BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA
Ndigbo across Nigeria and the diaspora have expressed displeasure and discontentment over the demise of federal roads? and other federal infrastructure in the igbo region of the country.
They concurred that the demise and deplorable condition of federal roads in the igbo region of the country?were what they described as heart-breaking as they observed that one can not travel from Enugu to Onitsha, from Enugu to Port-Harcourt and from Onitsha to Nsukka noting that the federal roads in these areas have not been re-visited years after construction during the Shagari regime.
Nigerians of the igbo extraction made the observation at a one-day wake-up call forum in Awka the Anambra state capital organized by the Igbo World Assembly, a non-governmental? organization championing the cause of Ndigbo home and abroad.The theme of the forum was ??? Achieving Sustainable Security For Ndigbo In Nigeria?? .The forum however provided veritable platform for participants to realize that it was time Ndigbo had a common front to pursue as well as realize the overall objective of pride of place for the igbo nation in the Nigerian polity .
At the forum Lolo Kate Uzoamaka Ezeofor President-General Umuada-Igbo Nigeria and Diaspora , who delivered a lecture on ?? Ndigbo: A Great Nation ?? observed that president? GoodLuck Jonathan has given the best to Ndigbo and has equally fulfilled the promise he made to Ndigbo in 2011 , stressing that it was incumbent on the igbo nation to support president Jonathan in his second tenure aspiration while suggesting that igbos should go back to the drawing board and develop a 4 year development plan as strategy for the?2019 presidency noting that the turn of Ndigbo for presidency in Nigeria was long over due .
Meanwhile chief Rommy Ezeonwuka proprietor of Rojenny Stadium and Tourist Centre Oba in Idemili-South local government area of Anambra state , on his part observed that the construction of the Second Niger-Bridge was of paramount importance for the south-east geo-political zone .Chief Ezeonwuka emphasized that the presence of the Second Niger-bridge would greatly enhance socio-economic activites in the zone .He however urged the federal government not to play unnecessary politics about the construction of the Second Niger-Bridge .
The proprietor of Rojenny Stadium and Tourist Centre Oba also used the occasion to emphasize that the acceptance and endorsement of president GoodLuck Jonathan for another term in office by Ndigbo would translate into the actualization of full and uninterrupted electricity supply, construction of the Second Niger-Bridge as well as institution of other federal projects in the Igbo?nation.
On the other hand , president of the Igbo World Assembly Dr.Nwachukwu Anakwenze while reeling out the demands? of Ndigbo from the polity stated that Ndigbo needed a Nigeria where political structure is based on equity, fair-play, balance and equal access to political power , a Nigeria where the current? political structure would be re-structured to ensure true federalism based on regions or zones and that to that extent therefore ,??implementation of the key agreements of the just concluded national conference was critical .
Dr.Anakwenze said that the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC ] recently awarded more voting boots to Northern Nigerians which he saw as subtle way of INEC playing to the gallery. He therefore did not conceal his resentments on the aforesaid development on the grounds that the extra polling units created by the apex electoral body should be rejected by all Nigerians describing the move as attempted injustice on the part of the electoral body.
The demands of Ndigbo judging from the blue-print presented by the president of the Igbo World Assembly were legion but the bottom line was that the igbo nation has decided to rise up to confront the relegation it is currently facing in the Nigerian polity .
