A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Chief Chekwas Okorie has decried exclusion of South east zone in the recently approved $22.7b external loan sought by President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to tackle infrastructure deficits in most parts of the country.
The APC chieftain called on the people of South-East to hold Igbo representatives in the national Assembly accountable for the non inclusion of the zone in the approved loans so as to address the myriad of challenges ravaging the South East geopolitical zone.
Recall that the Senate had last week approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to borrow $22.7 billion despite objection from some Senators.
Buhari, in 2019 had sent the loan request to the Senate but it was rejected by the Upper Legislative Chamber under the leadership of Bukola Saraki.
However, Okorie who spoke with DAILY POST in a telephone interview on Thursday afternoon, faulted the lamentation of leaders in south east over the alleged exclusion, insisting that Igbo senators have failed to protect the interest of the zone.
His words, “Everybody now is just saying South east is excluded in the loan. I have been on this issue of marginalization for several decades, even before the formation of All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA). Essence of forming APGA was to be politically engaged with rest of Nigeria to avoid things like this. But in a nutshell, we have our people in the National Assembly. Many of them I have been there since 1999 without giving anybody further chance. The external loan passed through the national Assembly. If Igbo people who are in the national assembly, especially those who are heading socio-cultural group like Ohanaeze Ndigbo cannot interrogate our representatives, then what else can anybody do? This issue of lamentation by South east over the loan have gone to a ridiculous level that people do laugh at us for always lamenting.
“I have read a number of comments on this matter, and all well meaning Nigerians are laying the blame on our people in the national assembly. When you have up to fifteen senators and you have over fourth five members in the federal House of Representatives. If Senator Abaribe is not the minority leader, Probably, you wouldn’t have heard his voice. After all, he was in the Senate two time before becoming minority leader. It is only now that he is leading the minority in the senate that he speaks out more openly. When he was in government whoever knew that was Abaribe in the senate.
“All I can say is, if our Igbo national assembly members cannot give explanation to the entire people of Igbo nation why south east was excluded, and what they are doing nothing about it, then, shame to them. It is for the Igbos to take appropriate action when it comes to leadership recruitment”.
