The opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was nicknamed a Muslim Brotherhood party with affiliations with the dreaded Boko Haram, which crippled the economy of the North East, if not the entire Northern Nigeria.
Some of us who were tired of the way the past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government ran the nation went through the eyes of a needle trying to convince our people on the need to eschew sentiments and ethnic toga to have a change of government by supporting the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, whose antecedents are well known to all lovers of true democracy and anti-corruption in the country.
The campaign of hate and name calling as against addressing the myriads of challenges the nation was facing, ranging from insecurity, unemployment of our numerous graduates, kidnapping, armed robbery and the near collapse of the nation’s infrastructure where relegated to the backdrop, while issues that tended to divide us as a nation took the front seat.
The matter was made worst by the Niger Delta warlords who threatened that failure to re-elect President Jonathan would lead to serious consequences in the polity.My article of February 11, 2015 cautioned all the ethnic agitators and religious bigots that we must first have a nation we can call ours before practising our religion and becoming who we are in our individual tribes that make up this nation.
My singular efforts in calling for political sanity were viewed as being a sellout. I lost a lot of goodwill, but my mind was made up that we needed a change because I had seen from my political crystal ball that corruption, under the Peoples Democratic Party-led government these past 16 years would destroy our nation.
Hence, my unalloyed support for the emergence of President Buhari to clear the mess of the nation and instill accountability and probity in our public and private sectors. Having said that, the elections have come and gone, and finally President
Buhari is now at helm of affairs. It is now two good months since he was sworn in as the president and commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the Igbo nation is part of this federation.
The appointments made so far by Mr. President have left much to be desired, as they appear intended to favour some sections of the country, while the Igbos are left to lick their wounds for massively supporting ex-President Jonathan and the then PDP government.
Mr. President, I wish to appeal to you that this nation is standing on a keg of gun powder and all ethnic and religious sentiments must be totally eradicated so as to bring back the lost glory of this nation. A situation whereby over 15 appointments were made, including service chiefs without a single Igbo man or woman, is worrisome.
We, who are your ardent supporters, are being vilified and abused, but I remain focused that all wrongs shall be corrected as you constitute your cabinet come September 2015 as you have assured the nation in far away United States during your last visit.
After your victory, the then Managing Director and Editor in Chief of The Sun newspapers and the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, who coincidentally is your Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, wrote an article which he entitled The Igbos Who Supported Change,, where names of prominent Igbos were mentioned, including my own.
He advised you as the president- elect, then, to note that it was not all Igbos that voted against you.Mr. President, sir, do not listen to people I describe as miserable comforters, to be lopsided. Now that you are the leader, the entire nation is your constituency. Let your inaugural speech in which you said you belonged to all and no one, be your guiding principle.
When former president, Goodluck Jonathan, at the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, promised to build the Second Niger Bridge on partnership basis, which will attract a toll fee, the APC promised less than 24 hours after that if elected into office, the Second Niger bridge would be built and it will be free of charge. With the level of marginalization now being witnessed against the Igbo nation, both at the National Assembly and the presidency, it is worrisome if anything meaningful will be achieved in this regard.
Very soon, some group of so-called Igbo leaders known as every government in power A.G.I.P will be on courtesy visits that will not be necessary. Sir, let your guiding principle be the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, based on federal character. Mr. President, the Igbo nation will remain eternally grateful to you if the issue of another state for the South East is addressed to correct the imbalance in the polity, and the Second Niger Bridge is built. Please, rest assured that I will support your government even beyond 2019 if these are done. Accept the assurances of my highest regards.
•Chief Ibeka writes from Lagos
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