The
Convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and
Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has dismissed the sentiments shared by a
former Governor of Anambra State that the Igbo have not been treated fairly in
the governance of Nigeria.
Ezeife
had argued that President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu,
who hails from the Igbo-speaking part of Delta State, to head the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation, was not enough to satisfy the South-East.
But
in an interview with our correspondent on Friday, Mohammed criticised Ezeife,
insisting that people of the Igbo nation have enjoyed favourable treatment.
He
added it was wrong to reward the Igbo simply on the basis of the Nigerian Civil
War, which lasted between 1967 and 1970.
Mohammed
said, “If it is about Buhari making the appointments based on merit, I have no
problems with it. I don’t believe Buhari or Nigeria owes any Igbo anything. I
don’t care what Ezeife says; if they had seceded, there would have been no
Nigeria today. As people who acted outside the interest of Nigeria as a
country, to expect compensation is a very odd logic.
“If
the Igbo don’t like it, they can attempt secession again. If they do, they must
be prepared to live with the consequences. Nobody owes them anything and nobody
is out to compensate them for anything.”
The
doctor-turned-politician also condemned claims that Buhari’s appointment of
northerners into key positions in government was done out of ethnic sentiment.
He
said, “They (critics) should tell us which ethnic groups have been favoured by
Buhari in the course of making his appointments in parastatals and agencies.
Those who are making those allegations, particularly the Igbo, have not told us
exactly which parastatals.
“For
example, an Igbo man has just been appointed as the head of the NNPC, one of
the most important government agencies in Nigeria. And over 50 per cent of
those appointed before him were also Igbos. So, if people decide to be
mischievous, there is nothing anybody can do about it. As far as I am
concerned, those appointed have been good and credible persons.”
On
reports that Buhari may head the petroleum ministry for the next 18 months, the
northern leader stated that there was no living Nigerian at that public level
who knew as much about the ministry as Buhari.
According
to Mohammed, there is full justification for Buhari to be petroleum minister
for as long as he desires.
He
added, “Moreover, the consequences of what happens in the oil ministry are so
dire. When one looks at the track record of the past minister, one can see what
we have to deal with as a country as a result of her being made a minister.
“In
fact, I encourage him to retain the defence ministry because we are in a state
of war and he is a distinguished retired general who has headed every single
division of the Nigerian Army during his service. If he decides to be the
defence minister, I would be more than glad.”
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