The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration should focus on creating a true federal constitution and restructure Nigeria.
Iwuanyanwu made this statement in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, where he also discussed the peace committee that is being set up by Ndigbo to clear up the misunderstandings and curb the alleged unfair treatments that other Nigerian tribes show towards Igbo people.
Speaking on the need for a federal constitution, Iwuanyanwu said, “That particular government before independence, they had a constitution, a true federal constitution. A constitution that could actually apply and bring, without a lot of strain, to a people who have diverse background like Nigeria. We had a true federal constitution in 1960,1963, and that worked for us.
“Later on, they changed to military constitution which is not right. Now, that is why we in Igbo land, we are saying, please, let us have a true federal constitution. What we are operating today is a unitary government. It doesn’t work with a people who have diverse backgrounds.”
He further said, “I believe that the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu should take steps to see if we can actualise this restructuring of Nigeria. Without a proper restructuring, Nigeria will continue to have problem, there is no way this country can survive. Today, everybody is talking about presidency. In a restructured Nigeria, the presidency will not attract so much attention as it does today.”
Iwuanyanwu then addressed the alleged animosity that has been displayed towards Igbos, as he said that since the recent Presidential elections, there had been unfair treatments towards Igbos.
He said, “Suddenly after the elections, Igbo buildings were being demolished in various places with excuses. I have investigated the demolitions in Lagos with example, and it is very clear to me that some of them didn’t follow the process of law of any civilised society.”
Speaking about the peace committee that has been set up to clear the prejudice between the Ndigbo and the rest of Nigerians, he said, “We’re going to produce our own story about the events in Nigeria from 1966. We’re going to produce a book which we are going to keep in Nigeria for posterity, to know the position of Igbos.
“Because today, a young Northerner, for example, will think Igbos hate Northerners by killing two great leaders from the North, it’s not true. But when we put our story, this community will put up a story, it will be clear position is.”
According to Iwuanyanwu, the committee is also set to contact the heads of other ethnic groups to find out their misgivings and fallouts with Ndigbo, so that peace can be brokered between the Igbos and the ethnic groups in Nigeria if there were any problems.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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