Igbo leaders under the aegis of Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos on Thursday expressed dismay over the inability of either the federal government or other socio-cultural or political groups in the country to factor Ndigbo in the agenda for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country in spite of being the only ethnic group with the highest number of victims as a result of the Boko Haram terrorism.
Addressing a press conference in Enugu, leaders of the group, including its President-General, Chief Ebere Ubani and the Chairman, South-east IDPs, Ozo Patrick Mba, said it is unacceptable for the government to make arrangements on how to take care of IDPs without recourse to Ndigbo.
They accused successive administrations in Nigeria of deliberate neglect and marginalisation of the South-east zone, insisting that the latest issue concerning the neglect of displaced people from the zone is part of the marginalisation agenda.
The group claimed that Ndigbo had suffered unquantifiable loss in the hands of the terrorists operating in some parts of the country especially the North-east zone.
Ndigbo leaders noted that the media briefing was aimed at drawing the attention of the world to what they called “latest unimaginable and deliberate marginalisation of Ndigbo on the IDPs saga.”
Ubani alleged that the Igbo nation was still under siege by an unforgiveable authorities in Nigeria, which he said had culminated in the total abandonment of the South-east in all infrastructural and developmental facets in order to keep the zone in perpetual under-development and political slavery.
He however, lamented that whereas other IDPs were being catered for, the returnees had been left to roam helplessly in all the nooks and crannies of the South-east, where according to him, “the political will for whatever reasons has failed to take cognizance of these human tragedy.”
The group, while calling for an urgent need to open IDPs camp in the South-east region, further stated that it had started collecting names and addresses of the returnees.
“It becomes imperative to appeal to the federal government, South-east states governors and political leaders to live up to their vows and provide succour for these millions of displaced Ndigbo.” (Thisday)
