Former Abia State governor Orji Uzor Kalu said rather
than dissipate energy agitating for secession, IPOB and Igbos should up their
political ante and play politics of inclusion, which can earn the Igbo the
nation’s president sooner.
He also took a swipe at Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti
State over his comment in a recent interview that he (Kalu) was misleading the
Igbo to embrace the All Progressives Congress, and also on his (Fayose) comments
on President Muhammedu Buhari.
Kalu spoke in Lokoja, weekend, while delivering a lecture
at an Igbo gathering for the inauguration of Igbo Support Group for Governor
Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, which he entitled: “Mainstreaming Igbo into Nigeria
Politics.”
He said: “We must fix Nigeria to work. We, Igbo have made
progress but it is not yet uhuru for us. This is not the time to pop champagne
but a time for conscious reflection on the road we have passed, where we are
and where we intend to be in the years ahead.
“We must stop listening to people who say Biafra is
possible. If we want Biafra, we must first ensure that referendum is included
in the constitution review. “Nigeria should be thinking of annexing other
African countries rather than dividing them.
China has two billion people but is not talking about
secession. Nigeria with less than 200 million populace is talking about
secession.” On quit notice to Igbo On the recent quit notice given to Igbo by
the Arewa youths, Kalu said: “Recently, we have witnessed a rise in ethnic
activism. A lot of people have expressed fears that Nigeria may be coming to an
end.
Well in politics, you have to entertain all manner of
fears while working on possibilities. “However, the issues raised have caused
some to wonder if the Igbo have leaders. Of course, Igbo leaders are talking
and dialoguing. In politics, you often dialogue more than you talk. So, in
managing a diverse country like Nigeria, you need to dialogue and communicate
rightly.
That way, you will be able to manage tension. “In this
regard, I want to specially thank the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by
Chief John Nnia Nwodo for the mature way it handles the quit notice.” Warns
Fayose against hate speech On Governor Fayose, he said: “I call on my friend,
Governor Ayodele Fayose, to focus his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari
on his performance rather than his health or family issues.
“When I was a governor, I was at loggerheads with former
President Olusegun Obasanjo but it was purely on government activities. I never
went personal.
Fayose should take
a cue too. “His recent interview in the Interview magazine where he said I was
deceiving the Igbo into joining APC is uncalled for. I’m taking the Igbo to the
central stage of politics and decision taking.” “I advise Fayose to stop hate
speeches.
It is distractive, bad, not brotherly and against the
spirit of brotherhood. We must not allow our country just like the Rwanda
genocide to tread the path of hate speeches.”
Tags
Politics