Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has claimed that Nigeria’s main problem has to do with a purported misunderstanding of people of Southeast region by those of other ethnic nationalities.
Okorocha, who stated this on Thursday in Owerri during the post-election peace summit organised by National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, noted that it is only an Igboman amongst the other ethnic groups who go to another culture and settle and develop the community.
He said, “The problem with our country Nigeria is that they don’t understand the people called Igbo. Igbo, if I must describe us are the most misrepresented ethnic group in Nigeria.
“It’s only the Igbo amongst all other ethnic groups that can go to any other culture and settle to develop that culture.
“The Igbo man is the one who will hardly come back home to his grassroots without leaving a lasting impression of good development in the place he is living.
“But Nigerians have taken this for weakness. And that’s why at every side they’re chased from pillar to post as if they’re not part of the entity called Nigeria.”
In his own speech, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar stated: “We’re here today to mark the South-East post-election and peace conference of the National Council of Traditional Rulers. The unity of Nigeria is of paramount interest to all of us.”
On his part, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, stated: “My fellow traditional rulers from across the various ethnic groups of Nigeria, I want us to bear in mind that the reason for this conference is the peace of this country. We cannot afford to be seated on our various thrones and see the people we are ruling scattered.
“So, the peace of Nigeria must cost us something worth sacrificing. All of us seated here have a duty to let our subjects know that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, we must rise up to join our leaders to find lasting peace to our diverse political and cultural situations.”
