A pan-Igbo grassroots sociocultural organisation, Imeobi Igbo Forum, has described the present crop of politicians in the South-East as the “worst in history”.
The group also said the present legislators of the region at the National Assembly have failed the Igbo race and insisted that they should be withdrawn from contesting the 2023 general elections.
Addressing journalists in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Tuesday, the National Chairman, IIF, Dr Mike Ikegulu, berated the politicians and elites from the region for their public conduct and utterances in a bid “to please the chieftains of some ethnic groups”, describing it as “disappointing” and “painful”.
Ikegulu said, “Since the emergence of the present crop of Igbo political and business elites, Ndigbo have continued to be shamed and short-changed. We are not genuinely being represented in any sphere of Nigeria affairs.
“Their public conduct and utterances are disappointing and painful, just to please the chieftains of some ethnic groups. These Igbo elites have raped and abandoned Ndigbo.
“Those at the national assembly are insensitive to our collective interests. Never lending a voice on anything of interest to Ndigbo for pecuniary interest and personal aggrandizement.”
He called on the people to take advantage of the ongoing registration of the Permanent Voters Card to register and be ready to vote out leaders who have not meant well for the region.
He lamented that the present system of governance in Nigeria is alien to Ndigbo, adding that the leaders in the region emerge by their actions and utterances, not by election or appointment.
According to him, in a multi-ethnic country such as Nigeria, other ethnic groups have stratified leadership, but the Igbos are represented in such a dastardly fashion.
He also accused the southeast politicians of ganging up to have the Indigenous People of Biafra proscribed, rejected the referendum, set Nnamdi Kanu up and got him kidnapped and incarcerated to silence him.
He said, “These greedy and shameless political elites brought similar disgrace to those other nationalities rooting for a Nigerian president of South-East extraction for equity, justice and fairness.
“For their business and political interests, they ganged up to have IPOB proscribed, rejected referendum, set Nnamdi Kanu up and got him kidnapped and incarcerated to silence him.
“They keep mum over the atrocities committed by occupying forces and the continuing intimidation and slaughter of Igbo youths for agitation.
“Igbo politicians followed the dollars in the party primaries, disregarding the recurring political realities which give us the short end of the stick.
“The present and future generations of Ndigbo will look down on the present group of Igbo political and economic elites who have largely relocated to Abuja, as the worst in history.
“The present Igbo legislators in the national assembly should not be allowed back, for toying with the destiny of Ndigbo, in the complex country of Nigeria.”
“They are there for self, family and friends. One wonders why they are gearing up to return to the same indolent representation at the national assembly in 2023. Even the serving governors are buying their way to the senate as retirement home, this is unacceptable to us.”
