Why Ndigbo Must Come Together

Why Ndigbo Must Come Together

Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, Founder, Igbo Youth Movement, reminds people of the South-east of the importance of unity in the face of an alleged unfriendly central government

Time has come for all Igbos to mobilise and give our governors all the necessary support they need to move Alaigbo forward.

Given the obtuse political arrangement in Nigeria today, the deliberate isolation and oppression of our region, common sense demands we stick together with our elected leaders, especially as they carefully manoeuvre the intricate web of intrigue and marginalisation meted out against our people by the central government.

Finding ourselves in the uncomfortable position we are facing today, with an unfriendly central government boastfully applying the strange and distasteful 97%/5% formula that jolted and discombobulated the land, especially through discriminatory appointments and lopsided infrastructural development of the regions, we need, as a people to come together as one and face the future united. Disrespecting our governors will not solve any of our problems. Spectators do not see all the challenges facing the actual players in the pitch. We know that our governors are facing tremendous challenges.

The uncommon times we are in, the unpredictable economic future facing us all, as a result of the lockdown, the incursion into our homestead by belligerent and bellicose herdsmen, the uncertain future of our singular-source wealth( petroleum ),
the crippling unitary structure and regional, ethnic and religious realities of our time, makes it all too necessary, that we wake up to the fact, that we need a robust political leadership. The urgency and necessity of this fact, is so obvious today.

When you add this to the uncomfortable fact that we are constantly mocked as lacking effective leadership, it becomes absolutely necessary that we as a people must sit up and influence, guide and inspire our governors, lest a worse situation envelopes us all.

Name calling, disrespecting and distancing from our elected leaders, hasn’t helped our cause as a people. It is time for Ndigbo to ask our governors :what’s going on?
Are there unseen difficulties, challenges, problems or pressures holding you guys down? We must face reality. Alaigbo is at the bottom. We are talented and gifted people. We are not getting it right. How come?

Our eggheads, clerics, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, professionals, activists, even agitators, must confront our governors and enquire about our future as a people. We must begin by standing by them as they shape the security outfit that would protect and defend our land in this trying time.

All Ndigbo are proud of the decision of our governors to get “all the South-east states Houses of Assembly to commence the process of enacting of state security laws in line with the South East Joint Security Programme.” Quoting directly from the communique of the South East Governors forum, two days ago.

With every sense of responsibility and as their avid critic over time, it has become necessary to commend our governors on this and also assure them that they have the total support of the masses this time.

Our people are very proud of our governors’ stand on the security issue and hope that no protocols will delay implementation of this very development that has made them popular overnight. Doubting Thomases should be put to shame this time.

It is up to the governors to sustain the template of sustaining the confidence of the masses, as aroused by their popular decision to calm the fears of our already helpless people, by showing commendable leadership by their beautiful communique two days ago. Our role remains to give them all the necessary support they would need to succeed.

We are hopeful of better days ahead.

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