The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has spurned the latest outburst of the Ohaneze-Ndigbo over the appointment of a new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
President-General of Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Nnia Nwodo, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari of marginalising the Igbos in the recent appointment of Mr Boss Mustapha to fill the position.
He said that the position should be zoned to the South East, but BMSG: “We strongly hold that this is one outburst too many coming from Chief Nnia Nwodo’’.
“The claim to zoning the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is not only an illusion of precedence but another deliberate manipulative manoeuvre by the Igbo leader to incite the Igbo nation against a President that is, by all indications, going out of his way to constructively engage the people of Southeast Nigeria.”
BMSG made its observation in a press statement signed by its President, Mr Austin Braihmoh and Secretary General, Chief Cassidy Madueke.
The Group asserted that the office of the SGF had never been a subject of political zoning.
“The occupation of the office by Senator Ayim Pius Ayim under the administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan does not in translates to the residency of the office in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
It noted that the President has continued to favour the Igbo nation in very many ways.
“Beyond the appointment of suitable and well qualified people of Igbo stock to substantive ministerial and other strategic posts, President Buhari, has more than any Nigerian President, recorded impressive historical milestones both in the spheres of material development of the Southeast region and the rehabilitation of veterans and survivors of the unfortunate Nigeria civil war.
“This is exemplified in the effective commencement of the construction of the second Niger Bridge and many roads construction ongoing in the region, most of which had been abandoned by past Federal Governments.
“We also commend to Chief Nwodo, the outstanding healing process being engineered by President Buhari in the Southeast region, chiefs of which are the recent consent judgment facilitated by the President Buhari’s administration committing the Federal Government of Nigeria to paying the equivalent of N88billion to survivors of the civil war and the reconstruction of affected states in the region during the pendency of the war,” the BMSG posited.
“We beseech the respected Igbo leader to eschew inciting statements aimed at causing disaffection against the administration of President Buhari. At this critical juncture in the development of Nigeria, there’s a need for a collective commitment to the peace and even development of the country. All elders and leaders anywhere in the country must join hands to realise this. NAN
