A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party from Southeast Nigeria, Chief Emeka Kalu, has maintained that lack of leadership as demonstrated by the All Progressive Congress-led federal government bred the socio-economic and security challenges ravaging the Nigeria nation.
He regretted that political powers that should serve as platform for administering unity, love and speedy development have now become instrument of corruption and marginalization.
Kalu made his feelings known in an interview with TrackNews Online on Monday, in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on the heels of protests by many ethnic nationalities in the country over marginalization.
The former governorship aspirant from Abia State further lamented the continued abuse of the Federal Character Principles by the present administration which stated that appointments are to be done based on equal and balanced representations from the six geopolitical zones of the country.
He posited that until Nigerians jettison undue sentiment of ethnicity and see ‘Nigeria’ as collectively ours, “there will be no positive impacts in leadership for the future generations to copy; except the government sincerely follow due process in recommending and appointing officers to occupy various federal offices, boards, commissions and departments.”
His words, “There is nothing wrong with Nigeria as a country; she is blessed with profit-yielding economic and natural resources with admiring environmental beautifications; Nigeria has talented citizens who are productive, innovative and industrious. Her only problems are lack of purposeful leadership and the ills of ethnic hatred that had deepened against national unity and even development.
“This effrontery begets marginalization of some ethnic nationalities by others who see themselves as sacred for being in power. Political administration as a channel through which leadership is brought to the doorsteps of the people has become a stroke of punishment and ethnic unhealthy rivalry. Until we understand and take the overall interest of unconditional love for Nigeria as one bunch of unbreakable, indivisible and united entity, we will continue to experience the ills of crisis, insecurity and agitations from groups or set of people who feel marginalized and maltreated by the government of the day.
“Until we drop undue sentiment of ethnicity and see ‘Nigeria’ as collectively ours, there will be no positive impacts in leadership for the future generations to copy. Nigeria will still be nursing the feeling of backwardness.”
