Members of the South-East caucus in the National Assembly on Thursday, met with the leadership of both chambers of the federal parliament to protest the non-inclusion of their region among the beneficiaries of the $22.7bn foreign loan request of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The caucus, led by the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, met separately with the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, behind closed doors.

Our correspondent learnt that the Igbo federal lawmakers were not happy with the exclusion of their region from the projects which the Federal Government would use part of the loan to fund.

The Senate approved the loan request in controversial circumstances last week Thursday but the House of Representatives on Wednesday suspended deliberation on it indefinitely.

Addressing journalists after their engagements with the presiding officers, a former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, confirmed that the foreign loan issue formed the fulcrum of their meeting.

Ekweremadu, who was with other lawmakers at the briefing, said the position of his colleagues was that the issue of the foreign loan request be revisited since the House of Representatives had yet to approve it.

He said, “We are believing the matter (foreign loan) will either be revisited or since it has not been passed in the House, the appropriate thing will be done and our People’s fears will be allayed.”

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He said the South-East caucus in the National Assembly met last night after consulting with their people regarding this issue.

He said, “We decided that the best approach is constructive engagement with the National Assembly leadership.

“So this afternoon, we had a very deep conversation with the Senate President and also the Speaker and we are here to discuss that we had meaningful discussions.

“They showed not just concern but commitment to addressing these issues and we are satisfied with those assurances.

“We would like to thank the Senate President and the Speaker for their assurances, commitment to National Unity and for justice for all parts of Nigeria.

“Our thinking is that what the Federal Government presented is a borrowing plan. It is just a plan. There is still an opportunity for us to look at the distribution.

“If we are going to be part and parcel of the payment, it makes every sense that we are going to benefit from the utilization of those funds.

“Our concerns about certain facilities within the eastern corridor railway of Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, we are also concerned about the access to the sea for people of the South East to open seaports in our area.

“We hope by the time the matter is addressed, the fears of the people will be allayed.”

Ekweremadu added that the caucus also protested the lopsided nature of the National Assembly bureaucracy which according to him, excluded the Igbo from top management positions.

He said, “The other issue we raised with them is the issue of the distribution of the National Assembly bureaucracy, the South East is also excluded.

“From the Clerk of the National Assembly to Deputy Clerk, Clerk of the Senate and the House, the DG of National Institute for Legislative Studies, the Chairman and Secretary National Assembly Service Commission, the same thing with the Public Complaints Commission, the South East was excluded.

“They have agreed to address it as soon as vacancy occurs in the need of those positions.”

Justifying his absence from the chamber when the foreign loan request was discussed and approved, Ekweremadu said he was away on official assignment.

He said, “Personally, I was not in the chamber and some of our colleagues were not there.

“I was attending the INEC retreat on electoral reform which is also very critical and I commended Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (the Minority Leader) for his efforts.

“It is not a matter of fighting or critical exchange of words. If we are not concerned we won’t be here.

“I don’t remember any day 109 senators were present in a sitting even during the day of the inauguration, it never happened.

“We all have our assignments. So if a matter comes up and you are not there and a decision is taken, we have under our rules what we will do which is what we are raising now.

“Under our rules, we can now ask for the matter to be rescinded and taken again, all you do is to come with a proper motion.

“It is unfair to say, we are all not there. I believe what we are doing now is the correct thing.

“So if it comes up now and it is taken, that is democracy in action. The minority will have their say but majority will have their way.

“Recall that in the South East, we have only 15 Senators while others have between 18 and 21 so it is part of the issue of marginalisation we have been talking about which is why we are pushing for restructuring,” he added.