The Minister of Labour and
Productivity, Chris Ngige, has asked the Southeast to stop complaining of
marginalisation by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
He lamented that all his efforts
to persuade the Igbo to wisely invest in Buhari’s presidential bid in 2015
failed because of lack of cooperation by many South-east leaders, who threw
their weight behind former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“This is not a question I should answer because I’m a politician. But before these things happened, before the government of Jonathan failed, I went to all the Igbo fora to tell them that the Jonathan government will fall”, he said.
“I went to our Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo in Enugu twice. They could not even reply to a letter written by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for a meeting with them”, he added.
Ngige, revealed how he went to
Lagos and convened an Igbo stakeholders forum in William Nwodo’s house in
Ikoyi, Lagos in 2014, where he analysed the voting pattern in Nigeria and told
them that even if they did not want to support Buhari, they should give him 25
per cent of their votes.
“They refused to listen to me, and to make matter worse, there was no voting in most of the areas in the South-east; they just allocated 5 per cent to APC.Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
“It was that bad, it is too late to cry when the head is off. Politics is business in a way, you invest in business and you reap profit.
“Yes, that is what it is. But all I want to tell you is that we played bad politics; we made a bad investment because they invested in the Jonathan presidency. They invested in Jonathan more than the South-south, where he hails from.
“I am not saying that is enough to marginalise them or not allow them come in but we are there. I will continue to speak for them and when there is anything to be distributed, we will make sure that the South-east gets its own portion. But they will not get excess portion.
“Even in a family where the head of the family goes to the farm to harvest his yams those who accompany the farmer to the farm get more share.
“When they bring back the yams some of them will be damaged, and the pieces are put out in one section. Then the whole yams are put into the barn and some will be sent to the market for sale. And some will be sent to the family centrally for distribution among the family units.
“Those ones that are in pieces, the extras, will be shared among those that went to the farm. We did not benefit from the extras with people who went to the farm. We didn’t go to the farm in the south-east”, he added.
On what the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be campaigning on ahead 2019, Ngige stated: “Oh my God, so you are in the group of those who are pessimistic, who have refused to see the wonders of this government?
“Well, I’m from the South-east, so when we get there we will show them that first and foremost we have fought corruption to a standstill and that people can no longer steal at will, much less keeping such monies at home.
“The movement was from the bank to the house, but now that homes have been raided, maybe they will go to the farm to keep them. But people cannot steal money because there is no hiding place anymore.
“They cannot steal primitively like it was done before. The poor people of Nigerian are happy about this,” he said.
The APC chieftain said he has no regret for his role in helping to bring Buhari to power, saying if the opportunity presents itself again he will do exactly the same thing.
“If not for this government, the government of Muhammadu Buhari, government of change, Nigeria would have been worse than Venezuela.
“The crisis you have in Venezuela today, the demonstrations in Venezuela, are as a result of the collapse of the whole economic firmament of that country. Venezuela, like Nigeria, did not plan for the rainy day.”
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Ngige, something is not right with you. Is it because you're made minister?
ReplyDeleteSee this he-goat with white beards.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fact, a bitter truth.
ReplyDeleteChai sorry bro....do you expect all nigerian to vote for buhari. ...and again mind you buhari is president of nigeria not for only people that vote for him....understand me?
DeleteSEE THIS GOATIEE-BEARDED DIMUNITIVE AND MALTEX-SIZED MAN. HE IS A MINISTER IN BUHARI'S GOVERNMENT. WHAT CAN HE SAY IGBOS BENEFITED FROM HIS STAY IN THE CABINET. IGBOS DID THIS IGBOS DID THAT. SHAME ON THIS POCKET-SIZED RADIO. KEEP YOUR TRAPS SHUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. OTHER MINISTERS DO THEY CASTIGATE THEIR OWN PEOPLE THIS WAY? IF HIS ANALYSIS IS TRUE, HOW FAR HE GONE TO WIN IGBOS TO BUHARI'S SIDE SINCE HE WAS APPOINTED? HOW FAR HAS HE PERSUADED BUHARI TO TURN FROM HIS NEGATIVE HARD STANCE ON IGBOS? THESE BBOOT-LICKERS OF IGBO EXTRACTIONS MUST STOP INSULTING IGBOS IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR JOBS. NGIGE SHOULD SUT UP. Jay 2, Abuja.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNgige is a saboteur and Efeajuna of our time selling his people because of political appointment. Take a queue from the north and west irrespective of their political affiliation, they strive to bring progress and unity to their region instead of castigating them.
ReplyDeleteA confusionist.
ReplyDeleteThis statement is sad coming from a serving government official. He he really had to voice it out, It would be better if this statement was made after he left government. This statement clearly suggests the government would only serve those who voted for them? That so primitive.
ReplyDeleteThis Ngige is just a fool. So everyone must investor a politician's quest for power before benefitting from a national cake. Then what makes it politics if there is no opposition.
ReplyDeleteWhy should the buhari govt use the resources from the area that didn't invest in his political quest to develop other areas. Is this not slavery of the highest order.
Is it because Ngige has begged n been granted the post of labour's prefect in a draconian and sectionalised administration that he has forgotten so fast his rout. What a pitiable shame.
Ngige should shut up his mouth in shame because he is a disappointment to his generation.