The apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said the Igbos in the Southeast have refused to join the hardship protest against President Bola Tinubu due to the significant ongoing infrastructural transformation in the region.
Ohanaeze said the ongoing infrastructural development in the Southeast was facilitated by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
In a statement signed by its factional Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze said: “In a resolute response to prevailing economic challenges, the decision of Ndigbo to refrain from engaging in hardship protests against President Tinubu in the Southeast is underpinned by a catalog of protracted sufferings endured by the people of the region since the advent of the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015 till 2023.
“This distressing epoch was marred by the heart-wrenching specter of 670 Igbo lives lost in protests under the oppressive grip of the Buhari regime, instilling a profound fear of lethal crackdowns by security forces during demonstrations.
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“Against this tumultuous backdrop, the significant ongoing infrastructural transformation witnessed in the Southeast, courtesy of President Tinubu’s initiatives facilitated by the Minister of Works, Senator(Engr) Dave Umahi, stand as pivotal determinants for Ndigbo’s resolute abstention from disruptive protests.”
Isiguzoro urged Tinubu to unequivocally dismiss as baseless the claims of individuals masquerading as the architects behind the Southeast’s stance of non-involvement in protests, particularly the Southeast political elite comprising Governors, Ohanaeze leaders, Senators, and House of Representatives members, who are depicted as opportunists.
He added: “Contrary to misleading assertions, these figures bear minimal responsibility for the Southeast’s deliberate choice to shun protests against Tinubu. The primary considerations underpinning Ndigbo’s abstention were the overriding apprehension of potential loss of life and the judicious decision by the Igbo populace not to disrupt the ongoing crucial road construction endeavors spearheaded by President Tinubu through the invaluable contributions of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.
“Ndigbo express profound elation at the commendable progress achieved in the comprehensive reconstruction of neglected Federal Expressways crisscrossing the Southeast for decades.
“The imminent fruition of these critical infrastructure projects will undoubtedly serve as an essential linchpin that will augur increased support for President Tinubu among the Igbo community in the foreseeable future.”
