Governor says Igbos have nothing to show for being part of Nigeria

monjola sotubo

February 15, 2017 1:36 PM

Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha also said that the South East has been marginalized and denied federal appointments.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State

Imo state Governor,

Okorocha also said that the South East has been marginalized and denied federal appointments.

He made the comments on Tuesday, February 14, when Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo visited Owerri.“No other group in Nigeria that had invested as much into our nationhood can sing the song of marginalization as much as Ndigbo has been made to sing it. We have nothing to show that we are part of the Nigerian project; neither do we have any sense of belonging in the present government at the national level,” Okorocha said.

“We have been marginalized both in terms of projects and appointments. In Imo State, for instance, all we have is a Minister of State to show for all the efforts and extreme sacrifices we made to ensure that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had a good outing in the last general elections.

“I know you are the Acting President and has the ears of the President. So, there is no better person to tell our painful story than you. You need to take a second look at what is happening in the South-East. No serious political appointment, no visible federal infrastructure so far, to show the presence of Federal Government in the South- East in general.

“I beg that as the government gives subsequent appointments, let the qualified sons and daughters of the state and region be considered. Imo State played major role in bringing APC to power because if what had taken place in other states was allowed to happen in Imo State and other states in the South-East, probably we wouldn’t have had the APC government today. Given the roles that I personally played as a sacrificial lamb in the South- East during the elections, my state deserves a better deal," he added.

Okorocha also said that none of the youths in Imo benefited from the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.

He also urged the federal government to refund the money spent by the state on Imo International Cargo Airport and on some federal roads in the state.

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Osinbajo had earlier visited Bayelsa and Rivers states as part of a tour of the Niger Delta.

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