The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that the northern part of Nigeria is one of the safest places for the Igbo ethnic group to live and do their business.
This is according to the chairman of the group in the 19 northern states, Augustine Amaechi, who spoke yesterday in Abuja.
It was reported that Amaechi while acknowledging that there have been some skirmishes with their host communities, noted that it is unavoidable as “it is expected in a developing economy.”
He said the agitation for secession coming from the South-East is a result of a lack of employment in the region, stressing that the Igbo need the north for their financial strength to be maintained.
He said, “Our elders are saying that even if the youth are agitating and angry, we need a restructure of Nigeria and not a division of Nigeria because you can’t sell what you produce in your village to make big sales like in Alaba Market in Lagos.”
On his own part, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, called for peace and unity, adding that the Igbo nation is not at war with anybody.
“All we want is to be treated equally with other people. It is time for us to speak truth to power. We need peace and unity and they can’t be gotten through propaganda and transparency must be followed,” he said.
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