By Karen James
In a strongly worded petition that has sparked nationwide debate, Bishop Prof. Emeka Nwankpa, Convener of the South East Mandate for Good Governance, has accused the Federal Government of systematically marginalising the South East region in Nigeria’s political, educational, and structural framework.
The cleric, in a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, lamented what he described as the “persistent shortchanging” of the region in federal appointments, infrastructure, state creation, and political representation.
“The South East, one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic pillars, has over time been reduced to the margins of power and influence in a manner that threatens national cohesion,” Nwankpa warned.
The petition highlighted several areas of concern:
Education: Out of 62 federal universities in Nigeria, the South East has only 8, the lowest in the federation. The imbalance also extends to polytechnics, colleges of education, and unity schools.
State Creation: With only five states compared to other zones with six or seven, the South East suffers reduced representation in the Senate, House of Representatives, Federal Executive Council, and revenue allocation.
Political Offices: Currently, the highest-ranking office held by an Igbo from the South East is that of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, far below other regions that control the presidency, vice presidency, Senate presidency, speakership, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Infrastructure: Roads such as the Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Onitsha expressways remain death traps, while federal railway and aviation projects largely bypass the region.
Security: Nwankpa criticised what he termed the “militarisation of insecurity” in the South East, arguing that the government has ignored root causes such as unemployment and underdevelopment.
Appointments: Recent federal appointments further highlight the disparity, with the South East trailing behind other regions in representation.
Describing the imbalance as “a contradiction too glaring to be ignored,” Bishop Nwankpa insisted that the South East is not seeking privileges but fairness.
He urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to address the injustice by ensuring equitable distribution of educational institutions, creating an additional state in the South East, guaranteeing fair inclusion in top political offices, and fully funding the South East Development Commission.
Failure to address these imbalances, he warned, would “deepen the sense of alienation and weaken the very foundations of Nigeria’s unity and nationhood.”
