A coalition of Igbo groups, on Friday, joined the call by the Ohaneze Youths Council for appointment of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) from the South-East geopolitical zone.

The groups also urged the people of the zone to unite and mend fences with their North and South-West counterparts to have their rightful place at the helm of affairs in the country.

The groups, which lamented the alleged exclusion of South-East from leadership of the 9th National Assembly, the Judiciary and Executive said Ndigbo must re-plan their strategy ahead of 2023 by mending fences with the North and South-West to avoid being schemed out in positions of authority in the country.

The statement, which was issued in Abakaliki, was signed by leaders of the groups: Mazi Alex Okemiri, National President World Igbo Youth Council, Dr. Mrs Helen Ogbonnaya Chairperson South-East Women Professionals and Comrade Chidera Udoko President Igbo Students’ Union.

They described the scheming out of South-East in the current leadership of the National Assembly as a wake-up call for the Igbo to re-plan strategy and take their rightful place in the nation’s polity.

They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately compensate the South-East by picking the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) from the zone.

They recommended the immediate past Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, for the position.

The groups said: “The recent exclusion of South-East from the leadership of the National Assembly, Judiciary and Executive is a wake-up call for Ndigbo to re-strategize ahead of 2023, mend fences with our old allies, especially the North and South West.

“We cannot go solo in Nigeria project, and we are calling on the Igbo Traditional Rulers and clergy to chart the way forward.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo must reconcile with Biafra agitators and the youths, and stop media assault on the ruling Party but should be non partisan in their policy statements.

“We call for the total restructuring of Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership with a new template to be more socio-cultural in their modus operandi, and genuine reconciliation between the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to be facilitated by the South-East Governors.

“Ndigbo should see the silver lining in the recent exclusion of South East in top echelon of the country. There’s a golden opportunity in self-rediscovering of Igbo as we must correct where we politically got it amiss.

“We congratulate South-East Governors on their swearing in; we call for synergy among them. They shouldn’t hesitate to continue to work with President Muhammadu Buhari for the next four years, to ensure that the revamp of Enugu coalmine, which was President Buhari’s electoral promise before he was sworn-in his first term is actualised in his second tenure.

“We boldly support the call for South-East to produce the SGF and we know that His Excellency Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, is a round peg in a round hole, a disciplined and season administrator and loyal party man.

“We advocate that the former Minister for Science and Technology is the brain behind the merger of APC and should be rewarded for his steadfastness and belief in the ruling party as the next SGF, a position that will bring succour to the aggrieved people of South-East zone. President Buhari should in the spirit of sportsmanship replace North-East with South-East in the position of SGF as North-East is now in charge of the leadership of the Senate, and we boldly support Ogbonnaya Onu for the job of SGF.

“We wish to see Nkalagu Cement industry bounce back in full force, 2nd Niger Bridge completed, and all the Federal roads that were approved by the last Federal Executive Council especially the dualisation of Aba/Ikot Ekpene/Calabar roads, rehabilitation of Abaomege/Ugep Road and Umuahia/Ikot Ekpene roads.” (The Nation)

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