Dr Alex Ekwueme, Chief Achike Udenwa, Dr Samuel Egwu, Senator Ben Obi and Others during an Igbo Summit in Owerri last year. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu
Prominent Igbo leaders including governors; former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme; Ohanaeze and South-East PDP leaders, have been brainstorming on the issue.
The consensus is anchored on what a source described as ‘superior argument’ that in practical terms the SGF is better than the House of Representatives Speaker, which the zone is demanding on account of its massive support for the PDP at the Presidential and National Assembly polls.
Another factor that is swaying the decision in favour of accepting the SGF slot is the need to ‘help President Goodluck Jonathan to succeed’ after playing leading roles in getting him elected.
However, the leaders are against a leading Abia State politician, who had served severally as a minister and party leader since the return of civil and being pushed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, emerging as the SGF. They would rather prefer a more credible person, perhaps, a former leader of the National Assembly from the South-East to occupy the strategic post.
In the past couple of days, Igbo leaders have been intensely divided on the issue. Veteran journalist and former Editor of New Nigerian Newspapers, Chief Innocent Oparadike; Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said that the speakership was more useful than the SGF, who holds the job at the absolute mercy of the President.
Imperial chief of staff
Indeed, Okechukwu said the SGF was irrelevant when “there sits on the throne of the President, an imperial chief of staff. More so, the office is not listed on the order of protocol and the occupier can be fired at the whims and caprices of the President.”
Former Governor of Anambra State and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, senator-elect in Anambra, Dr. Chris Ngige shares this view. Speaking on a television interview yesterday, he urged the South-East to insist on the speakership, which he stressed was better than the SGF, a mere appointee of the President.
However, some Igbo leaders told Vanguard that the SGF was more strategic and could position the Igbo better in the scheme of things in the country.
Those who shared this view include Second Republic politician and Anambra State chairman of defunct Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP, Chief Guy Ikokwu; former National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, chieftain, Chief Chuba Egolum and Chief Hyde Onuaguluchi.
Ikokwu, who was also a stalwart of NADECO and pioneer chairman of PDP in Anambra State, said the SGF was a powerful post because the occupier controls appointments, oversees the day-to-day running of government and is closer to the President than the Vice President.
He said: “Why did they remove Babagana Kingibe as SGF. They felt he was too powerful. If the South-East is going for the presidency in 2015, the nearest that will help them is the SGF. What is speaker? The Speaker is junior to the Senate President.”
Ikokwu said that apart from the presidency, SGF was another prime post that the South-East had not held. He noted: “We have tried vice president. We have tried Senate President thrice and Speaker twice. What did the South-East gain from them? Let’s embrace SGF.”
Besides, the politician, said the South-East had a duty to help Jonathan succeed.
Speaking in like manner, Egolum, said, “SGF is more strategic. He is there in the presidency and knows what is happening. All appointments go through him. Ministers report to him. He has votes and it is more broad-based than the speakership.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/south-east-leaders-we-accept-sgf/
As far as I am concerned we have no Igbo leaders except Ojukwu. The rest are interested in their pockets. All those that held various positions in the past what did they do for the Igbos if not for themselves and their families? Now, since their was no concrete agreement by the so called Igbo leaders before the election Jonathan can give the Igbos the position of office cleaner in the pesidency. After all the office cleaner is closer to the president because he cleans the presidents office and table. Shame.
ReplyDeleteMy brother, ndigbo was struggling for position of speaker in place of SFG. I just pray that GOD we give Nigerians wisdom. Every wise Nigerian should distance himself from this zoning concoction which has cause more harm than good. Mr. president choose the best hand if actually you plan to succeed. I wish you well.
ReplyDeleteThe igbo's can never rule Nigeria in the next twenty years, they should just concentrate on their mastery of petty commerce, like buying from China and selling at alaba, Onitsha and Aba markets and leave politics to the rest regions. Even the petty trade they now control would be taken away from them if they do not stop all the fake products they pump into the Nigerian market. I often ask why a people so industrious, hardworking and intelligent can be so easily manipulated in a country where they make up almost a quarter of the population?. Is it the hangover from the civil war?or too much love for Money, or other regions just conspire to keep them from politics. Igbos have produced many prominent world scholars like Chinue Achebe, yet they lack the political know how to aspire to the highest office in the land, what a shame. Instead of building up APGA and ralling behind it like the Yorubas are doing with ACN they rather join the PDP where they have no power to negotiate. They would have more say in the affairs of Nigeria if they build up APGA.
ReplyDeleteMy brother Akpobome, you said it all.
ReplyDeleteIgbos are no politicians and can not learn Nigerian politics overnight. A people that started the campaign for the dissolution of zoning and maintained the stand till the last moment, even their brother was disgraced out of office as the national party chairman of PDP as a result, yet at the end of the day they got nothing out it all. If the zoning had been maintained it would have been easy for the ibos to get the presidential slot in 2015, but if anybody in the south-east is dreaming of 2015 presidential slot, possibly that person has malaria. It should be realized that zoning is dead, its proper ugly head will be reared in 2015, then the ibos that speared headed the destruction of zoning will be confronted head on by the same PDP