By Emameh Gabriel
Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors’ Forum, Mr. Dave Umahi, has said it will be difficult to prove that the South-east is marginalised as being perceived by people of the region.
Umahi, while fielding questions during a live television programme stated that every region in the country had been marginalised in one way or the other.
According to him, misinformation has contributed to fuelling the current agitations for secession and unrest in the South-east.
He expressed regret that those who are in the position to educate the people have failed to do that.
He said: “You see this word ‘marginalisation’ is so ambiguous. If you ask some regions, they will feel that even other regions are marginalising them.
“My position about this is that let us get all the details of marginalisation. I cannot say that there are not some pains in terms of some of the issues in the South-east and so with other regions. So, we are saying to our youths we don’t want to move away from a united Nigeria, that whatever may be their grievances we can sit down and discuss.
“There is a lot of misinformation and I will give an example. I will like to say this. When we cry as Ndigbo that we don’t have a service chief, it is not true. Part of Delta is Igbo, part of Rivers is Igbo.
We have the chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo coming from Delta State. We have somebody from Delta State who is (CDS), part of the joint chiefs and people are still saying we are not represented at the Security Council meeting.
“I want to disagree with that. When late Attahiru was the Chief of Army Staff, our brother was number 15 in ranking and Attahiru from out of love and relationship took him from number 15 to make him second-in-command. The man ought to have told our people this favour done to you. We are representing you; so that we appreciate the late Chief of Army Staff and appreciate Mr. President because the actual order of the military is actually the number two, who is in charge of operations and logistics. There is misinformation.
“And when it was time to replace the service chief, they said the man is second-in-command and he is from the South-east. He is number 15. For example, I was not aware that somebody from the South-east is the second-in-command in the Navy or Air Force.”
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be everywhere at a time to know what is going on in places like government agencies and could not have known when an Igbo man is denied a promotion or appointment.
“My position is this – there are certain things that happen in this country that even the president is not aware of. When in a particular ministry someone from the South-east is due for appointment or promotion and he is not appointed, how will Mr. President know of this?
“My position is that let us articulate our grievances and let the youths give us the opportunity and chance. We need to know all these things. And it’s when these complaints are made that – I am not saying the South-east is not marginalised but it’s not in totality.”
