Northern Governors to South Easterners: Blame your leaders for your backwardness

Northern governors have blamed Igbo politicians for the problems of infrastructure and underdevelopment in the South East.
They insisted that the poor performance of the zone’s men in positions of authority in the past was responsible for the situation and not because of marginalisation.
The visiting governors, led by the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, who is also Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, decried the poor state of major roads in the South East, but said politicians from the zone “are only interested in pocketing the resources that would have been used in developing the zone at the detriment of the people”.
They spoke in Owerri, the Imo State capital, during a meeting with Igbo and Hausa leaders at the Government House.
The governors rounded off their truce tour, which took off in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, moved to Umuahia, the Abia State capital, before arriving in Owerri.
They met with Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
They noted that the challenges in the South East was not as a result of marginalisation as erroneously believed, arguing that Igbo had occupied exalted positions like Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senate President and many others, but the occupiers of those positions rather used them for ephemeral and selfish gains.
“You can take for instance the case of Nnamdi Kanu, who is an ordinary criminal.
“When he was arrested, senators from the South East were falling head over heels to bail him for what they could gain at the detriment of national unity and peaceful coexistence.”
The governors, who were on tour of South South and South East states to douse the tension created by the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra and the quit notice on the Igbo by the Arewa youths, insisted that the challenges confronting the country were created by the elite for personal aggrandisements.
With Shettima were Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Bello Masari (Katsina).
Shettima added: “The problem of Nigeria is we the elite who are fanning the embers of hatred and disunity for selfish reasons.
“The country is passing through a grim and sober moment and by working together, we can get Nigeria to work again.
“We are here to thank our colleagues in the South East for standing on the path of peace and national unity.
“All we need is tolerance, justice and generosity of mind to move the country forward.”
The Northern Governors commended the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, for his “uncommon and consistent” support for the unity of the nation.
They described him as a detribalised Nigerian.
Tambuwal said: “Governor Okorocha has been dehumanised and branded all sorts of names for insisting on one indivisible Nigeria but he has remained unshaken in his faith in the unity of the country.
“We salute his sense of patriotism and his style of leadership, he is the kind of leader that Nigeria needs.
“Nigeria is not a mistake.
“Nigeria is a special creation we all must continue to strive to make it work.
“And for us to continue to coexist harmoniously, we must have respect for each other.
“We must respect each others’ culture because respect begets respect.”
. The Nation.