Wednesday 12 March 2014

Okorocha laments disunity among Igbo govs



Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State yesterday in Enugu identified disunity as the major thing holding back the political advancement of the Igbo, disclosing that even the governors in the South-East are not at peace with one another.
Okorocha, who spoke at the opening of the International Colloquium on the Igbo Question in Nigeria, holding at the Igbozurume Unity Centre, Emene Enugu, noted that in the search for unity, the Igbo must seek the face of God and go for atonement.
Highlighting the level of disunity among the various personalities and groups in Igboland, the governor who has long stopped attending the South-East Governors’ Forum, fingered the governors as part of those who need reconciliation if the elusive unity among the people is to be achieved.
Said he; “The Igbo nation is not working, but it will take my generation to make it work; we have everything, the only thing lacking is unity. Any day we achieve unity, Igbo will move mountains in this country. We are Hebrews, thus, no nation can defeat Ndi-Igbo, but we must come together to attain our potentials.
“Ojukwu has died without reconciling with Ekwueme; Jim Nwobodo and Mbakwe were not in good terms, among the governors, they are not in good terms. Igbo must forgive themselves, we have the Arewa House, Oduduwa House, but Ohaneze does not have any of such because of disunity. The war did not unite us neither has our language united us.
“Igbo have to go for atonement, peace and reconciliation; Igbo must converge in Enugu and ask God for forgiveness; we must fast and pray. We must set out a day for atonement. The problem of Nigeria is because an Igbo man has not ruled this country; other tribes have tried but I tell you any day an Igbo man mounts the saddle, Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief,” Okorocha said.
In a welcome address, Coordinator and Chairman of the Colloquium Planning Committee, Prof. Uzodimma Nwala, noted that the event is a platform for the Igbo to commune collectively over the economic, political and socio-cultural challenges facing the Igbo nation, both in Nigeria and the world today.
He said it’s an opportunity to examine the historical roots of contemporary Igbo predicament; consider the impact of the Biafra experience on the Igbo nation today, and examine the issues raised by literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe in his book, ‘There was a country.”
He stressed the need for the colloquium to produce a Blueprint/Charter for the survival of the Igbo nation in both Nigeria and the world ,pointing out that such a blueprint shall articulate not only what is to be done, but how to achieve them.

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