While speaking in an exclusive interview with The Sun Newspaper, achieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, state that the South East region is being marginalized by the Buhari-led federal government.
When asked if the South East was truly marginalised, Orji said; "Yes! The South East is marginalised. I can tell you this. I am trained by Hausa/Fulani people, but I am not afraid of speaking the truth. Since the end of the civil war, the treatment meted to the South East is different.
"The amenities given to people from the South East are different. If anyone says anything contrary bring him on to this your programme and I will tell him why we are marginalised."
When asked what can the present government do about this, he said; "The present government should look at appointments; they should look at who gets what and balance it. It doesn’t sound good that you have service chiefs with none from the South East.
"No matter who is the president, vice president or senate president and you should have at least one Igbo among the service chiefs. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well."
As a member of the APC, Orji was aksed if he has been making some moves to achieve what he just stated, he said; "Yes, of course I’ve been making various moves."
When it was put to him that any issue that comes up regarding the Igbo, his opinion usually aligns with that of the federal government, he said;
"It’s not true, I have never agreed with anybody. I speak what I know is the truth. Would any Igbo man with integrity like a court order to be disobeyed? Would you like the orders of a court to be flouted? Would you like that? No I would not.
"When you refuse to listen to a court of justice the only thing you should expect is chaos. I can never be bought by anybody, money cannot buy me. I was governor for eight years with Obasanjo as president; if I wanted to be bought over I could have been bought over to support the third term agenda. So my loyalty and everything lies solely to the Nigerian people. It’s not ethnic.
"Remember I was a students’ union president. I was voted by over 99 and half percent of Muslim students, they were not Igbo. They saw the truth in me and that truth is what I am still holding on to till date.
"The cross I am carrying is the truth. I mean, sell who for what? What are they going to give me? Truth is, most of the Igbo leaders are afraid of speaking the truth. They cannot continue to keep quiet. Yes I believe we are marginalised I don’t hide it, but I also believe that we can build a better country."