IGBO LAWYERS CONDEMN CENSUS COMMITTEE EXCLUSION OF SOUTH-EAST, SOUTH-SOUTH
The apex body of Igbo lawyers in Nigeria, Otu Oka-Iwu, has fiercely criticized the composition of the newly constituted Presidential Committee on the 2025 National Population and Housing Census, accusing the Federal Government of deliberately marginalising the South-East and South-South regions. In a statement released on Monday, April 21st signed by its President, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, and Secretary, Chief Ben Ihesiulo, the group expressed “utter disappointment” over what it described as an orchestrated exclusion of the two regions from a process that carries deep political, economic, and developmental consequences.
According to Otu Oka-Iwu, of the seven committee members appointed, five hail from the South-West, with the remaining two from the North Central and North-West, leaving out the entire South-East and South-South. The group called this omission not just negligent but a “calculated act of marginalisation,” warning that it reinforces a long-standing pattern of systemic exclusion against the Igbo and their neighbours in the South-South.
Describing the census as a vital determinant of resource allocation and political representation, the lawyers warned that ignoring entire geopolitical zones violated the principles of federal character and inclusion enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution. They demanded an immediate reconstitution of the committee to reflect true national diversity, or risk widespread resistance, hinting at mobilizing communities across both regions to reject the census if left unaddressed. The group called on traditional rulers, civil society, and the international community to demand a reversal, stressing that “there can be no peace where there is no justice.”
