The Orring speaking people of Ebonyi State have kicked against the exclusion of their sons and daughters from the various appointments made so far by the Governor, Francis Nwifuru, claiming it is an attempt to sideline them from the affairs of the state.
Describing the seeming development as an “injustice” being meted against them, the Orring people said the trend signalled a dark and dreary future for them, in the state.
This position was contained in a statement signed on Sunday by Comrade Emmanuel Acha; Engr Edede Barnabas; Comrade Chukwuma Obo; and Mr Nwankwo Ukpai, who are all members of the Concerned Orring Peoples Assembly.
While calling on the governor to accommodate them in his administration, they noted that the last time they were appointed to serve in the governance of the state was during the administration of former Governors Sam Egwu and Martin Elechi.
The group stated, “The Orring speaking people of Ebonyi State, comprising the Effium people in Ohaukwu Local Government Area; Amuda and Okpoolo people in Ezza North Local Government Area; and, Okpoto and Ntezi people in Ishielu Local Government Area constitute a vital and integral part of Ebonyi State by size, population, contribution to the founding and future aspirations of our dear state.
“The Concerned Orring stakeholders under the aegis of Orring Peoples Assembly are therefore perplexed when we perused the recently released list of commissioners, special advisers, and other appointments of the newly inaugurated government of Chief Rt Hon. Francis Nwifuru, and discovered to our chagrin that no single person of Orring extraction was included.
“It is indeed hard to believe that the government could not find anyone of our people suitable and worthy from the pool of highly educated, endowed and talented persons of Orring stock spread across the academia, civil service, professionals, private sector and the political class. In fact, we are minded to believe that our deliberate exclusion is not only a premeditated apartheid policy, but also forebodes a dark and dreary future for our people who will neither have a voice in matters of grave existential reality to us.
“For the records, the last time Orring people held a position of significance in Ebonyi State was during the government of Dr. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi when Prince Igwe Nomeh of blessed memory and Hon. Nicodemus Omenka were in the cabinets as commissioners, respectively. It has become a culture that every successive administration has implemented this policy of exclusion and apartheid towards our people by ignoring Orring people in government appointments with impunity,” the statement stressed.
It added, “We are minded to believe that it is not too late in the day for the government under your leadership to retrace its steps and redress this injustice to our people. Whether done by omission or commission, the new administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru should set a new governance standard and follow best practices of constituting an inclusive government where the full complement of state character, diversity and plurality will be accommodated.
“The only way we can assuage our people that we have a stake in this government is for the Orring people to be involved in its top echelon. That is not asking for too much, and we believe it is the right and proper course for a just, peaceful, inclusive, and egalitarian society.
“We assure the new administration of our unalloyed loyalty and partnership towards building the Ebonyi State of our dreams,” they concluded.
