pray that leaders ought to take responsibilities now and teach our youths the right things to do. The people in this matter are our children, our youths and they have a duty to listen to us as their parents. It is apparent that we have failed as leaders in this nation, giving room for this hate in families, communities, states and at national levels. We need to take responsibilities as leaders to stop this campaign of hate as that will not do us any goodâ.
âI call on my Igbo brothers, the agitators, because there was nothing wrong doing what others are doing, your style is what is wrong. You canât be calling for a sovereign nation inside a nation, it is absolutely wrong. If you must agitate, I purpose you agitate for the Movement for Economic Survival of Igbo People (MOESIP). That will help for the economic survival of our land, making agriculture the mainstay of our economy. That is only when we will command the respect of the rest of the worldâ.
âAll things being equal and without the intervention of the military, Iâm sure the Igboâs would have gotten their heart desire in the political life of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But at this time, I want to call on all leaders of Nigeria to speak out and condemn this act, because keeping silent anymore cannot help this matterâ.
âAnd if some of us think that we can benefit from this crisis, it is rather a disappointment and I pray that leaders ought to take responsibilities now and tell the youths the right thing to do. The people involved in this matter are our children, we gave birth to them and they have a responsibility to listen to us as their parentsâ.
âIt is apparent that we have failed as leaders in this nation and which has given room for this hate in our families, hate in communities, hate in states, hate at national level and hate in companies. We need to take responsibility as leaders. This campaign of hate and hatred on each other will not do us any goodâ.
âI was abroad sometimes, and I saw China & Koreans of yesterday underrated by Nigerians developing the resources of their lands. But here in Nigeria, weâre still talking about tribe and religion. It is a shame and my heart bleeds. I was in Dubai and I saw developments taking place, I saw young men moving up and down developing the resources of their land, earning foreign exchange. But weâre still talking about comments by IPOB and Arewa Youths. Itâs a proper shame, my heart bleeds. I was just in Tanzania recently and South Africa, tourism flourishing in those lands, while in our own country, weâre still talking about Boko Haram and Kidnapping, what a shame, my heart bleedsâ.
âIâve been round the whole world, I see progress everywhere and developments everywhere and African nations are still waiting for Nigeria to rise and take its rightful place as leader of Africa. All we can give to African nations is which section will produce the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and which zone shall produce the governor of a state, my heart bleeds. What a shame. Itâs indeed shameful for this generation and may we never be found as a failed generation. We must never transfer failure to the subsequent generation. We must live up to our responsibilitiesâ.
âAt this crucial moment, we must have a rethink as leaders. We must change our ways because itâs obvious that the inherent hatred and division which we have got from the colonial masters and transferred to subsequent generations have not helped us. We must sing a new song of unity in this nation. We must see ourselves as brothers and sisters of one nationâ.
âI call on my Igbo brothers, the agitators because there was nothing wrong in doing what others are doing, but your style is what is wrong creating a sovereign nation within existing nation. That is absolutely wrong. Your style is what is wrongâ.
âAs I stand now as a sitting governor, what IPOB would have wanted is for Rochas Okorocha to speak and say letâs go to war and if I do that, I do not care but I will tell you the truth I care for you. We must change our style. And for the Igbo nation, I donât want to sound like a Pontus Pilate. I donât want to be found passing a judgement. Please we must rethink on how we can move our economy forwardâ.
âWhy are you misunderstood as Igbos? The reason is that they deal even better with non Igbos than with their brothers. I wish the Northerners will understand. An Igboman is the worst enemy of a fellow Igboman than people from the north. That, people donât know about usâ
âI want to appeal to all Igbos at this moment that my heart is bleeding, that we make a rethink and not join others in singing the song of division in this countryâ.
âWe need Nigeria more than Nigeria needs us now. This is not time for Igbos to sing an alternative song of war. I want to appeal to the youths of our nation. We understand their frustration and that what we should bequeath to you as leaders is a nation devoid of hate and lack. But if you must fight, if you must blame, please blame not yourselves, blame us your leadersâ.
