PRESS RELEASE

ENUGU INT’L AIRPORT BUGDET ALLOCATION CUT:
ICCA/Umunna blasts South-East Senators and House members.
-Your representation disgraceful
-Incompetency on performance will disqualify you in 2019.
-We will follow constituency projects and demand accountability.

Toronto June 22, 2018

The Igbo Canadian Community Association (ICCA/Umunna) have described as appalling, inadequate and quite disgraceful the representation Ndigbo got from her elected legislators in the National Assembly as regards the 2018 Budget which was signed into law this week.

In a statement issued in Toronto, Canada, the President of the socio-cultural and political group, Chief Ugochukwu Okoro, said “it is either the representatives of Ndigbo have forgotten the reasons they were given their various mandates or that they are inadvertently telling the people of the South-East region that they are incompetent as they cannot provide quality representation to the people and therefore should to be relieved of the responsibility they were shouldered with.”

“It is quite unfortunate that our elected officials are exhibiting this gross neglect of their primary duties of governance and legislature that will be of benefit to the South East region and this conduct is unconscionable, selfish, crudely depressing and revealing of their incapacity to be leaders that our people put their trust in,” Okoro said.

The statement was in reaction to the details made after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2018 Budget into law on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 which revealed a cut in the budget allocation for the Enugu International Airport Terminal was cut from N2 billion to N500million, a startling departure from the allocation to the project maintained by the last two administrations.

Okoro said the development is very embarrassing and annoyingly provoking to hear South-East senators and House members in the National Assembly trading blames on the issue after the budget had been signed into law.

“Now they are apportioning blame and pointing fingers making us to ask what they had been doing all the while that the budget appropriation was going on; did we not have representation from the senate and house on committees that were responsible for overseeing the budget? What was the South-East caucus in the National Assembly doing? It is further incomprehensible and totally selfish if not criminal to hear the presidency allege that the National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion for 4,700 projects submitted for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion. This shows that they were more interested in introducing constituency projects from which they may benefit than pushing a collective agenda to sustain the allocation to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.”

He continued, “It is totally unimaginable that our elected representatives will allow this painful development bearing in mind that president Buhari never hid his disdain and distorted agenda towards Ndigbo in his statement to a global audience on July 22, 2015 while addressing the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) when he said that constituents that gave him 97 per cent vote cannot be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave him 5 %. It is totally repulsive, indignant and shameful that Ndigbo, even with one of their son occupying the position of Deputy Senate President in the Senate, could allow this indignity happen to the people of the South East.”

The ICCA/Umunna stated that as an organization established in 1969, it will, going forward, work with their members, NGOS and law enforcement agencies both in Nigeria and in Diaspora to follow the constituency projects with a view to ensure accountability and prevent “White Elephants” in the name of constituency projects.

“We want to use this medium to let our elected representatives to sit up and give Ndigbo quality representation or risk their mandate not being renewed because come 2019 performance reports of each and every Member of Parliament will be disclosed and used to create awareness to the South East electorate. Let them know that incompetence, nepotism, favoritism or Godfatherism will be annihilated in Igbo land. This particular incident will be among the query we will issue on them when they come seeking for votes and we will name and shame any of our elected official that engages in constituency project fraud because it is time Ndigbo benefits as a people and not the individual tendencies we have observed in the past. Let our elected Senators and House of Representatives members consider this as a wake-up call.

- End -
About ICCA/Umunna
The Igbo Canadian Community Association (ICCA/Umunna) is socio-cultural and political organization committed to the rediscovering and reestablishment of the rich Igbo cultural identity, enhancing and strengthening the cords of unity and bonding among Igbo speaking people in Nigeria and the diaspora, advocating and agitating in a peaceful manner in all causes pertaining to Igbo people. Founded in 1970 at the end of the civil war, the association has firmly resolved that the Igbo Canadian Community Association, otherwise known as ICCA (Umunna), a Non-Profit Ontario Corporation, will be the umbrella body that will re-instill a sense of identity and pride within the Igbo nation by promoting her language, culture, history, traditions and philosophy of Igbo nation; create awareness of political and social condition of Igbo peoples in Nigeria and diaspora and help proffer and articulate solutions to Igbo problems with a view to reawakening the original and quintessential Igbo spirit and psyche as well as pursue cultural and historical education our people with the view to promoting the glorious heritage of the Igbo nation and its people.
Direct Enquiries to
Mr. Ahaoma Kanu,
PRO,
ICCA/Umunna
+1-365-880-7337
(goodname77@gmail.com)
Igbo Canadian Community Association (ICCA/Umunna)
680 Scarlett Road,
Toronto, Ontario
M9P 2T4
Canada

Why not blame Buhari and APC as usual. I will not take this why blame our beloved senators like Eyinnaya Abaribe and Ike Ekweremadu that abuse and insult Buhari for us, don't you know that Eyinnaya Abaribe is our Ekwueme one of Igbo land. APC islamic party hate South East. Sarcasm any way.

Come to think of this this senators, house of rep members of PDP stock from South East and South South deliberately allowed the Northern senator to what they did so that they'll use it to campaign against Buhari in 2019 that Buhari cut the region budget because they didn't vote for him that he hates them.

Believe me if Buhari had not said anything about the infractions, padding and signed it, these senators that i know especially senator Abaribe from South East would have turned it to Buhari and APC that he side lined them in projects allocation and budgeting.

Now they are caught in compromising projects for South East for political gains they are now coming out to claim unaware and that it was done on committee bases my question is it's Ekweremadu not a principle member and leader in that NASS, is the appropriation committee chairman not from South East, is Abaribe not one of the pillar of Saraki and the cabal in NASS any more.

Very useless people


I hope more of this revelation comes to light because as usual Nigerians have recieved a shocking blow and will soon forget the pain

Most SE political representatives are not only naive but mediocre and personal thieves. They care less about happenings in their jurisdictions.
It’s pitiable that this same set of folks would be re-elected during the next electoral process.

It’s no wrong being an opposition, but it’s a disgrace and shameful if you don’t play the opposition game well.

The same Igbo senators who were moving the motions for the airport under Goodluck Jonathan has suddenly gone cold under Buharri?

Bad odour can be infectious o.

DrGoodman:
The same Igbo senators who were moving the motions for the airport under Goodluck Jonathan has suddenly gone cold under Buharri?

Bad odour can be infectious o.

When u close ur eyes, for evil to pass, u will miss grace, passing too.

Fun facts: The South East occupies the positions of Vice Chairman of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriation and also chairs the House Committee on Aviation.

Why not let Igbos build this airport to an acceptable international standard?
Fed government is out to frustrate Igbos by all means.

naijaking1:
Why not let Igbos build this airport to an acceptable international standard?
Fed government is out to frustrate Igbos by all means.

Who's stopping you? Anambra is building airport city project remember.