The deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government of constantly provoking the Igbo speaking people of the southeast geo-political zone.
Ekweremadu, representing Enugu West Constituency made this claim when he played host to the people of Ezeagu local government area of Enugu state who paid him a solidarity visit, on Sunday, April 17.
According to him, the Igbo people had made enormous contributions to the overall development and unity of Nigeria but sadly have not received equal attention, This Day reports.
Ekweremadu noted that unless Ndigbo were given their due respect and share in the allocation of the nation’s resources and political positions, the nation will not make the desired progress.
He said: “We are being provoked everyday by the government of this country.
“Let me remind you that we are going through the difficult period in Igbo land. As Ndigbo, we are going through trying period, we are being provoked everyday by the government of this country in the way they treat our people, especially the marginalization going on at the federal level by the federal government.
“We are also aware of the contributions of our people towards the development of this country. The Nigeria Movie Industry, which one of the major exports we have, Igbo’s pioneered that industry; in sports, Igbo’s are all over the world doing the country proud. When you see Nigeria national team playing, 80% most times are Igbos and we are happy to do that.”
Sen. Ekweremadu who said that Ndigbo were more Nigerian than any tribe, disclosed that in all remote villages in Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri and everywhere, “you will see Igbos who are patent medical dealers, you will see Igbos selling plastic, you will see Igbos providing jobs not only to their people but to the rest of Nigeria.”
He said Ndigbo had done so much to the country and deserved some respect, stressing that until “we get our respect, Nigeria will never be the same.
“So, any person who thinks that Igbos will be relegated and there will be peace in this country is joking. We believe in equity, we believe in justice.
“This country is big enough for everybody. Nigeria needs energy and ingenuity of Igbos, they need our creativity, they need the enterprise of Igboman and we can combine the attributes with the other tribes and Nigeria will be great. So we will continue to work on this to ensure inclusiveness in the governance of this country. We will never accept the situation where Igbo people and indeed any tribes will be excluded from the governance of this country.
“This country belongs to all of us. So it may be dark today but I want to assure you that there will light at the end of the tunnel. We have already left Egypt and we will never go back to Egypt. Definitely we will get to the promise land unlike the people of Israel all of us will be alive when we get to the promise land so am not shaking and don’t be afraid my people, we believe in this country, we believe in free enterprise, we believe in justice and we also believe in equity and that we ensure that this country will get.”
Meanwhile, Chris Ngige, the minister of Labour and Employment has expressed a different opinion on how Ndigbo are being treated in the country.
According to Ngige, the economically backward state of the southeast region is as a result of lack of visionary leadership by political leaders in the region.
