COC Onah
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has decried the “persistent” aversion to people of southeastern extraction.
The former President, described it as Igbophobia, stated that such aversion doesn’t mean well for the unity and development of the Country.
He spoke at the first year anniversary of governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State held on Saturday in Awka, the State Capital.
Obasanjo, extolled the leadership exploits of Prof. Soludo who was former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and the President of World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
On the cacophony of Biafra secessionists, Obasanjo Biafra who aligned with the opinion of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said, “I believe that on the 13th of January 1970 Biafra died and was buried in the house of my friend Simon Okeke.
“And I believe we have to go back to the scripture that we must conquer evil with good and wherever you find yourself and people are afraid of you try to be friendly with them and be good to them and that is the only way to conquer evil with good”, Obasanjo said while predicting that Soludo is being prepared for a higher national assignment.
The former President said, “I appointed Soludo and Okonjo Iwuala and I think probably that of all the appointments that I made while in office these two appointments were the best”.
According to him, all the appointments that he made while in office as President that of Soludo as Central Bank of Nigeria CBN governor and the appointment of Mrs Okonjo Iwuala as the Minister for Finance was spectacular and remarkable.
“When I appointed Prof Charles Soludo as my economic adviser I worked with him very well and I was highly impressed with him so I chose to appoint him the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and he was one governor of CBN that was not from the commercial bank and he performed wonderfully well”
“But on one occasion somebody came to me and said you completely ruined the economy of this country by appointing an Igbo person Minister of Finance and another Igbo person Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“That is what I call Igbo Phobia it remains, it persists and I like what Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu said and I believe him whole and entire”, Obasanjo stressed.
Giving his account of stewardship since the past one year in Anambra State, Governor Soludo said the State, has kept fate with his electoral promises, especially in area of road infrastructure, education, health, security and prudent management of funds.
The Governor also projected into other key sectors that his administration would focus on in meeting set goals with limited resources in the State.
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