THE IGBO RACE, OUR NATIONAL GEM

Sir Emeka Offor

To say the truth, the Igbo race is indeed one tribe am proud to have existing on the map we call Nigeria. If pride and tribal sentiments could be shoved aside at least for once in this nation, we would come face to face with the hard truth that the nation needs the Igbo race to stand strong. I haven't been everywhere in the country but the places I have been doesn't disagree with the fact that they are the economy of the nation such that if you are good with business and money you are called an Igbo man.

Chief Rochas Okorocha

 True unity is not in laying claims on natural earth endowment nature has dispersed to the location we didn't even make the choice to be born into but identifying the strength of each part and appreciating and celebrating the region for it. 

Only an ignorant person would put another race before the igbo race when the parameter of judgement is business, and what more is a nation's economy based on! These people are the ones running the big shops and most businesses up your street and everywhere in the country. Computer village, Alaba International market, Ladipo motor part market, Idumota in Lagos, Main Market in Onitsha, Watt and Bedwell Markets in Calabar and this is to name a few and you can add to it. All these are the biggest markets in the mentioned places.

Chief Orji Uzo Kalu.

To say this race of important national blessings has not been marginalized is to see black and not even call it grey but move farther to call it yellow, who wouldn't know that is a lie!





This is not an advocacy of a new republic called BIAFRA or even any other one for that matter but a call to realize the importance of what we have before we loose it. 

Chief Ifeanyi Uba

Fortunately, this isn't something beyond our reach. It is simply recognition, celebration, compensation and giving that region the status that passes it as the commercial and business capital of Nigeria. I bet with you it would go to become the commercial hub in the entire African continent. 

The long and short of my thinking aloud is that the nation would be stronger and more unified if we desist from throwing hate comments towards the East or any other region within our Federation because of their agitation, because my mom used to say that cheating draws tears out of the cheated and people by default the world over, reacts against cheating, oppression and marginalization. If that wasn't so, we would not have uprisings and movements against race discrimination we hear about all over the world which is why even the constitution permits a group of people to secede if they are not comfortable with the way they are treated though following due process.

We can make a better Nigeria, united by love and brotherhood if we see each other as one people who deserve equal treatment no matter where we come from. We can be stronger if we do not use power to decorate our states of origin but by putting infrastructures where they better fit and putting as ministers people who are directly gifted in performing excellently well rather than put people who speak our language.

I strongly suggest that instead of begging for negotiations with gun wielding men whose agitations has graduated from placards to warfare, we can cut the nib at the bud by negotiating with this people whose membership like any other race has contributed to the immense success of this nation from Independence till date and we'd see that it will benefit this nation.

Once again, this is not an agitation for BIAFRA or any other other Republic. I am an Akwa Ibom man and a proud Nigeria and one who would like this nation to remain Nigeria forever with Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos and every other ethnic group seeing one another not as tribal brothers but blood brothers.

I conclude with my philosophy, THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES TO OUR BROTHERHOOD EXCEPT THE ONES WE CREATE IN OUR OWN MINDS (Abia Victor, 2016)