The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed its intention to seek legal recourse in response to what it perceives as a systematic injustice in federal appointments, particularly the allocation of ministerial positions to the South East region under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, conveyed this determination during a press briefing in Owerri. He firmly stated that their primary objective is to ascertain the constitutionality of the government’s appointment process.
Iwuanyanwu lamented that the glaring inequality in these federal appointments has severely disadvantaged the Southeast. He emphasized that if the federal government does not address the evident disparities and injustices, their last resort would be legal action.
According to Iwuanyanwu, “Ohanaeze is deeply concerned about the stark inequality and injustice evident in the recent selection of federal executive council members. Out of the forty-eight individuals appointed and sworn in, only five were from the Southeast. According to the principle of federal character, the Southeast should have received a minimum of eight ministerial positions. This has resulted in the South East being in a significant minority within the federal executive council.”
He stressed that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a strong advocate for equity and justice, believing that these principles are essential for fostering a harmonious relationship in a diverse nation like Nigeria. The constitutional provision of federal character is a crucial tool for managing the nation’s diversity.
Iwuanyanwu pointed out that the Southeast has suffered from unequal treatment in various aspects, such as having fewer states than other regions, leading to fewer appointments based on the equality of states. He also highlighted the perception that some political leaders justify this disparity by pointing to the region’s voting patterns during elections.
In the event that the federal government does not take positive steps to address these concerns, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is resolute in its commitment to seeking a legal interpretation of the constitution through the court system.