Chairman of Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state , Hon. Barrister Clement Odah, in a chat with EGWUAGHA AMARACHUKWU, described the quit notice by Arewa youths to the Igbo in the north as rascality and irresponsibility carried to the extreme. Excerpts:
Odah who made his observations in Abakaliki, during an award presentation ceremony by Saint Peter Anglican Church, Okpugwu to the National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Austin Umahi.
The chairman expressed disappointment over the quit notice by the coalition of the Arewa Youths which he described as the height of rascality and irresponsibility, called on Igbo residing in the north to have a re-think of coming back home.
“There is no place like home”, he noted.
“The quit notice is uncalled for. It is just the exhibition of the highest point of rascality and irresponsibility. There is no point for people sounding as if they have lost their senses. The Igbo man has contributed so much from 1960, when Nigeria gained independence.
“The economy of Nigeria is hinged on the industry of the Igbo man. We deserve a better treatment. To me, I write off those who gave that quit notice. The so called quit notice by a coalition of Arewa Youths. I classified them as people who have lost their senses.
“You know in every disappointment, there is a blessing. To a large extent, the Igbo man has forgotten their foundation. 80% of the wealth in Kano, Kaduna, Zaria and Sokoto states go and find out who owned them. Is it not the same land that we have in the north that we have here. It is so annoying. Go to Lagos, Alaba International Market and Port Harcourt, who controls 80% of the wealth. Nobody cares to develop their own town.
“While we express our disappointment over the unnecessary ranting of the irresponsible youths, this so called quit notice is like coin of two sides.
The other side of the coin is that Igbo man ought to look back home. There is no place like home. And with the temperament of the youths out there, irresponsible as they appear, I am afraid to say there is no security for the Igbo man investment outside south east.
“If I am an Igbo man in Kano or Kaduna, I will start little by little to move my investment back home. There is need to mitigate the loss. You cannot predict these people, yes we have good men among them, but when the chips are down, you will find out that the leadership from the north will normally keep silent until the damage is done. No damage has ever been recovered. Once it has happened, it has happened”, he noted.
On 2019 elections:
He said the Peoples Democratic Party PDP will recover all it has lost, adding that the award coming from the church community was a clear manifestation that the party was doing well.
“I want to say that the award is well deserved because he has done so well. He has made us proud as the national vice chairman and the zonal vice chairman of the largest party in Africa, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
“He has changed the face of Ebonyi man and the face of PDP outside the state. He has improved the image of the Abakaliki person.
Before now, when you talk about Ebonyi State, people think is one backward state. But now anywhere in the world, we can stand our ground and beat our chest that we are from Ebonyi State.
“I believe that the award is well deserved. I pray God will continue to grant him the wisdom to take PDP to a greater height. With the pace he is moving by 2019 all that is lost by PDP will be recovered”.
