Yesterday, President Buhari granted audience to Igbo leaders led by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, at the statehouse in Abuja. At the meeting, President Buhari reacted to reports that the region is being marginalized by his administration.
He informed the Igbo leaders that his government is not thinking in the line of ethnic divides as he is a president to all Nigerians. According to President Buhari, two Igbo sons, Geoffrey Onyeama and Okechukwu Enelemah both head two important ministries, that is, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Investments respectively.
He noted that seven Northern states got appointments as Ministers of State while two Igbo sons got positions as heads of very important Ministries.
“Seven states in the North got Ministers of State and of the two Ministries headed by your sons, I cannot take any decision on foreign policy and investments without their input. I want to assure that we are doing our best for the country. If we can stop people from stealing, then there will be more resources to put into projects that will create employment for Nigerians. I want to assure you that I came into government with a clear conscience and I will also leave with a clear conscience’’ he said
President Buhari also told the Igbo leaders that the South-east region will benefit more from roads and coastal rail projects. He said the Second Niger Bridge, the East-West Road, and the coastal rail projects are receiving utmost attention from his administration.
Among the demands made to President Buhari by the Igbo leaders include state creation, restructuring, federal projects in the South-east namely Enugu-Onitsha road, Enugu-Port Harcourt road and Aba-Ikot-Ekpene road, presidential interventions on the Enugu Airport, reticulation of the gas-pipelines in the South-east and the standard gauge plan for railway construction amongst others