senators was to screen and confirm the nominees “and not to dictate for the President who to appoint, when to appoint and where to appoint.”
“I don’t think it falls within the purview and responsibilities of the senators,” the APC Spokesman said.