Ohanaeze Seeks Inclusion of Rotational Presidency in Constitution Ugwuanyi Inaugurates Committee on Public Sector Reform
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called for the inclusion of zoning of the presidency in the Nigerian Constitution.
This was made known by the Chairman of the Elders Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu while interacting with journalists.
According to Iwuanyanwu, limiting the zoning of the presidency to the North and South is vague and should therefore be discouraged.
He submitted that rotating the presidency within the six geo-political zones should be made constitutional for the sake of equity, justice and fair play.
He said, “It is our strong view that issues of zoning the presidency should be put in the constitution and it should be rotated among the six geo-political zones.”
Chief Iwuanyanwu explained that the council believes that if it was agreed that the presidency should be zoned to the South in 2023, since the South-West and South-South had produced the country’s presidents, it was now the turn of the South-East.
According to him, the South-East leaders did everything possible to convince the South-West and South-South leaders of the need to produce the country’s next president in 2023.
He said the leaders, including MiddleBelt leaders, agreed that it was the turn of the South-East and even made public statements to support the Igbo presidency in 2023.
Iwuanyawu noted that while the leaders agreed that it was the turn of the SouthEast to produce the next president at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023, the political class took a contrary decision.
“The political class, unfortunately, took another decision which made us feel terribly betrayed, not by the elders, but by the political class because we are sure that the elders in the whole South and Middle-Belt supported Igbo presidency in 2023.”
The elder statesman emphasised that though the South-East geo-political zone was disappointed that none of the two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), zoned its presidential ticket to the region, it would not boycott the 2023 general election as speculated in some quarters.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State last Thursday inaugurated an eight-man Committee to coordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the 12 Sectoral Committees.
Inaugurating the Committee, Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Otuanya, named Dr Kingsley Udeh as Chairman.
The governor also listed the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe; former Chairman, Collation Committee on Sectoral Ad hoc Committees’ report, Prof Vincent Onodugo; and former Reform Manager, DFID PERL, South-East, Mrs Ucheoma Egwuatu, as members of the Implementation Coordination Committee.
Other members of the committee are former Member, Collation Committee on Sectoral Ad hoc Committees’ Report and former State Team Lead, DFID SPARC, Enugu, Barr. Sam Onovo Onyia; Retired Permanent Secretary and Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, Mrs. Sylvia Onwubuemeli mni; Representative of the Attorney-General; and the Director of Administration, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Madueke Nsude, who serves as Secretary of the Committee.
Governor Ugwuanyi said that the committee’s responsibility was to coordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the 12 Sectoral Committees that articulated necessary reforms in the state public service. He urged members of the newly inaugurated committee to bring their wealth of experience to bear on the assignment, “and thus, propel our state to an enviable height, while leaving indelible marks on the sands of time.”
The sectors earlier reviewed by tested technocrats drawn from various backgrounds include Education, Health, Public Service, Justice, Water, Security, Agriculture, Rural Development, Finance and Chieftaincy/Community Matters.