Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Monday, disclosed that it’s only when the All Progressives Congress, (APC) creates additional state in southeast that the party can succeed in the zone.
Engr. Chidi-Ibeh led Ohaneze, made the disclosure in a statement signed by the Secretary-General of the Igbo group, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in Abakaliki Ebonyi State capital.
Ohaneze maintained that if the ruling party fails to create additional state in the zone, that it will continue to struggle for survival in southeast.
There have been agitations for the creation of Aba State, by some groups from the zone.
Investigation reveals that there was a referendum on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu States from the then Anambra and Imo States in January 1982. In June 1983, the Senate passed the same motion on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu States from the then Anambra and Imo States.
While on the same day the National Assembly confirmed the four States and others for referendum. Among the four states the National Assembly confirmed for referendum in 1983, Aba State was the only one that had not been created from the South East.
Ohaneze said that it recently received the report of the Prof. Ogbu led committee on additional state creation in southeast which approved the creation of Aba State.
“Today, we have officially received the Ohaneze Ndigbo Committee report on the additional state creation for the southeast which approved of the Aba state creation. We wish to thank all the members of the Prof Ogbu led Committee on additional state creation for the southeast for the excellent job and unbiased reports that favored the creation of Aba State, especially the Secretary of the committee, Dimm Uche Okwukwu, for standing on the path of honor and presented the reports to Igbo leadership.
“Ohaneze Ndigbo committee on additional State creation gave detailed knowledge on why equity and justice supported the Aba state ahead of other state movements in the southeast. From the old Anambra and Imo States, it’s empirical to note that the old Anambra has three states created from it with three capitals in Awka( New Anambra), Enugu( Enugu state) and Abakiliki( Ebonyi state)
“While the old IMO state has only two States with only two capitals, Umuahia ( Abia) and Owerri ( IMO), and the committee recommended the creation of Aba state from old Imo state and strategically Aba has the economic potentials for her survival as a new State.
“Ohaneze will dispatch the Southeast new State reports to President Buhari, southeast Governors, and National Assembly leadership for quick action. This is the only way the APC led Federal Government can upturn its colossal failure and flourish in the southeast by addressing the structural imbalance of 5 states in the southeast with 95 local government areas. Federal government is expected to initiate the process of creating additional state ( Aba state) for the southeast zone, this will end Biafra agitation and gain support for APC in the southeast, apart from it APC will continue to fight for her survival in the southeast”.
“Ndigbo have never fared well in opposition political parties. They are known to be in the mainstream party since 1960, but since 2015, despite the level of improved infrastructural development across the southeast, APC National leadership wonders why the party continues to stagger in the southeast during elections and 2023 will not be an exception if the right decisions are not taken.
“The only reason the party continues to fail lies in the fact that APC is yet to do the right thing. They have rightly addressed some peculiar problems facing other regions. In the southwest, they granted Abiola the rights of a President and declared June 12 as Democracy Day to pacify the southwest even when they have key positions in government including the office of the Vice President. Federal government has agreed to clean up Ogoni-land, built Maritime University, opened up standard guage of railways in Delta state and proposed presidential pardon for the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and others for the people of the Niger/Delta, the only thing southeast expects is an additional state from President Buhari as a legacy gift for the southeast”, he stated.