Eze Ndigbo wants more Federal Government presence in South East

President of the Association of Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora, Eze Nwabueze Ohazulike, has blamed long-term neglect of the South East by the Federal Government as reason behind recent protest for the creation of a sovereign Biafra state.

In a statement, Ohazulike, who is also the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, said the Southeast has been neglected and marginalised since independence, adding that the agitators are reacting to unfair distribution of the country’s resources, which culminated in the underdevelopment of the region.

According to him, “Nobody cares about the Southeast zone; we have the highest number of unemployed youths. We have many bad roads, which is as a result of erosion that has crippled the region. Some communities have been cut off due to flooding, erosion and other natural causes. Our people cannot go to the farm again because their land is no longer safe.”

He asked the Federal Government to consult with the agitators and elders from the region in a bid to prevent further crises, noting, “I expected the Federal Government to setup a committee to look into this matter. They should invite all stakeholders and, most especially, the agitators, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to find out reasons for the protest, which has crippled commercial activities in the region.

He continued, “Remember that the Niger-Delta militants have also protested due to their neglect of the Southern region and this led to the setting up of Amnesty programme and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).