ABUJA—Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker
Committee, yesterday, told the President-
elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, that
President Jonathan lied to the Igbo nation
about awarding contract for the
construction of Second Niger bridge and
major federal roads in the South East.
Listing Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway
and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba Expressway, the
committee said that up till now, work was
yet to start at the sites.
It added that no financial commitment had
been made by the Federal Government to
commence the construction of the Second
Niger Bridge, saying that those were
deceptive campaign messages to Ndigbo.
The committee made the revelation during
its congratulatory visit to Buhari at the
Defence House in Abuja.
The leader of the delegation, Chief Ralph
, who spoke on behalf of the Committee,
however, told the President-elect that the
South-east was a silent supporter of his
presidential ambition.
He also stated that the region would fully
support the incoming government to
succeed, urging him to reconstruct Nigeria.
Revisitation of the report of Oputa Panel and
the issue of abandoned property in the
country were also other matters the
committee presented before Buhari.
He said: “This is a delegation of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, who proudly
took side with you, convinced that what
Nigeria needs today is the leadership that
you will provide to rebuild our battered and
pulverised nation.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker
Committee is fully aware of the difficult and
daunting work that has befallen on your
shoulders. And we are here to offer our
commitment that Ndigbo will stand
shoulder to shoulder with you on this
mission to reconstruct our nation.
“We are also aware that our cry of
marginalization is not unique to our region,
but ours stands out as an SOS case as a
region criminally neglected and abandoned
by the outgoing administration.
“During your campaign tours, you saw
things for yourself and needless reminding
Your Excellency that South-east is an
emergency case. You drove through the
badly neglected and impassable Enugu-
Awka-Onitsha Expressway and the Enugu-
Umuahia-Aba Expressway, needless to
mention the Oba-Okigwe Highway.
“Contrary to the election claims by the
outgoing administration, no appreciable
work is going on these roads, information
has shown that no financial arrangement
has been firmed up for the Second Nigeria
Bridge. The Oputa Panel report has been
gathering dust and Ndigbo have pleaded for
the revisitation of the so-called abandoned
property in Nigeria and its collateral
reparation demand.
“One common denominator is that
unknown to a vast majority of Nigerians,
Ndigbo were the silent majority supporters
of General Muhammadu Buhari, GMB, but a
twist of “what is wrong with Nigerian”
electoral result cannot prove it.
Obioha also made a case for the office of
the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, SGF, to be ceded to the South-
east.
“This body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker
Committee, is a baby conceived by Chris
Ngige and delivered by Chief Mbazulike
Ameachi and handed over to Ndigbo to
check excesses of the people who were just
agents of a pre-determined agenda.
“Your Excellency, you were aware that the
South-east was targeted by the PDP rigging
machine which produced an election result
that denied the zone of even a single
senator and only three non-ranking House
of Representatives members.
“Ndigbo request that you adopt the principle
of necessity to give the zone the position of
Secretary to the Government of the
Federation which is your prerogative and in
addition, a position of one Presiding Officer
in the House of Representatives,” he stated.
According to the leader, Buhari assured
them of equity.
“He gave us assurance that he is going to
treat the entire nation as his constituency for
all and we believe him,” he said
Also speaking, a member of the delegation,
Senator Chris Ngige said that though the
party was yet to make a categorical
statement on the issue of SGF, he was
optimistic that it would eventually consider
the South- east.
“Well, I was in the first delegation that came
the last time, but we cannot say for now
that our party has zoned the position of SGF
to the South-east because we have a Senate
committee that is still working on
distribution of party offices, executive and
that of legislature which is where we have
the Senate President, Deputy Senate
President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker of the
House of the Representative as presiding
officers.
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