The Benin National Congress (BNC), a socio-cultural organization, yesterday rated the administration of late President Umaru Yar’adua higher than that of President Goodluck Jonathan.
It reached this conclusion at a meeting where it also called on the president to reward its sons and daughters of Edo South, who according to them, had overwhelmingly voted for him as presently, no Benin son or daughter was occupying a prominent position in the country which makes the people feel abandoned.
The President of the organization, Comrade Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, said: “Benin National Congress condemns the seeming blackout of Benins from Jonathan’s presidency, and seizes the medium to canvass the presidential reward for our people for their disposition to peace and hospitality.”
It noted that despite the fact that the people of Edo South had chosen the path of peace, they were yet to be rewarded unlike most ethnic groups in the country who attract national attention by violent actions and tendencies.
“It is a well-known fact that under President Umaru Yar’adua, which President Jonathan completed after Yar’adua’s demise, we had Gen. Godwin Abbe, Mrs Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, Dr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Crown Prince Erediauwa, and Steve Oronsaye, amongst others, holding viable appointments, but currently these people have been removed or eased out of office, and there is none in sight,” he said.
The group said that these appointments used to be a source of pride to the people and made them feel a sense of belonging, saying it was because of their appointments that the people overwhelmingly voted for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential elections.