The Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari for not appointing a South- easterner as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.
Mr. Buhari had on Monday named Boss Mustapha the new SGF to replace Babachir Lawal, who was sacked for corruption allegations. Mr. Mustapha hails from Adamawa State in the North-East as Mr. Lawal.
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, in a statement, frowned at the refusal of the President to appoint an Igbo to the position “even after the ruling party (APC) zoned the position to the region.” The South-East region comprises Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia.
Mr. Nwodo said the President’s action “has further denied the people of the region a strong place in the executive arm of the administration.” “It also shows the President’s insensitivity to the over flogged issue of marginalization of Ndigbo by his administration.
“We had thought that the recent meeting of South-East leaders with the President at the Aso Rock Villa opened an avenue for a new relationship with the zone which appointing an SGF from the area would have helped to cement especially as the ruling party originally zoned the position to the region,” the group said. The Ohanaeze urged the president, “to open his mind and have a positive attitude about Ndigbo whose contributions to the socio economic and political development of the country is not in doubt.”
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday, blasted South East Governors and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo for completely losing out in political appointments and infrastructural development which they allegedly traded with the hasty proscription of its group in return of the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) which the President denied the South-East zone.
The group stated that despite lobbying discreetly and openly for this somewhat inconsequential position of SGF for months, the entire political class in the South-East were roundly rebuffed by President Muhammadu Buhari, who instead gave the position to another Northerner. A statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB Emma Powerful, said with sadness and utter humiliation, the belittling of Ohaneze Ndigbo, South East Governors and the entire Eastern political class over the rejection of an Igbo man for the lowly position of SGF by Buhari’s administration.
IPOB also said that President of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, and the five South East governors should, without delay, apologise to the people for misleading them into thinking that sacrificing IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu would appease the core North to the extent of granting them their sole wish of Igbo political appointments into Buhari’s administration.
