By Enyeribe Ejiogu and Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

 

Former Abia State Governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr. Orji Kalu, has described the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, as a committed and patriotic statesman, who has passion for growth and development of Onitsha, Anambra State and Nigeria.

Extolling the virtues of the renowned monarch, Kalu called on leaders to emulate the outstanding leadership qualities of the traditional ruler.

He stressed that the monarch has brought unprecedented development to his domain and environs, stressing that Ndigbo are proud of the landmark and giant strides of the paramount ruler.

In a congratulatory message in commemoration of the 20th coronation anniversary of the monarch and 2022 Ofala Festival, Kalu applauded the Obi of Onitsha for his invaluable contributions to nation building through various platforms.

His words: “On behalf of the people of Abia North Senatorial district, I felicitate with the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, on the double celebration of his 20th coronation anniversary and the 2022 Ofala Festival.

“The paramount ruler has consistently demonstrated his passion for growth and development at the community, sub-national and national levels.

“He has continually made unbiased and objective contributions to national discourse. His giant strides on the throne are worthy of commendation and emulation. The monarch is rallying point for Ndigbo across the globe.”

Meanwhile, the Obi of Onitsha yesterday lamented that except for the three years of the Civil War, Nigeria today appears to be in more dire strait than at any other time since Independence in 1960.

The monarch who stated this in his Ofala message on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his coronation said the biggest challenge of the nation today is insecurity, which he noted has affected most parts of the country and disrupted every aspect of the nation’s public and private lives.

He said the inability of farmers to harvest their crops due to the menace of terrorists as well as the conflicts between the farmers and herdsmen has been responsible for the food inflation being witnessed in the country.

He said Nigeria’s external debts have grown by more than five folds since 2015 from $19.7 billion to $98.6 billion, while the scarcity of the United States dollars to meet private and corporate payment obligations has driven down the value of the Naira to about 30 per cent of its 2015 value, and some forecasters are predicting a rate of $1/N1000 by the end of the year.

He said the current situation had created a huge sense of malaise in the ordinary citizen and provided the backdrop for the 2023 general elections.

While praying for a peaceful, free and transparent election next year, he said the contest for the presidency would be between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the hitherto lesser known Labour Party ( LP), whose candidature is now being backed by the emerging Third Force Movement comprising mainly of the youthful generation.

He said the emergence of the Third Force Movement as a political pressure group is very likely to redefine politics and governance in the country irrespective of who eventually emerges as the president, adding, “The stakes are very high for the political parties and the nation, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

Anambra State Governor,  Chukwuma Soludo while felicitating with the Obi of Onitsha lauded the rich cultural heritage of the Onitsha people.