Anambra State chapter of pan Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has dismissed the call for secession, saying Igbos cannot afford to exist alone.
Speaking in Awka, the state capital, President of Ohaneze in the state, Chief Damian Okeke explained that Igbos can’t leave Nigeria because they have investments all over the country.
Okeke said rather than call for secession, agitators should use their pro-Biafra stand as a platform to demand a better life for people of the South East.
He insisted that Igbo leaders will not support agitation that may lead to war.
Okeke noted that anybody who witnessed the Civil War like he did, would not want to experience another war.
According to Okeke, “Anyone who is marginalized will always feel bad, but that will not make those marginalized to commit suicide.
“That is why we cannot completely condemn the youths for what they are doing. If not for what they are doing, we will not be discussing with the people of Niger Delta today.
“Because of what they are doing, we have a better understanding with the people of the South West today. Today, the Hausa nation, the Yoruba nation, and the Igbo nation are finding a common solution to Nigeria’s problems
“For the first time since the end of the civil war, the governors of the states in the former Eastern Region are meeting to ensure a better Nigeria.
“Even those in the National Assembly are meeting, just as the people of the Middle Belt have indicated their interest to discuss with our people.
“We have to admit that there is a problem in Nigeria and it is only when we acknowledge this that we will begin to find a solution. That is why we need to always speak with one voice because that is the only way we can achieve our goal.
“The truth may be bitter, but the fact is that we cannot exist in isolation. I cannot stay here and order our people to abandon their investments in other parts of Nigeria and come home immediately. That will not be the solution.
“What we advocate is that the rule of law must be obeyed and justice and equity ensured for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria. We agree that peace will reign in Nigeria if the right things are done.”
