Three Igbo socio-cultural associations on Friday rejected
overtures by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that Ndigbo should remain in
Nigeria, insisting that he caused problems for the country.
Obasanjo had appealed to those agitating for Biafra to stop
the struggle, stressing that there is “enough cake to share.”
But the Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, Igbo Youth
Movement, IYM, and the Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, accused Obasanjo of
insincerity and double-talk.
ECA Publicity Secretary, Rev. Fr. John Odey said,
“Obasanjo’s statement is medicine after death. Courting Ndi Igbo like women
without restructuring Nigeria will achieve nothing. Begging them to come back;
that there is enough cake for everybody is unhelpful.
“The solution is immediate restructuring of Nigeria into six
regions without further delay. Obasanjo knows that, but chooses to dance around
the issues, deliberately avoiding the truth.
“A year and half ago, he advised Buhari to ignore the IPOB,
calling them miscreants and fraudsters. He is responsible for all the avoidable
crisis in the land today. Everybody knows, he frustrated the 2005 conference report,
just because Nigerians rejected his third term bid. Obasanjo is a prominent
part of Nigeria’s problem.He should go and sit down.”
Also, the Founder of IYM and Deputy Secretary, Igbo Leaders
of Thought, ILT, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, lamented that Obasanjo called
Igbo youth’s miscreants but asked Ndigbo to forgive the former President for
allegedly repenting from his abuse of Ndigbo.
His words: “Obasanjo has clearly repented and is probably
remorseful of his early position in calling the much abused, long suffering and
oppressed youth of Eastern Nigeria miscreants and fraudsters.
“We should forgive him and plead with him to advise Buhari,
his good friend to do the needful and return Nigeria to six regions without
delay.
“The window to save Nigeria is fast closing, soon even
restructuring will no longer be acceptable to the millions of angry youth of
Eastern Nigeria. His plea for negotiations is late in the day. Only immediate
restructuring can save Nigeria now.”
On its part, IWA through its leader, Chief (Mrs) Marie
Okwor, called Obasanjo “a joker”, adding that “he knows the right thing, which
is immediate restructuring, he does not want to say it.
“Nothing can save Nigeria now except immediate return to six
regions and a new constitution. Obasanjo is part of the problem. Massaging us
like women or begging us not to leave Nigeria will not solve the problem. The
delay to restructure the regions is dangerous.”
By Wale Odunsi
