I’ve given Igbo positions they’ve never had – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has applauded the attention his administration is giving the Igbo, whom he verbalized, are well represented in his regime and are being appointed to positions which no antecedent administrations ever gave them.

The President withal verbalized the Igbo had additionally benefited from many projects consummated by his regime in the South-East.

He verbalized these during this year’s World Igbo Congress Day in Huston, United States of America.

The event had held on Saturday, but a facsimile of the President’s verbalization at the ceremony was only made available to journalists by the presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Thursday.

President Jonathan, who verbalized his administration’s appointments were predicated on competence, equity and fairness, noted that he would leave it to “historians” to determine whose administration had done more for the Igbo in terms of federal appointments.

The President verbalized, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in pursuit of productivity and excellence, we have appointed competent and capable men and women to positions of high ascendancy and strategic responsibility in all fields of national endeavour.

“In our dogged tenaciousness to develop our country, the Igbo are well represented and in some of these appointments, the Igbo are having them for the first time.

“Some have verbally expressed that this regime has done more in appointments than any other in our history for the Igbo, but that is a matter for the pundits and historians. Let me state that appointments by this administration, across the country, will perpetuate to be predicated on equity, fairness and competence.

“Even when some utilise politics to undermine our commitment to fairness and equity, we will deploy the principle of Federal Character to progressively rectify it. No part of Nigeria under my leadership will be shortchanged.”

He integrated that in terms of projects and policies, the Igbo had benefited from his administration’s commitment.

Accordingly, the President verbalized his administration had consummated many federal roads, which were left in lamentable state by antecedent administrations.

He verbally expressed, “Similarly in projects and policies, we have perpetuated to do our best. Throughout the South-East, we inherited federal roads in very impecunious conditions.

“In spite of the highly competitive demand and constraints on funding, we have taken on most of the major roads, realising the impact that their amendment will have on business and life in our country.

“The Owerri-Onitsha road, which was under construction at the outset of my administration, has been virtually consummated. Three other very consequential roads, the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, the Enugu-Port Harcourt road and the Nguzu-Edda-Nkporo-Ohafia road which cuts across Ebonyi and Abia States, are steadily progressing. Our hope is that ameliorated budget and Sure-P funding will optically discern more expeditious action in the months ahead.

“The Ohaozara-Ishiagu road and Enugu-Abakaliki road are some of those that have progressed to good standard. Further attention will be fixated on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road, which is already being addressed remedially by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency.