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A former governor of Anambra state, Chukwemeka Ezeife says only a Nigeria president of Igbo extraction can fix the many challenges facing the country.
The elder statesman made the statement while commenting on the influx of northern youth, particularly the almajiri kids into Southern Nigeria in an interview with The Sun.
“I have told you my view about Almajiri. Not only Almajirai, but also the Talakawas. Talakawas and Almajarai, I think what they should pray for is Nigeria’s president of Southeast origin,” he said in the interview.
“A president of Igbo origin will end Almajarai by effective training of the Almajarai for economic use. The same thing goes for the talakawas because in Igbo land, everybody is equal to everybody. Everybody is free to pursue economic survival. Everybody is free to climb as fast as he can or to what extent they can.
“Therefore, if a president of Igbo origin is in place, this Almajiri business will disappear after a number of years. It is not months because it takes a long time to train somebody to be useful.
“We, the Igbo, want our children to be greater than ourselves and we train them to achieve what we could not achieve. We like it. Egalitarianism is our creed; equality of people.
“Apart from fixing Nigeria, I am sure every Nigerian knows that a Nigerian president of Igbo origin will fix Nigeria; make it grow and raise the dignity and respect of black people on earth because if you look at it, it is nothing to prove to any Nigerian.
” The person has to just go and look at Igbo people in his area and see whether they are making progress or retrogressing; and whether they are helping people or not.
“Igbo people don’t do anything in hiding. We train people. And in this case, when you are the president of a whole country, you can’t allow some people to be poor and some people rich.”
The former governor who said he was impressed with the efforts being made by the federal and state governments to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, accused the government of marginalizing the Southeast and South-south regions on the issue of distribution of palliatives.
“Where things went wrong is where they used to go wrong; the issue of fairness and justice in distributing things,” Ezeife stated.
“When you wanted to give out palliatives you forgot the Southeast and South-south completely. The Federal Government forgot us and eventually what they gave… When you gave N112 billion to the Northwest then you give N3 billion to the Southeast, I mean, it is consistent with what the Federal Government has been doing which is marginalizing the Southeast and South-south.
“But overall, my assessment is that they have done very well.”
The elder statesman however urged the federal government to diversify the economy and reduce the country’s dependence on crude oil.
He called for more inclusion of the southeast states in the plans of the federal government as well as in the distribution of palliatives.
