By Chijioke Chijioke
You were not voted into power to protect a certain set of people: until we stop these sentiments we will not grow as a nation, an Igbo Chieftain, Dr. Elvis Chukwu has told President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chukwu said Nigerian politicians gets into power and only think of themselves and the small ethnic group they come from.
“Our leaders promote ethnic sentiments while at the same time enjoying the benefits from the public treasury and task payers money”, Chukwu who is also a former Senior Special Assistant (SSA), to Governor Simon Lalong, said.
The Igbo chieftain stated this at the weekend in Jos, while commenting on the “state of the nation”.
“Leadership challenges led us to this point and selfishness from the part of our political leaders because they have approached the management of the leadership of this country with all forms of deceit.
“If you compare our leaders with the leaders of other countries, you will see they have schooled in the best universities abroad, like Harvard and best of other schools to prepare themselves mentally for leadership”, Chukwu said.
Also reacting to President Buhari’s interview with a Television station on Thursday, the former SSA fault the President for always using derogatory words on Igbo citizens, adding that Buhari’s speech confirms where the northern youths and their leaders derived their strength in chanting anti Igbo slogan.
“The President’s sheech clearly shows where the Northern youths and anti Igbo Northern elements are drawing their strength from”, he said.
Recall that Buhari had said during the interview that the Igbos and their territory is just a dot in a circle of the map of Nigeria, which even if the secede could exit to nowhere since the elders and youths of the South-South had assured him of not being part of the secessionist agenda.
However Chukwu said the agitation for secession cuts across various region of the country, starting from the South East to the South West and now the North Central.
“This challenge is not with any particular region as it now cuts across board. When you go to the South West, you hear people say they want Oduduwa country, and to the South East, Biafra and North Central agitating for the Middle Belt, while Northern minorities saying they want self determination.
“But I think the bigger picture is that Nigeria is better as one indivisible country but under a strict condition of justice, fairness and equity”, Chukwu said.
