Immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on Igbos in the Diaspora to support President Goodluck Jonathan to be re-elected early next year.

Speaking in the USA on Saturday, during the 2014 World Igbo Congress in Houston, Texas, Obi, who was recognised and presented with an award for his distinguished performance in public office, said that for Igbos to get their due in Nigeria, they should always look at what would benefit the people and not for selfish reasons.

“Today, some people said we negotiated wrongly with Jonathan in 2010 just because we moved away from the past practice where people’s idea of negotiation ends in nominating their children, relations or cronies for appointment. What we did was to go for those things that will benefit the totality of our people, such as request for an International Airport with full terminal building, the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, the control of some menacing erosion in the geo-political region, the reconstruction of Federal roads in the region, among others,” Obi said.

He assured that future negotiations will follow the same pattern and called on those still seeking personal benefits to have a re-think.

The ex-governr said that beyond working on those specific projects that were a basis for negotiation with President Jonathan in 2010, the President’s personal approach to issues affecting Igbos, just like others, is encouraging. Using Innoson Motor Manufacturing Company as an example, he recalled how Jonathan’s intervention made him recover the money for his goods wrongly auctioned and how he personally came to commission the company’s Nnewi facility and how he has continued to encourage him.

On the rumour that he was plotting to replace Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Obi described it as “very wicked.” He said he was still at a loss as to what those behind the rumour hope to gain other than to destroy relationships and present him as somebody desperate for appointment, when the contrary is actually the case. “I have never discussed the issue of SGF with anybody and do not know how people conceived the story of my plotting to become one. It must be the mechanisation of evil minds,” Obi said.

Meanwhile, former Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu, who was alleged to be the Chief Lobbyist for Obi, has denied the report, saying was totally incomprehensible, malicious and wicked.

Those that attended the conference included the representative of the President and the Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu; Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Ebele Obiano representing her husband, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State; Sen. Hope Uzodimma; Simon Okeke; Prof. Pita Ejiofor; Engr Patrick Obi; Joe-martins Uzodike; and CY Agupugo, among others.

•Photo shows former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, speaking at the just-concluded World Igbo Congress in Houston, Texas.