A group, Concerned Igbo Elites Forum, has described the selection of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year by the Secretary-General of the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as kangaroo nomination, saying it is unacceptable and bias.

The group stated this in a statement signed by its Secretary, Dr Kelvin Nwosu. The apex Igbo socio-cultural group faction had, on Sunday, announced that the former governor of Ebonyi State and Minister of Works has been selected as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year.

According to the group, Umahi, since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Minister of Works, has achieved little or nothing to earn 2024 Igbo Man of the Year ahead of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and others.

It said: “I don’t want to believe that the respected and most prominent largest group in the world is talking of the same Umahi that the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) heavily lambasted over the deplorable state of roads across Nigeria.

“The Reps panel noted that under Umahi, federal roads have failed because he is not fixing them.”

The Concerned Igbo Elites Forum wondered how the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze, after a critical evaluation and independent assessment of public office holders of Igbo extraction, chose Umahi ahead of Kalu, whose achievement has been mouth-watering since he emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

As an Igbo group, we are against this fraudulent nomination, and we are also appealing to other Igbo groups and the entire Ndigbo to kick against this unjust act.”

The group further called on the leadership of Ohaneze not to turn the forum into one where ghost achievements are promoted for selfish interests.