Former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim has disclosed that Igbo resident in the North lost about $7 billion to Boko Haram insurgency. He also said that since the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, assured Nigerians before his election that Boko Haram will be a thing of the past as soon as he is elected, he should keep to the promise.
Ohakim who spoke to Abuja Metro on behalf of the Igbo Conversational Group (ICG), while congratulating Buhari said the group believes he has what it takes to live up to expectations in that regard so that Nd’Igbo can go back to their businesses in the affected areas even after the huge loses.
Ohakim who spoke to Abuja Metro on behalf of the Igbo Conversational Group (ICG), while congratulating Buhari said the group believes he has what it takes to live up to expectations in that regard so that Nd’Igbo can go back to their businesses in the affected areas even after the huge loses.
Jonathan is outstanding
The former governor who is the chief convener of the group alongside, Nze Chidi Duru, Bishop Blaise Iwuogo and Chike Maduekwe, also commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s comportment and deep sense of accommodation. Nigerians will forever remember him for steadfastly upholding democratic ethics and allowing space for every player. President Jonathan came to power when the nation was in a big quagmire and it is to his credit that the country had a smooth transition following the sudden demise of his predecessor, the late President Umar Yar’Adua. We salute him for his courage in conceding defeat while asking that he should remain available for the country to tap from his experience,” he said.
Ohakim also urged the president-elect to keep to his promises he made through a delegation he sent to the conversational meeting in Enugu on March 21, led by Prof. Pat Utomi, including the creation of two additional states in the South East to correct the imbalance in the country.
The former governor who is the chief convener of the group alongside, Nze Chidi Duru, Bishop Blaise Iwuogo and Chike Maduekwe, also commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s comportment and deep sense of accommodation. Nigerians will forever remember him for steadfastly upholding democratic ethics and allowing space for every player. President Jonathan came to power when the nation was in a big quagmire and it is to his credit that the country had a smooth transition following the sudden demise of his predecessor, the late President Umar Yar’Adua. We salute him for his courage in conceding defeat while asking that he should remain available for the country to tap from his experience,” he said.
Ohakim also urged the president-elect to keep to his promises he made through a delegation he sent to the conversational meeting in Enugu on March 21, led by Prof. Pat Utomi, including the creation of two additional states in the South East to correct the imbalance in the country.
You made a promise
Ohakim said this was one of Buhari’s campaign promises, and that the president-elect had assured it will be one of his priorities as he intends to do everything constitutionally possible to lobby for the creation of new states.
“This issue was dealt with elaborately in the earlier statement by the ICG and needs no emphasis here. Happily, it is one of the issues the president-elect promised to look into during his campaigns”, he said.
Ohakim further explained that: “Agreed though that demands made at the eve of an election is a common trait among politicians, it needs no exaggeration to state that the president-elect is a politician of a rare mould. We have no doubt whatsoever that going by his antecedents, the president-elect was under no pressure in agreeing to look into the plight of the Igbo. Needless to say, we firmly believe that he will live up to his promises and go ahead to offer the Igbo the needed leverage that will enable them fully tap their enormous individual and collective potentials, as canvassed by ICG in our previous statements.
Ohakim said this was one of Buhari’s campaign promises, and that the president-elect had assured it will be one of his priorities as he intends to do everything constitutionally possible to lobby for the creation of new states.
“This issue was dealt with elaborately in the earlier statement by the ICG and needs no emphasis here. Happily, it is one of the issues the president-elect promised to look into during his campaigns”, he said.
Ohakim further explained that: “Agreed though that demands made at the eve of an election is a common trait among politicians, it needs no exaggeration to state that the president-elect is a politician of a rare mould. We have no doubt whatsoever that going by his antecedents, the president-elect was under no pressure in agreeing to look into the plight of the Igbo. Needless to say, we firmly believe that he will live up to his promises and go ahead to offer the Igbo the needed leverage that will enable them fully tap their enormous individual and collective potentials, as canvassed by ICG in our previous statements.
Clear doubts
In spite of the imperatives and nuances of electoral contest, the ICG expects the president-elect to be magnanimous in victory. He should take immediate and practical steps to allay all the fears hitherto held about his personality and every claims of a fixated mind over some sections of the country. And because the entire country is his constituency today, no part should be seen as an underdog. Above all, he must consult deeply and widely and be a good listener.
