2019: Ekwueme Endorses Igbo Presidency

0
418

By: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar.
The Second Republic former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, has lend his voice in the agitation for Igbo presidency come 2019.
He declared “this issue is long overdue and must be addressed to correct the accusation that Igbo presidency is overdue”.
Ekwueme regretted that his attempt to get it in 2003 was stopped adding that “I pray that other Igbos can take it up from there and make progress”.
He stated this in Calabar while attending the child dedication ceremony of the family of Chief and Lolo Chukwuemeka  Egwuonwu (KSM) Ochubaradikeohia 11 of Awa of  their daughter Favour Chimamanda  at St Bernard’s Catholic Church Calabar.
Ekwueme said “I would have contested for the number one position in 1987 but the military intervened in 1983 and the civilian regime was cut short”.
He went on to state “i tried again in 1998 and Obasajno was released from prison and he came and won as he was supported by his colleagues in the military. I tried again in 2003 and the same thing happened”.
Speaking on the current recession in the country, he said, “we really need prayers. We are in great difficulty. People are suffering. There is hunger in the land and it is not very encouraging. So we need God’s intervention to help us get out of it”.
On the health of Mr President Ekweme who was accompanied to the church by the deputy governor of Cross River, Professor Ivara Esu, said, “we have conflicting reports about the President’s health. The Minister of Information says he is hale and hearty, but his wife says we should pray for him. So if he is hale and hearty I don’t know why she said we should pray for him. Whatever it is, we ask God to look after him. We want Nigeria to be at peace and to make progress and see how we can get out of our present difficulties”.
Also in an interview, the President of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo in Anambra, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene who was also at the ceremony, said “an Igbo presidency is overdue. Our national president is sooner or later going to make the position  of Ohaneze and the Igbo Nation known as regards to this presidency”.
Ogene said “my opinion is that it is overdue, whether it is coming in 2019 or 2023 our own National president would make our own stand known”.
According to him “what is agitation for Biafra. The agitation for Biafra is a way of expressing injustice. If there is justice and equity and fairness, the whole world can be one country. It is because of injustice that people continued to agitate that they can be on their own”.
Ogene added that “we are all human beings. We are not ready to shed any blood. It is not necessary. So we advise our own youths and our own sons both in IPOB and MASSOB what they are saying, we are part of how to address the injustice but terms of violence, we are not part of it. But at the same time we have adviced the Federal Government that you don’t use a sledge hammer to kill a milliepede. Our youths are demanding justice, equity and fairness. They should not be killed”.
Earlier, the Metropolitan Arch-Bishop of Calabar, Bishop Joseph Ekuwem, had called Nigerians to tolerate one another and not to imbibe “eye for an eye”principle of old, adding “eye for an eye makes everybody blind.”
He describing the issue of revenge as un-Christian,Ekuwem  adding “to be a Christian is to be a fool for Christ. Our standard is not the same as standard of the world. We are not called to pay evil for evil but to win the evil ones through act of love”.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here