Ohaneze leadership not telling Ndigbo the truth — Anambra APC chair
Basil Ejidike is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State. In this interview, he says the agitations for secession by Igbo youths should not be taken seriously, and advised Ndigbo to join the ruling party at the centre to have
Leaders of the Igbo people under the umbrella of Ohaneze have been clamouring for the position of president and yet not supporting the present administration; which is closest to getting the position. They are also crying over marginalisation. What is your take?
Of course, for us in APC, we have always said that equity is the only thing that will save all. We have always said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. I believe as a leader of a political party, the Igbo people should be considered this time around. But again, what you put in a system, you gain at the end of the day from the system. You cannot expect to reap where you do not sow; that is why we have been impressing upon our brothers in the South East to appreciate the need to be part of the mainstream.
For me, we have not actually done so well as far as APC is concerned in the last elections. What we need to do is to engage our brothers from others zones to appreciate the need for us to be considered this time around. We should be able to dialogue with them.
In the face of Igbo youths still agitating for secession, what are you doing to harmonise yourselves to be able to work as a team towards producing the next president?
The issue of secession is neither here or there, and we have always accepted to be brothers and sisters to live in one indivisible Nigeria. It is only through dialogue people can appreciate themselves and learn to decide to be one.
Definitely, secession is out of it and should be kept aside. On the issue of an Igbo man becoming president, I suggest that whosever goes to equity must go with clean hands. And as a political party, the Igbo must present evidence to make their case and claims which they don’t have. Judging from what we have, I don’t think we have much to present as far as APC is concerned. Recall that before the last general elections, the Ohaneze Ndigbo went out of its way to toe the line of one political party, even when we have other political parties in the contest. Its leadership decided on its own to single out one party to support.
Look at our brothers from the South South and South West, the kind of politics they play, even when they preferred a particular candidate and party, they did not throw away the other parties. Tell me any state in the South East that secured reasonable votes in the last elections for APC. Nobody puts all his eggs in one basket in politics. Unfortunately, we have been making that mistake over and over and it is working against us and we keep doing it.
The only way out is to engage our brothers from other zones and dialogue with them to achieve our dreams and aspirations. We have not done well, I expect we engage others, appeal and persuade them on why they should consider Ndigbo.
Do you think the agitations for secession and others will die immediately an Igbo man becomes president?
I don’t even see that happening. During the time of ex-President) Goodluck Jonathan, an Igbo man was the Secretary to the Government the Federation (SGF); an Igbo man was the deputy senate president; an Igbo man was the deputy speaker, an Igbo man was Chief of Army Staff; and an Igbo lady was in charge of the economic team of the country, but yet they did not attract a single major infrastructural development to the zone. Under them, EnuguOnitsha Expressway; ObaNnewi-Aguata-Ideato were completely abandoned and became impassable. During that time, they were talking about the Second Niger Bridge in terms of Private-Public Partnership (PPP). It was two lanes, but today it is three lanes and construction is seriously ongoing there. This is happening under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. The difference is clear in term of infrastructural development in the zone between that time when Ndigbo were occupying key positions in government and today that they are saying the Igbo are not occupying key positions. This present government is far better when compared to when Igbo men and women were occupying positions under PDP.
Honestly, I do not see our problems being over by an Igbo man becoming the president of the country. You know from history, the Igbo man is not known to be parochial; immediately he assumes office, he will always strive to find balance.
As an APC chieftain and its
chairman in Anambra State, what can you say that this government has done to the South East?
This government has done wonderfully well in the South East; even without their support. Starting with the school feeding programme where our children are given food in the schools on daily basis, the amount involved in the project in Anambra is enormous. Many people have been engaged as cooks and traders and are making good fortunes; and you know feeding is a chain business. You talk of Trader-Moni; people of lower income are given money to start and improve their businesses with no interest .It is an innovation that has never been witnessed in the country before.
You talk about the quality construction of work going on along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. The road is not just for the eastern part, but for the entire federation. Talk about Port-Harcourt -Enugu Expressway and Oba-Nnewi and Uga federal roads, they are under serious construction now. Before now these roads were impassable. These constructions are being done to last for a very long time.
Again, you talk of the completion and commissioning of Zik’s Mausoleum in Onitsha; even when Jonathan decided to adopt the name of the great son of the country, Zik, one thought he would complete the project soonest to honour the name he adopted, but he could not .It was under Buhari that it was completed and commissioned personally by him.