In spite of the imperatives and nuances of electoral contest, the ICG expects the president-elect to be magnanimous in victory. He should take immediate and practical steps to allay all the fears hitherto held about his personality and every claims of a fixated mind over some sections of the country. And because the entire country is his constituency today, no part should be seen as an underdog. Above all, he must consult deeply and widely and be a good listener.
Faulty second Niger Bridge
The Igbo, Ohakim said were against the present arrangement to prosecute the second Niger Bridge project on a private-public partnership (PPP) by the federal government as it was against their interest.
“We urge the in-coming government to review this immediately,” he called. “The second Niger Bridge is the only project under the N400 billion national intervention project of 2005 that is handled as PPP arrangement. In the alternative, we demand that South East share of the intervention project be channeled to the development of the Osemoto seaport.
“We wish to seize this opportunity to restate our demand that the federal government should as a matter of urgency revitalize the proposed seaport in Osemoto, Imo State.
Osemoto (Oguta LGA, Imo State)/Uzoakwa (Ihiala LGA, Anambra State) is the deepest natural harbour in Nigeria and will offer real naval and marine transportation platforms if developed.
“Most interesting, the ADB report shows that it lies only 18 nautical miles to Atlantic Ocean and will be a strategic hub for oil and gas industry and inland dry docking to promote trade and create employment. Above all, it will open the Igbo land to the sea.
“In addition, it will open up more than 3,000 square kilometers of the most fertile agricultural land that has one of the highest alluvial deposits which has been in existence for well over a million years.
“The Osemoto deep sea port and all the associated industry will create well over two million jobs for our teeming unemployed youths”, he said.
The Igbo, Ohakim said were against the present arrangement to prosecute the second Niger Bridge project on a private-public partnership (PPP) by the federal government as it was against their interest.
“We urge the in-coming government to review this immediately,” he called. “The second Niger Bridge is the only project under the N400 billion national intervention project of 2005 that is handled as PPP arrangement. In the alternative, we demand that South East share of the intervention project be channeled to the development of the Osemoto seaport.
“We wish to seize this opportunity to restate our demand that the federal government should as a matter of urgency revitalize the proposed seaport in Osemoto, Imo State.
Osemoto (Oguta LGA, Imo State)/Uzoakwa (Ihiala LGA, Anambra State) is the deepest natural harbour in Nigeria and will offer real naval and marine transportation platforms if developed.
“Most interesting, the ADB report shows that it lies only 18 nautical miles to Atlantic Ocean and will be a strategic hub for oil and gas industry and inland dry docking to promote trade and create employment. Above all, it will open the Igbo land to the sea.
“In addition, it will open up more than 3,000 square kilometers of the most fertile agricultural land that has one of the highest alluvial deposits which has been in existence for well over a million years.
“The Osemoto deep sea port and all the associated industry will create well over two million jobs for our teeming unemployed youths”, he said.
Aba power project
The ICG also made case for the Aba Integrated Power Project, and according to the former Imo State governor, “in 2005, the federal government under President Olusegun Obasanjo concessioned the Aba metropolis to the investors of a 141MW plant in Aba as a security for financing the project. The then President convinced many Igbo investors who rushed and set up various plants/factories on the understanding that this power plant will see the light of the day.
“The plant was completed by M/S Geometric Consortium with state-of-the-art equipment from General Electric (GE) with an investment of over N100b since 15 months ago.
Unfortunately, M/S BPE went ahead to double concession the same zone. The plant cannot take off. The investors are crying, unemployed youths are crying, Igbo are crying. This conspiracy and injustice must be addressed by the in-coming administration as soon as possible”.
The ICG also made case for the Aba Integrated Power Project, and according to the former Imo State governor, “in 2005, the federal government under President Olusegun Obasanjo concessioned the Aba metropolis to the investors of a 141MW plant in Aba as a security for financing the project. The then President convinced many Igbo investors who rushed and set up various plants/factories on the understanding that this power plant will see the light of the day.
