Nsukka indigenes, under the auspices of Asaba, Delta State, chapter of Nsukka Platform, yesterday demanded the appointment of Enugu North senatorial indigene as a minister in the government of President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.
The group in a statement by its chairman and secretary, Dr. Pius Ike and Dr. Leo Abonyi respectively, said: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that every state in the Federation is entitled to a ministerial slot in reflection of the federal character principle.
“This being the case, it then becomes imperative that Buhari should endeavour to uphold this constitutional provision in choosing ministers from every state, while insisting on credibility and competence.
In order words, it is expected that the APC government should ensure that every part of a given state in the federation, including Enugu, is given a sense of belonging in ministerial appointments.
“It is expected and only proper, that the president-elect takes cognizance of the fact that in Enugu State, only two of the three senatorial districts in the state have been producing ministers since 1999 when the country returned to democratic rule.
“In fact, it is on record that the Enugu North Senatorial District (Nsukka Cultural Zone) produced its last minister in 1979 during the Second Republic, in the person of Chief D.C. Ugwu, the then Minister of Health. Since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999, the Nsukka people that constitute over 50 per cent of electorate of Enugu State, have not produced a single minister.
It should be recalled that a national group of Nsukka professionals, under the auspices of Nsukka Unity Forum (NUF), recently stressed the need to appoint an Nsukka indigene as a minister in the incoming administration stating that since the inception of this democracy in 1999, no Nsukka indigene has been appointed as a minister.
Speaking in Abuja penultimate week during a press briefing, the group’s National President, Deacon Onyekachi Ugwuanyi wondered why other zones in the state are contesting the slot as it was time for an Nsukka indigene to occupy the position.
Ugwuanyi who took newsmen back memory lane, reminded that from 1999, only people of old Enugu zone have occupied the position.
He noted that Chief Dubem Onyia from Udi Local Govt, was minister for State Foreign Affairs, and was replaced by Chief Frank Nweke Jr, who was minister of Special Duties and later Information.
Mrs. Fidelia Njeze came on board in 2007 as minister of Aviation and was replaced by Prof. Bart Nnaji and subsequently Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who is the current Minister of Power.
Ugwuanyi informed that all these people are from the old Enugu zone while the people of Nsukka have been left in the cold.
He therefore urged the President-Elect to appoint an Nsukka son or daughter as a minister to correct the imbalance and put a stop to the marginalization of Nsukka people.
“To correct this imbalance, we the people of old Nsukka senatorial zone, Enugu North and Isi-uzo Local government hereby crave the indulgence of the President-Elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari under the APC government to consider and appoint a worthy son or daughter of the district as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” he said.
