Igbos will never suffer under Buhari’s govt — Moghalu

Firstclass newsline~Against the backdrop of insinuations that the
South-East geopolitical zone would suffer neglect by the new
administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him a paltry
.013 per cent of the total votes cast in the March 28 presidential
election, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has
assured that, the situation would be different.
The APC National Auditor, Dr. George Moghalu gave this assurance,
while speaking at a dinner organised by Igbo Progressives, IP, Lagos
State chapter for leading Igbo personalities in the party.
Moghalu, who gave the keynote address at the event, affirmed
thatNdigbowere part of the forces that make up the tripod-legs called
Nigeria, adding that insinuations that they would be marginalized
under the APC-led Federal Government must be dispelled, as no
political party would survive without the support of the Igbo.
Eminent sons and daughters of Igbo, who graced the event were Second
Republic politician and Life Patron ofOhanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Guy
Ikokwu; President, Lagos State chapter ofOhanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Fabian
Onwughalu; former Managing Director, defunct Hallmark Bank, Chief
Marcus Wabara; Convener of IP, Chief Gabby Dimude; National Women's
Coordinator and Controller, IP, Chief Chinwe Dike; National Leader,
Ndi Igbo Dum, Igwe Amobi Moghalu and former Vice Chairman, Ojo Local
Government, Princess Chichi Gbadero, among others.
However, those who were billed to attend the event but got stalled at
various airports across the nation, as a result of the recent fuel
crisis, were the former governor of old Abia State and a National
Leader of APC, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; former Governor of Anambra State,
Senator Chris Ngige; National Vice Chairman, South-East APC, Hon. Emma
Eneukwu and National Organising Secretary of the party, Sen. Osita
Izunaso.
Earlier, the Convener of IP, Chief Dimude had said that the colloquium
was aimed at meeting with leading Igbo personalities in the APC in
order "to enable them explain the party's national agenda for the Igbo
and the place of the Igbo nation in the APC to ensure maximum support
for high ranking Igbo sons and daughters in the APC, situating our
intellectual contributions to the APC at the centre and determining
our protection under the APC government in Lagos State."
Speaking on the occasion, Moghalu, who pointed that the entire votes
that Buhari got from the South-East was just 0.013 per cent, however
said Ndigbo must begin to realign as a people to get things done
right.
He said: "The reality on the ground is that we have no ranking Senator
or ranking member of the House of Representatives from the South-East.
We can't bid for the post of the Senate President, neither can we bid
for the Speakership of the House of representatives. It is not about a
wish, but about the pains I feel. It was politically wrong for us. In
the electioneering process, our people were not allowed to vote. The
environment for our people to exercise their civic rights was not
provided. We were denied the opportunity to vote, but at the same
time, I feel bad as a person.
"I feel worried for the Igbo nation. So, as a people, we must realign
and see to what extent we are going to get things done right.
''Fortunately for us, the leadership of General Buhari has expressed a
desire to turn around the electoral process so that the people's vote
can count; so that the people can choose their leaders themselves."
On the ministerial list of the administration, which many have said
that Igbo will be marginalized, the APC chieftain reassured that the
list bandied about on social media should be disregarded, noting that
Buhari and the party were yet to release the ministerial list.
His words: "One thing I know is that we have a fair-minded President.
I know we also have a fair-minded National Chairman and the National
Working Committee, NWC, members are committed to equity, justice and
fairness.
So, there is no way anyone can say the Igbo man is not part of the
Nigerian project, otherwise what are people like us who are of Igbo
extraction doing in the APC? I make bold to say that in the
constitution of our party, every part of this country is considered a
component part, and our leadership and government will carry everybody
along. I am indeed confident that the interest of the Igbo man will be
protected under the Buhari administration."
On his part, Ikokwu who chaired the occasion, seized the opportunity
to extol the virtues of late eminent Igbo patriots like Nigeria's
first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, former Premier of defunct Eastern
Nigeria, Dr. Michael Opara; former Premier of defunct Mid-Western
Nigeria, Chief Dennis Osadebay; former Eastern Regional Minister of
Works and Finance, Mazi Mbonu Ojike; political icon, Ozumba Mbadiwe;
Ex-Biafran war-lord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu; pioneering
Nigerian female politician and women's rights activist, Chief Margaret
Ekpo among others.
Ikokwu, however, berated those suggesting that Ndigbo would be
marginalised under the Buhari administration because they gave him
little or no votes during the last presidential election, pointing
that "Those people saying that Ndigbo will suffer neglect or
marginalisation under the administration of Buhari should be aware
that Igbo is one of the tripod-legs that makes up the entity called
Nigeria. If Ndigbo as one of these tripod-legs are removed, Nigeria
won't stand.
Firstclassnewsline.net