TheCable

Chukwuemeka Ezeife, a former governor of Anambra state, says Nigeria needs a president of Igbo origin to fix its challenges. 

In an interview with Sun, the elder statesman identified the country’s challenges as almajiri system, diversification of the economy, among others.

Reacting to the influx of northern youth into southern Nigeria, Ezeife said the almajiri system in the north failed as a result of poor training and education of youth in the region.

He said a president of Igbo origin would invest in training the youth and put them into economic use.

“Talakawas and Almajarai, I think what they should pray for is Nigeria’s president of south-east origin. A president of Igbo origin will end Almajarai by effective training of the Almajarai for economic use,” he said.

“The same thing goes for the talakawas because in Igboland, everybody is equal to everybody. Everybody is free to pursue economic survival. Everybody is free to climb as fast as he can or to what extent they can.

“Therefore, if a president of Igbo origin is in place, this Almajiri business will disappear after a number of years. It is not months because it takes a long time to train somebody to be useful.

“I am sure every Nigerian knows that a Nigerian president of Igbo origin will fix Nigeria; make it grow and raise the dignity and respect of black people on earth because if you look at it, it is nothing to prove to any Nigerian. The person has to just go and look at Igbo people in his area and see whether they are making progress or retrogressing.

“We train people. And in this case, when you are the president of a whole country, you can’t allow some people to be poor and some people rich.”

Ezeife urged the federal government to diversify the economy and reduce the country’s dependence on crude oil.

He called for more inclusion of the southeast states in the plans of the federal government as well as in the distribution of palliatives.