Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay SAN, has said that Igbos were intimidating President Muhammadu Buhari with the Biafra agitation in order to get appointments.
In an interview with Daily Independent, Sagay, who came down hard on proponents of the agitation of Biafra Republic, said they were doing so for selfish reasons.
According to him, the agitation for Biafra became so serious after former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, adding that those clamouring for a new country were doing so in order to intimidate Buhari.
Sagay described the Igbo as die-hard loyalists of Jonathan, and noted that the Igbos, who occupied 50 percent of federal positions in the country under the Jonathan administration resorted to rigging for the PDP in the last general elections.
He said, “I have been studying elections very closely in this country since 2007. The Igbos were committed to Goodluck Jonathan. But they didn’t leave it at to just convince people to vote for him.
“They decided to rig for PDP and Jonathan. They did that yet, the party still lost out at the federal level. So, they lost out.
“If you look at Jonathan’s government, the Igbos were in almost 50 percent of positions in this country. But they lost out because of their rigging and opportunism and lack of principle.
“And now they want to take it out on Buhari by resurrecting Biafra. They want to intimidate Buhari so much. They will now want to negotiate with them and start giving them things and positions they don’t deserve. That is intimidation and threat for no just cause
“In summary, they rigged themselves out of contention in the present administration and they are not prepared to accept the consequence of their own actions.” (Daily Post)
I suppose one should examine critically Prof Sagay’s statement first to confirm whether they are true before making comments. There are questions to answer thus: Did Igbos, with population less than 8% occupy 50 % of positions during the administration of President Jonathan? Did Igbos rig elections during which, PDP received over 95% votes in most Igbo states and claimed over 90% voter turn out? Did PDP win all Igbo states unlike the pattern in other geopolitical zones in the country. Did Igbos resort to telling lies and blackmail after Buhari had won the election? Did Igbos exhibit hatred for Buhari, nay, the north during and after the elections. I believe it is when these questions are answered satisfactorily before one can comment on what Prof Sagay has said.
I thought this man was a nationalist and responsible enough to understand geniune and political agitation, unfortunately, I feel highly disappointed that such a man I used to hold in high esteem could descend so low to make a sweeping allegation against a people who majority of them were victims of IPOBs insult. Since Prof Sagay joined this govt, it appears to me that his sense of objectivity left him in the bid to please his pay master. Its unfortunate. he has variously advised against the laws of the land and backed brazen disregard to the rule of law and court orders which is synonymous with this govt.