A prominent Igbo chieftain belonging to the Igbo Socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Osita Okechukwu has declared that Igbos cannot leave Nigeria and build Biafra as their plight is better off with one Nigeria.
Okechukwu spoke in a recent interview with The Sun newspaper. He reacted to recent statements credited to Dr Joe Nworgu, Secretary General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, that marginalization of Igbos has worsened under president Buhari and the APC.
Contrary to Nworgu’s statements, Okechukwu said that marginalization of Ibos actually reigned supreme under former president Jonathan’s regime.
Okechukwu, a former spokesman for All Progressives Congress (APC) in Southeast before his appointment as the Director General, Voice of Nigeria, noted that the Igbos do not have any reason to secede from the country as is being portrayed by those agitating for Biafra.
While asking his fellow Igboman to apologise to the Igbos for the comment he made, rather than criticise the incumbent for marginalising them.
He argued that majority of Igbos in the country are not in total support of the calls for Biafra because they are still ‘at home’ in Nigeria.
“For the avoidance of doubt, from my brief analysis of the actions of Dr Joe Nworgu, my in-law and big brother, in particular, he should apologize to Ndigbo for not only sustaining the marginalization of Ndigbo, but reaping from it.
“Did he harvest the plumb and eminent position held in Ohanaeze, either to fix federal roads: Arochukwu – Umuahia, Umuahia – Uyo-Calabar, Port Harcourt – Enugu, Enugu- Onitsha roads etc.
“May I ask, is it possible that Dr Nworgu and co after voting for Jonathan in 2011 and Ndigbo collectively did not benefit from the action as our roads and infrastructure collapsed; called for votes for Jonathan again in 2015, and canvassed heavily, to the extent of accusing Buhari of going to Islamise Nigeria, without stomach infrastructure; what was their agenda?” he queried.