The Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called for the restructuring of the country to ensure fairness, equity and harmonious co-existence of all Nigerians,
The Elders council of the Igbo Apex body made call stressing that unity in the country could only be achieved through proper restructuring .
According the communiqué issued at the end of its one-day meeting in a Owerri, the Imo state capital, Monday, the organization further noted that there was an urgent need for the different components of the country to come together to dialogue on the future of the country
Highlighting the points in the communiqué, the president general, professor George Obiozor explained the need for a convocation of an intellectual national dialogue on the political, economic, social and cultural structure of Nigeria vis-a-vis the essential challenges the country is currently passing through
Obiozor through the communiqué also highlighted issues of security/insecurity which he observed had assumed a worrisome dimension in the country
He disclosed that the leadership of the organization had been mandated to work in close consultation with State governments in the south east geo- political zone to fashion out ways of reducing the vulnerability of those residing in any part of the zone
The Elders Council noted further that zone needed a security outfit that would address issues peculiar to the nature, culture, tradition, topography etc of the people
They frowned at the current situation whereby Ndigbo leaving in other parts of Nigeria became easy target and Guinea-pigs during hostilities, both within the country.
According to the communiqué the Ohanaeze Leadership was also mandated to fashion out ways of encouraging state Governments in the zone to become more proactive in the pursuit of policies that would boast both Agriculture production in the zone.
It decried the recent national statistical data that ascribing some Igbo speaking States as ranking highest in the number of unemployed people, pointing out that a home grown approach should be adopted in tackling the unemployment in the zone
On the quest for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, the Elders Council mandated the President General to work closely with the Igbo cultural and political groups to pursue the task of ensuring that the Igbos take their turn to produce the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2021
“This, the council insisted, is only achievable in consultation with other ethnic nationalities as the elders urged every Igbo man or woman with the needed capacity to show interest in the 2023 presidential race”, the communiqué added.
