The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), the apex youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Wide, has described the statement credited to Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, who claimed that Ndigbo are not marginalised during a Channels Television programme, as unfortunate.
While reacting to Umahi’s comment in Abakaliki, the National President of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, described the governor as a child of opportunity, whose desire is to satisfy the Fulani power brokers for his selfish political interests.
Igboayaka noted that marginalisation is an understatement compared to the naseauting political cum economic ordeal of Ndigbo in the Nigeria project, stressing that Ndigbo have crossed the line of marginalisation and entered into political oppression 50 years after the genocide against Ndigbo by the British and Nigerian Governments.
“Governor Umahi seems to be lacking sense of history about the Igbo political ordeal in Nigeria. It appears the removal of history from the Nigerian education curriculum affected Governor Umahi even more than the new generation.
“Governor Umahi either has a poor definition of marginalization or suffering sentimentalism that have eaten deep into his human reasoning on the past and present realities on ground about Ndigbo,” Igboayaka noted.
He added that “the unguided utterances of Umahi is part of the reason the agitation for self-determination of 97% of Igbo new generation has gone out of control from the Igbo political elites. “Governor Umahi using the appointment of the Service Chiefs to justify that Igbos are not marginalized was quiet very childish, unjust and a pure anti-Igbo comment.
“Does Governor Umahi really move around Igbo land to see the level of economic and infrastructural decay in Igbo land? Has Governor Umahi gone to Oziza River in Afikpo, a potential Seaport neglected and abandoned by the Nigerian Government? Does Umahi know that Oziza River is linked to Calabar sea and by extension to the Atlantic Ocean? Does he know that Afikpo and Abakaliki can become a business hub in Igbo land if Oziza river is dredged and maritime business is commenced there which will lift over five hundred thousand people out of poverty and make over hundred Ebonyi youths gainfully employed?
“Has the governor gone to Azumini Blue River and Obuaku River in Ukwa East of Abia State? A potential Seaport with 25-30 nautical miles to the Atlantic ocean which if dredged and maritime business commenced there, Aba will turn to a rounding point of industrial hub in West Africa.
“Has Governor Umahi also gone to Ihiala Ulasi River Oseakwa/Oguta Osemotor River that has only 18 nautical miles to Atlantic Ocean, the deepest natural river in Nigeria with over 20 meter deep without dredging? Has Governor Umahi questioned why this project was abandoned since 1957 it was discovered by the Nigerian government?
“Has Governor Umahi forgotten that he grew up to see railway in Afikpo? Why is none of the railways in Alaigbo functional today? Is Governor Umahi not aware that the federal government recently awarded and completed modern railway double gauge for the North and South-West, and awarded single gauge that is no longer used in any part of the world to Ndigbo?
“Which dictionary did Governor Umahi pick the definition of marginalization from?” Igboayaka queried.
“Is Governor Umahi not aware that the federal government signed a contract of $2.8b gas project to Northern Nigeria yet Alaigbo that produces the gas has no single gas pipeline?
“Who taught Umahi in school, who were his primary and secondary school teachers? Was he not taught, for examples, the meaning of marginalization?” Igboayaka queried
Igboayaka further warned Umahi to stop opening wounds, and hitting the untreated wounds of the predicaments and travails of Ndigbo in the failed Nigerian project if he has no intention of proffering credible solution or ideas, stressing that Igbo are not only being marginalized but oppressed and killed by the Nigerian government through its security agents.
