2011 Ndigbo behind Jonathan – INCA
By MERCY JACOB
Wednesday, August 11, 2010


Dibe
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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A political pressure group, Igbo National Consultative Assembly (INCA), has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to strongly prepare to contest for the office of the president in 2011 elections. Its national coordinator, Dr Godwin Dibe, said it is solidly behind Jonathan, stressing that the president has all it takes to take the country to the promised land.

INCA pleaded with the Igbo race to forget what happened during the war and support the “Jonathan for President” agenda, stating that the president would certainly carry the race along. It also called on the North to be considerate and give other geo-political zones in the country the opportunity to pilot the affairs of the nation:

“We reached the agreement to queue behind Jonathan in our recent summit, and our reason for the consensus is not far-fetched. From what we have observed, Jonathan is an intelligent man. He is the first person to rule Nigeria with a doctorate degree. He is an embodiment of experience. He is naturally disposed for the position of president. Jonathan has an impeccable quality in crisis management and the way he handled the last Jos crisis was an eloquent testimony to the stuff he is made of.
“To crown it all, the president has a humble beginning, he came from a poor background and is not ambitious. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have conducted himself the way he did under Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of Bayelsa State and former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua respectively when he served as their deputies. He does not have inordinate ambition. In fact, we see Jonathan as a God-sent person to rule Nigeria this time around.

“Besides, we have been clamouring for power shift from the North to the South East or to the South South, and since Jonathan is from the South South, and it looks like power has shifted from the North to the South South. The Igbo race should give Jonathan full support now so that when the power shift comes to our turn, South South will support us. If we fail to support South South now and power goes back to the North, it would be difficult to get back to us again.
“For us, supporting the Jonathan for President agenda will not make the Igbo race to lose her turn to rule Nigeria when our time comes. It would be better for us to be patient now and enjoy better opportunities tomorrow. The North has been holding power both during the military and civilian regimes in the country, if we fail to support Jonathan now, power will invariably go back to the North and we will remain spectators forever.

“It is the South South that holds the nation’s economy. Oil, which is the main stay of our economy comes from the South South. So, it wouldn’t be any sin if somebody from that zone rules Nigeria. For us, it will go a long way in giving them a sense of belonging, even though they are in the minority.
“Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was given power to compensate the South West for the annulment of June 12, 1993 election after the death of the supposedly winner of that election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola. So, for the sake of the natural resources - petroleum, which the country has been living on, we feel it is high time the nation compensated South South by allowing Jonathan to continue in office after the 2011 elections.

“It is painful that the Igbo race is being treated like second-class citizens in Nigeria, but we need to begin now to reverse the wrongs. INCA respects and supports the corporate existence of Nigeria as an invisible entity and any one calling for the country’s disintegration is an enemy.
“The current debate on zoning of electoral positions in the country is normal in a democratic set up like ours, but INCA is asking all those who are against ‘Jonathan for Presidency’ in 2011 to have a rethink because we are now in the 21st century.

“The Igbo race must be united and try to speak with one voice this time to ensure total victory for Jonathan. After 2011, we believe that Mr President will call for a national conference to address some issues of national importance and we believe that it will be to the benefit of the Igbo race. We have been having consultations with South South leaders through the Ohaneze Ndigbo on how to move the nation forward beyond 2011.”

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