The Senate Minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Sunday, decried the marginalization of Ndigbo in Nigeria, saying no amount of threat would stop the people of the South-East from demanding equity and fair treatment in the country.
Abaribe, who stated this at the inauguration of the Igbonine socio-cultural organization in Enugu, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has been exhibiting sectional leadership and unequal treatment in the country.
These, according to him, had been the problems of Nigeria.
The senator, however, said the Ndigbo would not leave Nigeria for anybody.
He said: “We are being highly marginalized. This Union called Nigeria is stiflingly everybody in Nigeria not just Igbo but other regions and I am glad that we are making noise to see how to change the situation.
“What does Igbo want? Igbo want emancipation. Our people have gone through a lot. We have gone through, lost over three million people. When the war ended, were given 20 Pounds but we rose through the ashes and survived.
“We are the glue that holds Nigeria together. We are the highest domestic investors and we are the most travelled people in Nigeria. In any part of Nigeria, after the indigenous people, the next is Igbo.
“That is why anywhere you go you must see an Igbo man. We are really the Federal Nigeria.
“When they say we want to leave, we say no. Some people want to push us out. We are not going to leave Nigeria for anybody.
“We have a government today that is manifesting sectional leadership. Boko Haram has been killing people but nothing was done to them. When our boys were carrying flags running around, it was easy for them to get them proscribed as a terrorist organization. But the same government refused to designate Boko Haram which everybody knows their activities, killing and destroying, and bombing churches and institutions.
“When we challenge them, the Minister of Information said Boko Haram was faceless but our boys were known.
“This unequal treatment of people has been the problem of Nigeria. We are feeling of being alienated. The alienation is spreading across the country and no longer on Igbo.
“What we now have is that even though there is insecurity everywhere but they want to paint Igbo as the people causing the problems.
“Our country Nigeria today is supposed to be the inclusion of everybody because we are equal partners. We, the Igbo are the glue that keeps Nigeria. Therefore, there must be a deliberate effort to bring everybody together.”
