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By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
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The Igbo apex socio political organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to review the recent reorganization at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which it said was lop-sided against the Igbos.
It said the new set of management appointments by the Federal Government-owned oil firm was clearly done in favour of the North with the South-east totally ignored in the process.
The reorganization at the NNPC saw the approval of 54 new senior managerial appointments in what is seen as the first major overhaul of the establishment. None of them is from the South-east.
In a statement at the weekend, signed by its President General, Chief John Nwodo, Ohanaeze said that it was appalled at the consistent and unrepentant disdain for the South-east by the Buhari-administration as copiously displayed in the recent reorganization at the NNPC.
It said that it had thought that after the president’s declaration in a broadcast recently that Nigeria’s unity was settled and not negotiable, he would take all necessary actions in his governance to achieve it.
But it regretted that the NNPC shake up had not shown that the administration was walking its talk.
Ohanaeze said: “The Buhari administration as shown in the new managers just announced tilting clearly in favour of the North with South-east totally ignored as has always been the case since Buhari administration came to office is not intended to achieve the desired cohesion in an already fragmented nation.
“This brazen disregard, marginalization, and non-compliance with the Federal character provisions in our Constitution are the causes of lack of confidence, which our youths have seen in our present governance structure,” it pointed out.
It warned: “As long as President Buhari continues to live out his speech abroad that his government will favour those who voted 97% for him against those who voted 5% for him, so long will the dissatisfaction and unrest in our polity subsist.”
The group said what had happened was absurd and stood reason on its head. “There is no oil well anywhere in Northern Nigeria. Four of the five states in the South-east have proven oil resources some of which provide our nation’s revenue yet our people are not found fit to be adequately represented in a key corporate institution like the NNPC,†it said.
It pleaded: “Ohanaeze is, therefore, urging the President to revisit this recent reorganisation exercise in NNPC in the name of God and in the spirit of the on-going festivity being celebrated in this season and in the promotion of unity and good governance.”
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