By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Yesterday, the apex pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo justified why the South East refrained from engaging in economic hardship protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze said the South East had long been underpinned by “a catalog of protracted sufferings endured by the people of the region since the advent of the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015 until 2023.”
The statement was titled, “Unwavering Resolve: Factors influencing Ndigbo’s abstention from hardship protests and Umahi’s impact on South-East infrastructure.
It said, “This distressing epoch was marred by the heart-wrenching spectre of 670 Igbo lives lost in protests under the oppressive grip of the Buhari regime, instilling a profound fear of lethal crackdowns by security forces during demonstrations.
“Against this tumultuous backdrop, the significant ongoing infrastructural transformation witnessed in the South-East, courtesy of President Tinubu’s initiatives facilitated by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, stands as a pivotal determinant for Ndigbo’s resolute abstention from disruptive protests.”
The organisation fervently implored President Tinubu “to contemplate a strategic restructuring of his economic team with utmost urgency to stave off the escalating crisis in the North and South-West regions.
Ohanaeze said, “President Tinubu is entreated to recognise the prevailing relative tranquility in the South East, illustrated by the absence of egregious incidents of large-scale looting that have plagued locations like Abuja and parts of the North and South West.”
Acknowledging what was considered the indispensable role of the Ndigbo as Nigeria’s economic vanguard, the organisation urged President Tinubu to draw inspiration from the sagacious leadership of the former (President Olusegun) Obasanjo’s economic team, which eminent globally renowned Igbo economists steered.
“Embracing this call entails the formation of a new economic consortium spearheaded by Igbo professionals and championing Nigeria’s integration into the BRICS economic bloc, fostering a robust Naira currency that can competitively trade across global markets through the abolition of the usage of the US Dollar in Nigeria,” it added.
The group also urged President Tinubu to “unequivocally dismiss as baseless the claims of individuals masquerading as the architects behind the South-East’s stance of non-involvement in protests, particularly the South-East political elite comprising governors, Ohanaeze leaders, senators, and House of Representatives members, who are depicted as opportunists.
“Contrary to misleading assertions, these figures bear minimal responsibility for the South-East’s deliberate choice to shun the protests against Tinubu.
“The primary considerations underpinning Ndigbo’s abstention were the overriding apprehension of potential loss of life and the informed decision by the Igbo populace not to disrupt the ongoing crucial road construction endeavours spearheaded by President Tinubu through the invaluable contributions of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.
“Ndigbo expresses profound joy at the commendable progress achieved in the comprehensive reconstruction of the neglected federal expressways that have crisscrossed the Southeast for decades.
“The imminent fruition of these critical infrastructure projects will undoubtedly serve as an essential linchpin that will augur increased support for President Tinubu among the Igbo community in the foreseeable future,” the group said.
