The first President of Nigeria was Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. The military Head of State and Commander in Chief that emerged after the democratically first civiilan government was toppled pn the 15th January 1966 was Major General Aguiyi Ironsi . He was an Igbo man from the present Abia State .An Igbo man was Vice President of Nigeria from 1979 to 1983; Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe was Vice (military ) President to Military President Ibrahim Badamsai Babangida in his capacity as Chief of General Staff. Between 1999 to 2007, three Igbo politicians were Senate President of the Country name Senators Evan Enewerem ; Ken Nnanani ; Dr Chuba Okadigbo; Adophus Wabara; Pius Anyim. Also in the Babangida transition period , an Igbo politician emerged the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was Honourable Anekwe . An Igbo politician was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reprsentatives from 2007 to 2011 . His name is Honourable Emeka Ihedioha . An Igbo politician .Senator Ekweremadu has been Deputy Senate President from 2003 till date . An Igbo was Chief of Staff Nigerian Army from 2011 to 2014. He is retired General Azubuike Iherkija . Michael Okiro was Inspector General of Police . Also Mr Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo was also Inspector General of Police . Retired Air Marshall Paul Dike was Chief of Defence Staff. Vice Admiral Ezeoba was Chief of Naval Staff . Also Retired Admiral Madueke was Chief of Naval Staff. There are numerous Igbo jurists in the Federal High Court ; Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Nigeria . Retired Honourable Justice RosemarycUkeje was Chief Judge of the Federal High Court . As far back as 1976, late Honourable Justice Dan Ibekwe was the First President of the Court of Appeal. Another Igbo jurist late Honourable Justice Augustine Nnanami would have been Chief Justice of Nigeria but he unfortunately slumped and died . There are numerous Igbo generals in the Armed Forces, Police and Para Militaries. An Igbo lady was the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service . The current governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Godwin Emefiele is Igbo. Between 1993 to 1999 , an Igbo man Paul Agbai Ogwuma was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria .Also between 2004 to 2009 , Dr Charles Chukwuma Soludo was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The immediate past Minister of Finance,Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an Igbo woman. Before her were Dr Chu Okongwu and Dr Idika Kalu Idika .The Igbo have nearly 80 percent of the property market in Abuja through dint of industry and hard work . The Igbo are found everywhere in the Federation doing business , working hard and prospering . They the mptpr spare business . They are in charge of the import business in the country .They are well assimilated and integrated in numerous communities outside the South East . In Bauchi State in my former party . CPC an Igbo man from Imo State was elected in 2011 a member of the House of Representatives. Presently in the House of Representatives there are several legislators from the South East originally representing Lagos State .The argument that the Igbos are marginalized and unjustly and ungainly treated in Nigeria is tenuous and therefore baseless . The Igbo people need the large Nigerian market to continue to showcase their entrepreneurial spirit and acumen . The Europeans that are wealthy and developed are coming together so we that are poor and undeveloped need to unite and insist having large political entities that are viable and strive to reach the standard of Europe . Balkanization is surely not the answer .
Written by Okoi Obono Obla
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