no place you go without finding an Igbo man either building the bridge of friendship or creating brotherhood, and at the same time developing and contributing immensely to the socio-economic development of that area. Igbo man is a more practical Nigerian because they are the only people to be found in all nooks and crannies of Nigeriaâ.
âIn recent times, the impression given is that an Igbo man enjoys violence. Let me put it clear. Igbo man is not a troublesome man and not a man associated with violence. All he does is to enjoy his commerce and do his trading for the betterment of his family and society at largeâ.
âLet me inform all Nigerians that Igbos will remain peace-loving people and good Nigerians wherever they are found. If there is any group of people who had laid their lives and shed more blood for the unity of this country that person is an Igbo manâ.
âTherefore at this material time, let me remind all Nigerians that the Igbos are the people that developed Lagos and major Cities in this Country. Igbos have made major investments in this country than any other group making an investment in Igbo landâ.
âTherefore, I think, the statements by IPOB and subsequent ones by AREWA youths are nonsensical, ill-informed and not for the best interest of Ndi Igbo neither is it for the best interest of Nigeria. I condemn in its entirety the statements of IPOB and the reaction of the AREWA YOUTH GROUP. These people who have made these statements both from the North and South-East are people who may not have seen the effects of the civil war when Nigeria went into civil warâ.
âI call on all Igbo persons to disassociate themselves and every northerner and well-meaning Nigerians to distance themselves from these comments from AREWA GROUP and IPOB. Again let me call for caution for those who are calling for support for IPOB especially the non-Igbos to stop henceforth because we donât need such support because I do know that when the chips are down, they wonât be anywhere to be found. It is deceitful and inciting and is no longer a welcome development in this part of the worldâ.
âI also want to caution all those our brothers and Sisters who live abroad, who are social media gurus and who never visit home and who enjoy all the sentiments created in the social media to desist from doing that henceforth. I do know that they may not understand the consequences of their writings and what they are doing. Let them also pause and think, if finally these drums of war beats, would not keep the Igbos in the Island of isolation or ignorance and poverty that we do not need.
âIgbos are major stakeholders in the entity called the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We fought for the unity of this country and having acquired the unity, the Igbos cannot be counted out in the affairs of this nationâ.
âLet me again say, while I blame the AREWA youths who may have acted under provocation and taking the matter beyond scope, the statements were also very inciting and can create disaffection between the North and South-East. For the purpose of those who have forgotten, in history the South-East and North have enjoyed good political relationship especially in the days of Shagari. We have been seen as allies and partners politically. Except for this past dispensation for some myopic reasons many Igbos did not see the victory of Buhari coming and we missed the link. We need immediate refixing of this bridge of relationship between the South-East and the Northâ.
âI want to call on all leaders of Nigeria to speak out and condemn this act, because keeping silence anymore cannot help us in this matter, and thinking that we can benefit from these crisis is rather a disappointment. And I
