IGBO leaders are divided over the forthcoming national conference.
While the Prof. Ben Nwabueze-led Concerned Igbo Leaders of Thought said yesterday that it has produced a position for the South-East geo-political zone with a strong, virile and balanced federation as its nucleus, his claim was dismissed by the Anambra State chapter of the ethnic nationality’s apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Speaking at the end of their meeting held in Enugu, Secretary of the Leaders of Thought, Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, explained that the position was arrived at after various meetings and consultations embarked upon by the group to ascertain Igbo interest.
At the meeting chaired by Nwabueze were Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, Prof. Ginigeme Mbanefo, Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa, Chief Onyesoh Nwachukwu, Prof. Obumselu, Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN), Elliot Uko and others.
Amucheazi said: “We have now produced Igbo position for the conference and this is what we are going to make available to Igbo delegates going for the conference. The position is to protect Igbo interest but it is not different from the position of other ethnic groups. We want a balanced federation based on equity and justice. We want a true federation and the restructuring of the country based on the existing six geo- political zones that constitute the country. We need a strong leadership.”
Amucheazi, who believed that the outcome of the exercise would ultimately give birth to a new nation, stated that President Goodluck Jonathan would be the father of modern Nigeria should he actualise the conference.
He called for the support of Nigerians to enable the conferenace
succeed, stressing that he was hopeful that the unity of the country was above any other interest.
But the Anambra State chairman of Ohanaeze, Elder Chris Eluemunoh, at a press briefing yesterday in Awka, the state capital, cautioned Nwabueze who is renowned constitutional lawyer “to grow up .”
The chairman also strongly criticised Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who he said now parades himself as the new Igbo leader.
He alleged that Nwabueze’s comments were geared towards supporting the Yoruba agenda, while undermining the progress of his kinsmen who are the endangered species and dregs of Nigeria society.
According to him, Nwabueze’s recent public statements are outright falsehoods against Ohanaeze and Ndigbo, and “keeping quiet to such antics will mean his outbursts” are true, stressing that “since he is our son, and hails from this Anambra State, there is need for us to clear the air of his falsehood.”
Eluemunoh stated that Nwabueze had variously claimed to be leader of The Patriots, a group of Nigeria’s elders statesmen, and the mouthpiece for Ndigbo who has canvassed Igbo position for the national conference.
However, he insisted that Ohanaeze was the “only group that speaks for Ndigbo, and for Nwabueze to parade himself as the leader of The Patriots and creating the impression that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo is divided and incapable of speaking for the Igbos is falsehood.”
Eluemunoh’s words: “He is simply playing the music of the Yoruba people. There is no case in court concerning Ohanaeze. We are not divided. Chief Garry Igariwey remains our President-General. Nwabueze is a good constitutional lawyer, he has grown and does not want anyone else to grow, but he should know that Igboland has good lawyers today.”
Taking on Okorocha whom he had earlier referred to as a confused man, Eluemunoh said: “What he is doing is a childish pranks because he knows he will never become Igbo leader. The earlier he realises this and stop selling Igbos to his Yoruba friends the better. Ohanaeze is not APC, so he should be advised to retrace his steps.”
And apparently articulating its agenda ahead of the exercise, Cross River State government has urged its delegates to forthcoming national conference to consciously advance positions that would be in the best interest of the state.
Making the charge while addressing indigenes of the state who included national and state legislators, members of the state executive council, elder statesmen, youth groups and other political stakeholders, at the Government Lodge, Calabar, yesterday, Governor Liyel Imoke highlighted Cross River’s agenda to include compensation for the loss of the Bakassi Peninsula and the right to control its solid mineral resources.
Also to be canvassed by the yet-to-be nominated state’s delegates, according to him, are control of National Parks, Inland Waterways, as well as what constitutes the definition of federal roads in the state.
While insisting on the need for a true Fiscal Federalism, Imoke said the concept should be seen beyond mere control of resources to enabling states collect and remit revenues from solid minerals.
On Federal Government collecting revenue from waterways through department of Inland Waterways in states, Imoke wondered why it should be so instead of the states collecting revenue generated from water transportation.
Others are community policing in states to fight crimes but should not be involved in federal election processes since they are on the Exclusive List.
The governor similarly frowned on subsidy which is currently the basis for revenue sharing formula rather than on consumption.
He said the state strongly supports the conference because “as a people, we have a lot of challenges that have to be addressed and discussing it will be useful to the nation despite objections from certain quarters.”
Imoke added: “Though some people may say previous dialogues did not bring anything, this conference will create an opportunity to bring a lot of things to the table as well as address weaknesses. We need to articulate on issues that will build the nation rather than separate us as a people.
“It is good for us to have representations that will understand the thrust of the conference right from the very first day as well as to understand the position of South-South and southern Nigeria.
“We need a strong voice to represent the people, not one that will not be seen or vocal, to participate in discussions that are not only specific to Cross River State but national enough, not on sentiments but capacity, because it is a meeting of the minds that will come out with a resolution
Source: Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment