The South-East geo-political zone has failed to clinch the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) as President Muhammadu Buhari has re-appointed Boss Mustapha as the SGF thereby ending speculations that a former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, from Ebonyi State, would be appointed the SGF.
Onu, who is from the South-East, is a long-time ally of Buhari having been a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which produced Buhari as its Presidential candidate twice.
With the positions of President, Vice-President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and SGF all filled, it implies that the South-East has been omitted from all key positions.
In the previous Buhari administration, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the Deputy Senate President over controversial circumstances which did not go down with the All Progressives Congress(APC)-led government
The highest position being held by the South-East today is the minority leader of the Senate in the person of Eyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia-South senatorial district.
Speaking on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Mr. Uche Achi-Okpaga, said the organisation was not surprised by the President’s actions.
The Ohanaeze spokesman said the South-East survived the last four years of Buhari’s government and would also be able to survive the next four years.
He said the President ought to act like a statesman by appreciating the nation’s diversity.
Achi-Okpaga said, “We are not surprised. This is not news. We never expected anything from him before. When he was inaugurated for a second term, I issued a statement that we were not expecting anything from Buhari.
“This is a man that has never minced words about his intentions. He never placed any premium on South-East so why should you expect him to give us appointments? You see how he went all out to remove the head of the judiciary who is from the South?
“We were able to survive the first tenure and we have enough shock absorbers to help us endure till the end of his second tenure. So, our prayer is that he takes things easy so that the country will not disintegrate.”
