Umahi Wants Another Buhari-like President for Nigeria in 2023

Deji Elumoye

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has projected into the future of Nigeria saying he prayed for a kind-hearted person like President Muhammadu Buhari to take over from him in 2023.

He also explained that obedience of Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB)’s sit-at-home order in South-east states was borne out of fear by the residents.

Umahi, who spoke with newsmen Monday after a close-door meeting with President Buhari said much as he believed that power rested with God, he would continue to pray for someone with the attributes of Buhari to succeed him.

“I continue to say that power rests in the hands of God. And we pray that God, will also give us the next president, who has good heart, like President Buhari for the good of this country.We need God’s own anointing for our own anointed president for the interest and unity of this country,” he said.

Asked if the South-east governors were considering encouraging the two major parties to produce one candidate towards the 2023 presidential election, Umahi said it was too early and distracting to talk about it now.

He said: “Well, for me, I’m very much entrenched in completing my projects. And I will look into politics, when my tenure is remaining one year, which is from May 29, 2022. And I think it is the same thing with other governors of South-east and by extension, governors of APC.

“My position about what you ask is that our people that are in those political parties are making the efforts in selling the need for South-east to produce the next president. But I think both the governors and Mr. President should not be distracted, when the elections done and won, the next thing should be governance.

“But in this country, the moment the election is completed, the next one starts and it’s the masses that are being cheated. So, those whose job is politics and who are not in elected position, or appointed position have all the time and the opportunity to do this conversing. And I think that they are doing it very well.”

On the continuous adherence to the sit-at-home order from IPOB by the South-east people despite its suspension, he said fear was behind it but warned that if it was not tackled, the economy of the region might be adversely affected.

According to him, South East leaders in collaboration with Ohaneze Ndigbo were working together on the grievances of the youths of the area, who protested against marginalisation with a view to presenting it to the President.

Explaining what he and his colleagues in the zone were doing to tackle the impact of the the sit-at-home order by IPOB, Umahi said: “Well, I think is not more or less complying to the directive of IPOB or no IPOB. Suspended or not suspended. It is a question of fear. You know, the easiest thing to do is to carry weapon and kill somebody, and that’s what happened in the past.

“And that’s why, you know, some people in South-east are afraid of coming out. Even if you go now to the street and say that… or you hold AK 47, you will see everybody will desert the street. So, it’s not a question of compliance. It’s a question of fear.

“The security agencies can have enough personnel in the South-east. You’ll find out that no South-east man wants to miss a day of work. They like to work, they are into trade, commerce, and they want to earn their daily living.

“So, this is something that the nation Nigeria must know. And it’s something that security agencies must know. Security agencies must know that they owe South-east people the duty to protect their lives and this is the reason why it appears that some states are in compliance with the sit-at-home order, even though like you said, IPOB has said, it’s suspended.

“But it’s the worst thing to happen to South-east, because it will destroy the economy of South-east. And so, I’ve been singing and I have been shouting that South-east people should take into knowledge not to allow such thing to happen, because it will cripple the economy of South East.”

Explaining the purpose of his visit to the State House, Umahi said: “I came to see, Mr. President. One is to thank him very highly for a number of mega projects that he is doing in the Southeast. The second Niger bridge is fast becoming a reality. Each time we visit that bridge location is always like a dream. So, we the people of South-east are very grateful to Mr. President for this.

“We also thank him for the award of the Eastern corridor of the railway line. This is a project that is going to fast-track the commercial activities of our people. I recall that when I was in school, I used to join train from my state, Ebonyi to Maiduguri, where my brothers were staying for my holidays.

“Mr. President is about restoring that hope. We are deeply very grateful. But I also reminded Mr. President that one of his cardinal objective is to integrate in South-east or the state capitals, but in putting together the project through South-east that the capital of Ebonyi State, which is Abakaliki and capital of Anambra State, which is Akwa, were omitted.

“And I reminded, Mr. President that the South-east governors had requested that I write,which I did, but is not yet approved to the Honourable Minister of Transport, which Mr. President said he will find out why they were omitted in the first place.

“I am very, very hopeful that Mr. President is going to give approval to those two locations. And also the limestone granules to fast track the fertiliser presidential initiative, which has helped the country Nigeria so much in food sufficiency.

“Let me point out that without the effort of Mr. President, through this fertiliser initiative and other programmes in agricultural sector, it would have been a very difficult time for this country. And so that project is supposed to produce a large set of granules to enable us produce fertilisers to serve the South-south, South-east and part of North Central.

“Mr. President has already approved the funds and released to Solid Mineral Development Fund. But part of the requirement is that there must be SPV – integration of private sector initiative. They have applied to Mr. President for approval through the chief of staff. So, we had to remind Mr. President.

“Lastly, four years back, Mr. President was in Ebonyi State about November to commission a number of projects and lay foundation stone to others. I reminded Mr. President that we are expecting him four years later, which would be November for him to come to Ebonyi State. The last time, he spent one night but this time we are asking him to spend three nights.”

He, however, said a number of projects had been completed and ready for commissioning by the president.