The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has described the Igbo marginalization within the Nigerian federation, as a reality that could only be effectively addressed through restructuring, to enthrone true federalism. Ekweremadu spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of the book “The Audacity of Power and the Nigeria Project: Exclusion of the South East in Nigeria’s Power Politics and the Spectre of Biafra”, authored by Godwin Udibe and Law Mefor. The lawmaker, who was represented by Hon. Dennis Amadi, said, “the cross of Ndigbo in the Nigerian state is heavy; Igbo marginalisation is real; and, as the authors argue, now bothers on deliberate exclusion.“But the worst disadvantages suffered by Ndigbo are not just those imposed by structural imbalances, such as fewer number of States and local governments or the lesser revenue accruals, political representation, federal employments and political appointments, arising from the imbalances and willful injustice.“The greatest marginalization and disadvantage suffered by Ndigbo is the willful dissembling and discarding of true federalism, which the founding fathers of Nigeria adopted, in order to live together as one nation in which no one is oppressed and every component part is able to thrive.“This awkward form of federalism has boxed Ndigbo to a tight corner and caged their potentials and ingenuity”.He said that in a normal federal arrangement, the hue and cry over marginalisation by Ndigbo and other parts of Nigeria would not have arisen.“It would be recalled that in the First Republic, the defunct Eastern Region was rated the fastest growing economy in Africa. At that time, oil had not started flowing in commercial quantity in the Region. Nevertheless, the Eastern Region as well as the other regions recorded unprecedented and yet to be unequaled development.“The State of California alone, in the USA, is one of the largest economies in the world. It reminds us that in a true federal state, Ndigbo would have been the most unlikely people to cry about marginalization because they have what it takes to compete with the developed economies.“Sadly, in the context of Nigeria’s federalism, Ndigbo are like a shackled lion. They have abundant mineral resources, but cannot exploit them because minerals are vested in the Federal Government in an arrangement that robs Peter to pay Paul. Ndigbo cannot independently secure their territories to make them safer for citizens and more attractive to investors because policing was centralised since 1966.“Whereas Igbo communities and public spirited individuals build schools, roads, hospitals, and other socio-economic infrastructure, the South East states cannot build certain infrastructure because only the Federal Government has the constitutional powers to build them.“In other words, Ndigbo are a people who have what it takes to fly, but are condemned to crawl because others are crawling. This is the tragedy of the Nigerian project”, he added. Ekweremadu, who said, “restructuring is not an emotional issue, but a political imperative for Nigeria to make the desired progress”, disagreed with those who see the calls for restructuring as tantamount to call for disintegration. According to him, “It is actually the perpetuation of marginalization, exclusion, imbalances, injustice and induced poverty that comes with a dysfunctional federal arrangement like ours that is capable of bending a nation towards restiveness and implosion”.“On the other hand, inclusion, justice, liberty, and allowing every component state considerable autonomy to utilise its resources and potentials to develop at its own pace promotes unity as well as speedy and competitive development” he stressed. Ekweremadu warned that until Nigeria gets a president “who sees every part of the country as his or her constituency, and is committed to reuniting a highly polarised nation and reawakening the giant in all parts thereof; and so long as people are mistreated on grounds of their electoral choices or where they come from, the quest for president of the various ethnic extractions will continue”.

Tolexander:
All I could read in the piece is the calling of "marginalization of Igbo" as a result of the absence of true federalism in Nigeria.

The irony of the issue is that the regionalism, similar to true federalism, we were practising in the first republic was replaced with "decree 34" (Unitary System) by Major General Johnson Thomas Umudike Aguiyi Ironsi, an Igbo man.

Ekweremadu warned that until Nigeria gets a president “who sees every part of the country as his or her constituency, and is committed to reuniting a highly polarised nation and reawakening the giant in all parts thereof; and so long as people are mistreated on grounds of their electoral choices or where they come from, the quest for president of the various ethnic extractions will continue”.

paramakina202:


So we should get stuck in 1966 because of Aguiyi Ironsi's actions or inactions right?

paramakina202:


So we should get stuck in 1966 because of Aguiyi Ironsi's actions or inactions right?

dieNL:

Ypu diabolical people ars so evilistic...was it ironsi who created states? Why didn't you evil people revoked the ironsi decree? You people are so diabolical Nd evilistic

Tolexander:
All I could read in the piece is the calling of "marginalization of Igbo" as a result of the absence of true federalism in Nigeria.

The irony of the issue is that the regionalism, similar to true federalism, we were practising in the first republic was replaced with "decree 34" (Unitary System) by Major General Johnson Thomas Umudike Aguiyi Ironsi, an Igbo man.

paramakina202:


So we should get stuck in 1966 because of Aguiyi Ironsi's actions or inactions right?

babyfaceafrica:
What has he done for Igbo's?..politheifians are thieves

ZombieTAMER:
A look at the recent SSS recruitment exercise will convince everybody that there is nothing like equity in Nigeria
Some up north have made themselves more equal than others because Muslims down south supports them
This current arrangement must fall or Nigeria falls

Tolexander:
All I could read in the piece is the calling of "marginalization of Igbo" as a result of the absence of true federalism in Nigeria.

The irony of the issue is that the regionalism, similar to true federalism, we were practising in the first republic was replaced with "decree 34" (Unitary System) by Major General Johnson Thomas Umudike Aguiyi Ironsi, an Igbo man.

OAUTemitayo:
We should not be stuck but why blaming Yorubas for your marginalisation?

osinbanjoisaliar:
The likes of Tinubus and sanusi's come to mind. If Igbos had their own nation, it would have equalled the likes of Malaysia and Indonesia. But with useless, jealous tribes like the suffersticated and the northern cowboys running the show, igbos are forced to stew in sh*t

Dedetwo:


You have qualified to be booted out of Internet. The above bolded does not make any intellectual sense. There is regionalism however there is nothing such as "true federalism". This crap, true federalism, is found in the catacombs created by "Free Education".

By the way, there is no Umudike in Ironis's name.

Tolexander:
Pa Dede, you haven't gone to find a resting place in a graveyard in alaigbo!

You don't belong to this generation, you could have been more useful in the Pliocene era, so quit the internet and stop making us to have the feeling of alien invasion sir!