By Abba-Eku Onyekachi
The President, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide in the 19 northern states and Abuja, Barr. Augustine Amaechi, has clarified that the elders of Ndigbo are not demanding separation, but restructuring of the country to entrone true federalism.
The Igbo socio-cultural organisation chieftain spoke to our correspondent at the a reception organised by Ohaneze Ndigbo under his watch for its President-General. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in Abuja over the weekend.
He explained that the country is a federation, but regreted that the practice is unitary system of government has dragged the country to the nadir.
He however, suggested that the only way for prosperity to get back in yhr country is going back to true federalism as practiced in 1963, where the units were autonomous and contributed to the centre, contrary to what is obtainable now.
He said: “Ohaneze isn’t demanding for seperation, but for restructuring, so that every Nigerian can enjoy the country called Nigeria; so that each unit shall develop in its pace.
“Where one man at Abuja will be telling you about the roads in Badagry, Enugu, Borno and talking about where children in those areas should go to school, among others isn’t good for the country’s development.
“Federal Government should control the soldiers, curruency and the international relations, not to be involved itself in everything.
The late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Gen Gowon had agreed on confederation at Aburi, Ghana then, but the bureaucrats in the north rejected it and that caused the civil war, whuch it is obvious we are still fighting up till today although not with guns but terribly subtly through marginalisation and denial of merit above skewed quota syatem.”
He also faulted the sit-at-home and other vices associated with it in the South-East, but urged the federal government to obey the Court of Appeal’s order and release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Barr Amaechi believed that Kanu’s release would bring sanity in the zone, even as he attributed sit-at-home ordered by someone in Finland, contrary to the decision of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Hailing the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi for his efforts at the last presidential election, he noted that Igbo man’s position in Nigeria can’t be writren without challenges, which according to him are sumountable, siting the political trajectory of Ndigbo as an example.
He however said that if given the presidency, it would give Ndigbo an opportunity to measure their ability to cotribute to Nigeria’s development. He added that Igbo contribute to Nigeria’s development more thwn any other zine in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, among other areas by, among others, paying taxes; building houses, schools, just as he urged doubting Thomas to verify.
