The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, has attributed power-sharing and social injustice to be the major problems that have affected unity and development in Nigeria.
Prof Obiozor described the Igbo president as one of the most critical but positive decisions of the nation’s history noting that it will only require Pan Nigerians like Igbos to reinvigorate the nation’s path to unity with the national situation in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Enugu, the President General stressed the need to rebuild and restore Nigerian nationalism and national spirit saying “As the national situation is today, it will require Pan Nigerians like Igbo to reinvigorate the nation’s path to unity.”
“A South-East Igbo president of Nigeria in 2023 will be one of the most critical but positive decisions of the nation’s history because it is the right decision and an idea whose time has come. For those in doubt, please be assured that he/she will focus on what can be done instead of arguing over what is impossible.”
“We need introspective and retrospective thinking in order to reassess our journey so far as a nation or as a country. Doing so includes a serious re-examination of our history as one nation.”
“If the truth must be told, the nation has made two consistent mistakes that have worsened the nation’s all other problems leading the nation to near breaking points.”
“Those two devils in Nigerian politics are power-sharing and social injustice to the major problems that has affected development in Nigeria.”
“In all, we drifted into these two problems with nonchalance or with ease, and sometimes oblivious of their consequences until what we think is a simple or easy problem develops into a national disaster or catastrophe.”
Today, the situation of the country is not totally different from what happened in the past but even more complicated. Indeed the way things are, with communication and modern technology, our country is set not only at the usual breaking points which were more easily controlled and contained in the past to preserve Nigerian unity, but a point of synchronised national crisis which will be more difficult to be controlled or contained today,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria was a country negotiated and amalgamated under some agreements that balanced sensitive issues of power-sharing and balancing of power regardless of any other conditions. It was a system where every person had an equal chance in life regardless of their tribe, race or religion.
He said: “In 1960 at independence, our Founding Fathers – Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Belo, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, joyfully embraced both independence and all existing institutions establishing Nigerian unity. Those Founding Fathers later found out that our country Nigeria had inherent measures of historic conflict of ideas and ideals.”
“Consequently, all Nigerian leaders even today have utilized Nigeria’s ‘Doctrine of creative use of conflicts and crises’. This old doctrine can be used once more to save the country and control the present crisis.”
“But today also and in terms of nationalism, only a few countries in the world have fallen so fast as Nigeria in recent years, Nigerians must recognize that something went wrong
Nigerian nationalism is receding as ethno-regional nationalism is growing astronomically.
On the issue of IPOB/ Nnamdi Kanu, Prof Obiozor said “we have been consistent in asking for a political solution to the problem including prerogative of Mercy for Nnamdi Kanus freedom and amnesty.”
“Once more may I repeat, Ndigbo are not secessionists or separatists, Igbos are prepared and deserve the Presidency. It is politically defensible and morally justifiable.”
“To realise this the National Executive council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has established the Political Action Committee to be Chaired by the President General, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, while the Secretary General, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR will serve as the Secretary. The full composition will be done soon,” he said.
