Chief John Nnia Nwodo, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigo and a spiritual leader of the Igbo nation has stated that the challenges of marginalization facing the Igbo race have not been addressed by the Federal Government.

Nwodo spoke during a two-day Igbo Day Celebration in Owerri, at the Imo State palace of the Traditional Rulers Council. The Ohanaeze President said the solution to the challenges in the country would be to restructure Nigeria completely. He said because political leaders have  given deaf ear to the call for restructuring,  agitations have continued to be on the increase. Nwodo said: “Restructuring Nigeria will end the marginalisation in the Southeast and South South part of this country.

 

“This problem which started for decades have not been addressed by successive governments and it is the reason for which we are experiencing these levels of agitations in the country. “Ndigbo have had and are still having unmitigated hatred from other tribes in Nigeria as a result of their industry and perseverance.” In his remark, the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha  said that Ndigbo needed to change their narrative,  pointing out that they had been misunderstood in the Nigeria project.

Okorocha said: “Ohanaeze could relate and marry these organisations and use them to launch the campaign that will truly make other parts of Nigeria to see Igbos as fellow Nigerians in whom they should be well pleased. “We are highly misunderstood and until you come to an Igbo man’s house, you will not know how hospitable he is. “It is a privilege for any leader to host the leadership of your people. My joy knows no bound for the fact that we still have an Ohanaeze today.” Representative of the Afenifere,Chief  Ayo Adebanjo agreed with   Ohanaeze Ndigbo that in the Nigeria project,  the Igbo people have been treated unfairly.

He said, “Never in the history of this country has Ndigbo been so marginalised, denied their fundamental human rights and traumatised as they are today. “In fact, never at any time has Nigeria been at crossroad as it is today and Ndigbo are feeling the main brunt of it.” It was his view that  “Ndigbo have been completely emasculated and dehumanised in their fatherland” and Adebanjo felt that such treatment “has made the Igbo third class citizens, a little short of the slave trade era.” Also, Jonathan Asagie of the Middle Belt Forum, pointed out that the solution to the issue of marginalisation in the Nigeria would end by restructuring the country.

 

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