Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senator representing Abia South at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, has accused President Bola Tinubu of showing the Southeast “renewed shege.”
Abaribe faulted the cabinet reshuffling, which saw the appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Tinubu had removed five ministers while appointing seven and reassigning 10 to new portfolios.
The president relieved Uju-Ken Ohanenye, the Minister of Women Affairs, from her duties.
Reacting, Abaribe said relieving a Southeast Minister and replacing with another “doesn’t feel like progress.”
Speaking with Arise TV, Abaribe said, “For my constituents, nothing has changed. They don’t refer to it as ‘Renewed Hope’ but rather as ‘Renewed Shege (Suffering).’
“The South East, in particular, is questioning the supposed changes. Removing one South East minister only to replace them doesn’t feel like progress.”
The lawmaker accused Tinubu of breaching the constitution, stressing that the reshuffled cabinet did not reflect Federal character.
Abaribe added: “The president has breached it for the last 18 months. We thought that with these changes, maybe there will be some adjustments that will also put some balm on what is going on in the minds of people from the South East.
“I want to tell everyone that the Igbos want fairness and equity, which are in the constitution. Treat us as you are treating everybody else.”
He further lamented that, despite the South East’s calls for equity and fairness, Tinubu’s actions continue to overlook the region.
