President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Professor George Obiozor, has raised the alarm over recent spike in violent crimes, especially kidnapping in the South-east region.
The former Nigerian Ambasssdor to the United States, who linked the development with the quest for the region to produce the next Nigeria President, said it was not in the character of the Igbo to get money through laziness.
“Of all things you can accuse the Igbo of it is not getting money through laziness, like kidnapping an uncle to get money,” the leader of the Pan-Igbo cultural association stated during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
He alleged that there appears to be a ploy to turn Igbo land in to a terrorists’ enclave because the idea of Igbo man becoming the President of Nigeria was gaining ground.
“Now, all of a sudden because the idea of the Presidency coming to Igbo land has come from probability to possibility people want to turn Igbo land into a terrorists’ ground.
“The Igbo are builders not nation breakers. We are not a violent people. So we must find out the root cause of the violent spree and kidnapping and all other things.”
On the Igbo having divergent views on the zone producing the next president of the country, the former university Don said,
“Presidency coming to the South-east is welcome development and divergent opinion is healthy in politics. Politics is not a science of exactitude, it is considerably and consistently a matter of choices, necessity for choices.
“So, for the Igbo having different opinions is not a crime. No section of Nigeria has one opinion on any leader,” Obiozor stated while pointing out that every group in Nigeria was divided, even more divided than the Igbo.
“The South-east is the most peaceful section of all other zones. Do you have one opinion in North-east, North West, South-west even South-south? My friend Igbo have different opinions and the opinions converge in having Igbo Presidency from South-east in 2023 that is the opinion.
“Speaking with one voice is not political but dictatorial. Speaking with one voice is unacceptable in a plural society, especially irrepressible society like Nigeria and among irrepressible individualists like the Igbo.
“We will not speak with one voice. We are not mumu. Igbo will speak with reasonable different voices, then articulated by leadership that has a sense of direction and knows what matters. This question of one voice, look at where one voice has kept us in Nigeria today. No voice any more,” he further stated.
On consultation by Ohanaeze to actualise the desire to have a president from the South-east, he said the consultation was on-goubg and just manifested with a very sound approval with the declaration by Edwin Clark.
“Consultation has been made and wonderful responses have been coming. You listened to Chief Edwin Clark, he is not a frivolous man, he is man of history and he is leading a people who have experienced politics of precarious experience. They know what it takes to support any group and they have done it.
“As for who will be President from the South-east it is found in the Bible, many are called but few are chosen, why are you bordering yourself? Don’t pre-empt us, when the time comes, politics is a matter of selection too, we will sort out. So, just give us support.”
According to him, “The Igbo Presidency will bring visible and conspicuous achievements, capacity to turn this national difficulties into dividends for Nigeria, obstacles in to opportunities. Let me tell you the truth, nations are served by two kinds of events either through leadership or through structures.
“None of it has worked in Nigeria, the Igbo man can change the narrative because he is not a greedy man. He is also not a lazy man, forget any perception you may have about the Igbos. The Igbo know how to share things and let others take and he will be the last just as we are taking the last of all the zones in Nigeria in the Presidency.
“You will see a difference, the difference will be clear and you will see that the country would be stable because you are getting a government that will embrace justice equity and fairness, charity to all and malice towards none we are the ones that can live any where.”
Speaking further, he said: “Nigeria failed to identify the immense capacity of the Igbo man’s talents. The truth of the matter is that Nigerians don’t want to use the talents in the Igbo, but it is their own loss. Look at it, I went to South Korea in the 80s, South Korea was developed within 10 years. One of the economic adviser sent there was Kalu Ndika Kalu, an Igbo man, go and ask.”
On the idea of asking the Igbo to relocate their businesses to the South-east on account of the unfavourable situation they found themselves he said, “The Igbo are not looking for Presidency to impoverish other parts of Nigeria, by withdrawing their businesses. I must congratulate all Igbo businessmen all over the country and West Africa for the wonderful successes they have recorded in the difficult situations they found themselves.
“What we are asking from them is that they should take some parts of their investments to the South-east and develop the area also, let their wealth also reach home. The vulnerability is also economic risk that is why we want a stable and peaceful Nigeria. So wherever we are we can also see peace and stability.”