“The plant was completed by M/S Geometric Consortium with state-of-the-art equipment from General Electric (GE) with an investment of over N100b since 15 months ago.
Unfortunately, M/S BPE went ahead to double concession the same zone. The plant cannot take off. The investors are crying, unemployed youths are crying, Igbo are crying. This conspiracy and injustice must be addressed by the in-coming administration as soon as possible”.
Abandoned property in Rivers State
The group also complained bitterly over the 85 percent of property belonging to Igbo in Rivers State that have been classified as abandoned 45 years after the civil war, asking the new government to address it.
“The Igbo demands that the incoming administration should look into this matter as a top priority and bring to a closure this festering wound which remains an embarrassment to Nigeria. Under no circumstance should it be acceptable that the property of a Nigerian citizen is tagged abandoned in any part of the federation. The ICG calls on the in-coming federal government to review this injustice as a matter of urgency”, he said.
The group also complained bitterly over the 85 percent of property belonging to Igbo in Rivers State that have been classified as abandoned 45 years after the civil war, asking the new government to address it.
“The Igbo demands that the incoming administration should look into this matter as a top priority and bring to a closure this festering wound which remains an embarrassment to Nigeria. Under no circumstance should it be acceptable that the property of a Nigerian citizen is tagged abandoned in any part of the federation. The ICG calls on the in-coming federal government to review this injustice as a matter of urgency”, he said.
South East federal roads
He also said: “The ICG demands that in addition to the immediate rehabilitation of all federal roads in the Southeast with high economic value, we would like the Buhari administration to complete the Otuocha-Mmiata-Kogi Road. This road is less than 150km and will knock off about three hours from every journey from the South East to Abuja. This road was awarded to Nigercat in 2009 under President Umar Yar’Adua administration but curiously the federal government has not shown any interest in completing this project of high economic value to Nd’Igbo.”
On the fate of the Igbo in the new dispensation, Ohakim said, “the outcome of the 2015 presidential election has introduced a new vista to Igbo politics. Without any exaggerations, Ndigbo stand to benefit immensely from the change that has just taken place, in the sense that the new era will re-define Igbo politics more positively.
“Presidential power may become less accessible to Ndi Igbo but the current state of affairs offers an opportunity for a new and purposeful leadership to emerge in Igbo land.
“This new leadership must be people who will have the guts and intellectual capacity to become a credible opposition to the new dispensation if need be. In the new dispensation, politics of money and contract will have no place and in this regard, ICG is of the firm belief that the Igbo will be the biggest beneficiaries.
“Consequently, the ICG calls on Igbo youth to see the opportunity offered by the current development in the country to be more proactive and begin to think of ways of ridding Igbo land of the near zero intellectual content in its politics. Igbo youths should seize the present opportunity to come to the fore front on the fight against injustice to the Igbo.
He also said: “The ICG demands that in addition to the immediate rehabilitation of all federal roads in the Southeast with high economic value, we would like the Buhari administration to complete the Otuocha-Mmiata-Kogi Road. This road is less than 150km and will knock off about three hours from every journey from the South East to Abuja. This road was awarded to Nigercat in 2009 under President Umar Yar’Adua administration but curiously the federal government has not shown any interest in completing this project of high economic value to Nd’Igbo.”
On the fate of the Igbo in the new dispensation, Ohakim said, “the outcome of the 2015 presidential election has introduced a new vista to Igbo politics. Without any exaggerations, Ndigbo stand to benefit immensely from the change that has just taken place, in the sense that the new era will re-define Igbo politics more positively.
“Presidential power may become less accessible to Ndi Igbo but the current state of affairs offers an opportunity for a new and purposeful leadership to emerge in Igbo land.
“This new leadership must be people who will have the guts and intellectual capacity to become a credible opposition to the new dispensation if need be. In the new dispensation, politics of money and contract will have no place and in this regard, ICG is of the firm belief that the Igbo will be the biggest beneficiaries.
“Consequently, the ICG calls on Igbo youth to see the opportunity offered by the current development in the country to be more proactive and begin to think of ways of ridding Igbo land of the near zero intellectual content in its politics. Igbo youths should seize the present opportunity to come to the fore front on the fight against injustice to the Igbo.
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