Power Sharing, Social Injustice Frustrating Nigeria’s Development — Ohanaeze

Ohaneze Ndigbo has identified power-sharing and social injustice as two mistakes that have been the bane of Nigeria’s positive economic and political development, saying that there is an urgent need to avoid the mistakes in 2023.

According to the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, the two mistakes have worsened Nigeria’s other problems and they are leading the country to near breaking points.

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor who said this Wednesday evening in Enugu, while briefing journalists after their meeting, noted that Nigerian leaders usually drifted into these two problems with ease without foreseeing the dire consequences.

And to avoid these mistakes and get things right in Nigeria, Obiozor said that a South East President of Nigeria in 2023 will be one of the most critical and positive decision to be made by Nigerians in the nation’s history.

He urged Nigerian leaders to employ what he called the “doctrine of creative use of conflicts and crises”, which he said was used by past leaders to save the country, and control the present crisis.

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In the effort to achieve Nigerian President of South-East extraction and avoid the identified mistakes, Obiozor announced that Ohanaeze Ndigbo has established a Political Action Committee, who will serve as a persuasion team that will reach out to those who are critical in Nigeria politics.

The committee will be chaired by the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo while the Secretary-General will serve as the Secretary and are to work with other members to be announced soon.

Ohanaeze also restated its call for political solution for the release of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“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 a power-sharing and social injustice. 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”, Ohanaeze President General lamented.

He said that over 60 years as a nation, “we need introspective and retrospective thinking in order to re-assess our journey so far as a nation or as a country”, insisting that “in doing so includes a serious re-examination of our history as one nation”.

Recalling Nigeria’s previous ugly political journey which led to serious crises at different times, Obiozor warned: “Today, the situation of the country is not totally different but even more complicated.

“Today 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 synchronized national crisis which will be more difficult to be controlled or contained today”.

Urging Nigerian leaders to learn from history, Ohanaeze Ndigbo reminded them that: “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.

“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”.

Ohanaeze regretted that “today, in terms of nationalism, only 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. It is time to rebuild and restore Nigerian nationalism and national spirit. As the national situation is today, it will require Pan Nigerians like Igbo to reinvigorate the nation’s path to unity. And a Southeast 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 doubts, please be assured that he/she will focus on what can be done instead of arguing over what is impossible”, Ohanaeze said.

Concerning Nnamdi Kanu, Obiozor said, “On the issue of IPOB/Nnamdi Kanu, we have been consistent in asking for political solution to the problem including prerogative of Mercy for Nnamdi Kanu’s freedom and amnesty.

“Once more, may I repeat, Ndigbo are not secessionists or separatists, Igbo are prepared and deserve the Presidency. It is politically defensible and morally justifiable.”