Igbo will never go to war again, says Ohanaeze

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has
said that the Igbo will never again go to war to resolve conflicts
in the country.

It said the Igbo would rather use diplomacy as a tool for peace
and conflict resolution.

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo,
stated this at the 2018 Igbo International Leadership and Good
Governance Retreat held at Abagana, Anambra State.

The retreat was organised by the World Igbo Leadership Council
and the World Igbo Information and Communication Network.

The event, which was third in the series, was attended by
renowned Igbo scholars from Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu,
Imo and Rivers states.

The first retreat was hosted at Ibusa, Delta State by Prof. Pat
Utomi in 2016, while the second was hosted by Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in
2017 at Uburu in Ebonyi State.

Nwodo, who commended the organisers of the annual retreat, said
though it ac not in doubt that Igbo were facing large scale
marginalisation in Nigeria, the way to overcome it was not through
fighting another war but by adopting peaceful means and
dialogue.

While citing the issue of states and local governments’ creation
in Nigeria in which he said the Igbo were shortchanged, Nwodo noted
that such anomalies could be corrected through dialogue and making
other Nigerians to see the need for equity and justice in the
Nigerian project.

He said, “The military created states and local governments and
gave the North the highest numbers, not because our population was
the smallest but was just part of marginalisation.

“But we should be patient and continue to do what we have
already started, knowing that the battle is no longer the type that
will be fought with guns but with intelligence.

“We have suffered so much and that is why we should apply
diplomacy. One of such diplomatic moves is the planned handshake
across the Niger in which Igbo leaders will be negotiating with
Yoruba leaders in Enugu in the coming week.”

In his address, a former president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra
State chapter, Chief Chris Eluemunor, said as someone who fought in
the Nigeria -Biafra war of 1967-1970, he would not like another
generation of Igbo to experience such war again.

He added that what the people should be fighting for “is the
restructuring of Nigeria in such a way that everybody will be
happy.”

Eluemunor said Ohanaeze had nothing against the Indigenous
People of Biafra but was not comfortable with its approach to the
issue of Biafra.

He recalled that the leadership of Ohanaeze invited the IPOB
leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on several occasions for dialogue, “but he
failed to use his brain and rather resorted to insulting
everybody.”

He added, “What the Igbo people want is restructuring because if
you restructure properly, it is as good as being independent in
your country. You cannot declare independent in an enemy territory
and expect him to allow you to go just like that.

“What Ohanaeze is saying is that it is restructuring that will
give us what we want. Our people are doing business in all parts of
the country and in a restructured Nigeria; Igbo will have a good
base. We learnt our lessons during and after the civil war and we
would not like our people to make another mistake.”

The Special Adviser to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on
Igbo Affairs, Prof. J. I. Okonkwo, said Igbo had so much to do to
get to their desired destination.

Okonkwo said, “We embrace education, but we lack knowledge. We
are not following the right steps that will help our cause and
until we do that, we will continue to complain in Nigeria.”

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has
said that the Igbo will never again go to war to resolve conflicts
in the country.

It said the Igbo would rather use diplomacy as a tool for peace
and conflict resolution.

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo,
stated this at the 2018 Igbo International Leadership and Good
Governance Retreat held at Abagana, Anambra State.

The retreat was organised by the World Igbo Leadership Council
and the World Igbo Information and Communication Network.

The event, which was third in the series, was attended by
renowned Igbo scholars from Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu,
Imo and Rivers states.

The first retreat was hosted at Ibusa, Delta State by Prof. Pat
Utomi in 2016, while the second was hosted by Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in
2017 at Uburu in Ebonyi State.

Nwodo, who commended the organisers of the annual retreat, said
though it ac not in doubt that Igbo were facing large scale
marginalisation in Nigeria, the way to overcome it was not through
fighting another war but by adopting peaceful means and
dialogue.

While citing the issue of states and local governments’ creation
in Nigeria in which he said the Igbo were shortchanged, Nwodo noted
that such anomalies could be corrected through dialogue and making
other Nigerians to see the need for equity and justice in the
Nigerian project.

He said, “The military created states and local governments and
gave the North the highest numbers, not because our population was
the smallest but was just part of marginalisation.

“But we should be patient and continue to do what we have
already started, knowing that the battle is no longer the type that
will be fought with guns but with intelligence.

“We have suffered so much and that is why we should apply
diplomacy. One of such diplomatic moves is the planned handshake
across the Niger in which Igbo leaders will be negotiating with
Yoruba leaders in Enugu in the coming week.”

In his address, a former president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra
State chapter, Chief Chris Eluemunor, said as someone who fought in
the Nigeria -Biafra war of 1967-1970, he would not like another
generation of Igbo to experience such war again.

He added that what the people should be fighting for “is the
restructuring of Nigeria in such a way that everybody will be
happy.”

Eluemunor said Ohanaeze had nothing against the Indigenous
People of Biafra but was not comfortable with its approach to the
issue of Biafra.

He recalled that the leadership of Ohanaeze invited the IPOB
leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on several occasions for dialogue, “but he
failed to use his brain and rather resorted to insulting
everybody.”

He added, “What the Igbo people want is restructuring because if
you restructure properly, it is as good as being independent in
your country. You cannot declare independent in an enemy territory
and expect him to allow you to go just like that.

“What Ohanaeze is saying is that it is restructuring that will
give us what we want. Our people are doing business in all parts of
the country and in a restructured Nigeria; Igbo will have a good
base. We learnt our lessons during and after the civil war and we
would not like our people to make another mistake.”

The Special Adviser to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on
Igbo Affairs, Prof. J. I. Okonkwo, said Igbo had so much to do to
get to their desired destination.

Okonkwo said, “We embrace education, but we lack knowledge. We
are not following the right steps that will help our cause and
until we do that, we will continue to complain in Nigeria.”