Kalu hails confab’s decision on additional South East state

Eminent businessman and former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has hailed the decision of the National Conference Committee on Political Restructuring, to propose the creation of additional state in the South East geopolitical zone.

Kalu said if approved, this would be one of the numerous steps that would heal the wound of marginalisation that had been inflicted on the Igbo over the years.

Kalu, in a statement yesterday, by his Special Adviser, Oyekunle Oyewumi, commended the committee headed by Mukaila Muhammed and General Ike Nwachukwu, for such a laudable step, adding: “If the proposal is eventually approved, it will be a great relief for me as I have consistently canvassed this same position.

“There is no point having a union in which one out of six is considered the weaker or less privileged partner.”

The South East is the only region with five states.

Others have six states each with the exception of the North West, which has seven states.

In the statement, Kalu commended the government of President Goodluck Jonathan for building on the initiative to assuage the feeling of marginalisation of the Igbo within a united Nigeria.

He said that one of such steps was the appointment of an Igbo man as the Chief of Army Staff by Jonathan’s regime. He said that the failure to appoint an Igbo to the exalted position of the Chief of Army Staff could only be interpreted to mean that the Igbo had not been forgiven for their perceived negative role in the civil war that took place in the country between 1967 and 1970.

Kalu was quoted as having said: “Thirty-four years is long enough to forget any issue we have against ourselves. Now is the time to move on and forget our ill feelings towards one another.

“The National Conference Committee on Political Restructuring is giving us another opportunity to consolidate on this. We should not fail to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State has announced the recall of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Amechi Okolo and two commissioners who were suspended from the party in January.

The recalled commissioners are Chijioke Agu, Commissioner for Sports and Dr. Jude Akubuilo, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry.

Others are two Special Advisers to the governor, Sunny Agu and O.A.U Onyeama.

Chairman of the PDP in Udi Local Government Area, Uche Ogbodo, who addressed a press conference in Enugu yesterday said it was in compliance with the decisions and directives of the National Working Committee (NWC)of the party. Ogbodo also announced the withdrawal of a law suit between Uche Ogbodo and the PDP, instituted in the wake of the crisis in the party in Udi Local Government Area.

He thanked the National Working Committee for resolving the issues in the Udi L.G.A PDP stating that he now has more confidence and is re-invigorated to lead the party to greater success in the next elections.

The suspension of the key government personalities by Ogbodo in January led to a lot of controversies as the governor’s men announced his removal as party local government chairman.

But in a letter from the National Working Committee of PDP dated April 14th and signed by National Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo the NWC called for all suspensions to be lifted and for the chairman to withdraw his court suit within 14 days.

The letter which was addressed to National Vice Chairman PDP South East and copied to Udi and Enugu PDP chairmen the NWC noted that it will hold a meeting Ekweremadu and Chime to resolve all issues.