…urges Buhari to promote unity, good governance
BY RAPHAEL ONYEKACHUKWU, ENUGU – The Igbo apex socio-cultural organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has charged President Muhammedu Buhari to revisit the recent reorganization at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the overall interest of peace, unity and good governance in the country.
President General of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo declared that the consistent and unrepentant disposition of disdain for the South East by Buhari administration is appalling and was again blatantly displayed in the recent reorganization at the NNPC.
In a statement released at the weekend, Nwodo said Ohanaeze had thought that after the President’s declaration in a broadcast recently that Nigeria unity is settled and not negotiable, all necessary actions would be taken by the administration to demonstrate its goodwill towards this position but sadly recent NNPC shake up shows the government is not yet ready to walk its talk.
Nwodo said by the list of new managers announced in the oil corporation, the Buhari-led government has no doubt shown its clear Northern tilt and preference with the South East completely ignored in a manner that has remained the administration’s trait since coming to office on May 29, 2015.
Insisting that government by its action does not have any intention of achieving the desired cohesion in an already fragmented nation, the Ohanaeze boss said, “this brazen disregard, marginalization and non-compliance with the Federal character provisions in our constitution are the causes of lack of confidence which our youths have in our present governance structure.”
“As long as President Buhari continues to live out his speech abroad that his government will favour those who voted 97% for him against those who voted 5% for him, so long will the dissatisfaction and unrest in our polity subsist”, Nwodo warned.
According to Ohanaeze, “There is no oil well anywhere in Northern Nigeria. Four of the five states in the South East have proven oil resources some of which provide our nation’s revenue yet our people are not found fit to be adequately represented in a key corporate institution like the NNPC.”
Chief Nwodo therefore urged the President to revisit this recent NNPC’s re-organisation exercise in the name of God and the spirit of on-going Sallah season as part of efforts to promote unity and good governance in the country.
