Vincent Kalu
Pro–Igbo apex group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has warned that only a president of Igbo extraction will save Nigeria’s unity in 2023.
The body stated this in response to the statement by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which cautioned that the 2023 presidency might elude the Igbo because of their agitation for a separate republic of Biafra. The ACF also noted that the Igbo shouldn’t complain about the civil war as they are now everywhere and in control of the nation’s economy. Reacting to the claims, the National Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Uche Opaga- Achi, said that the best thing to happen to Nigeria in 2023 is for an Igbo man to become the country’s president.
He emphasised that the Igbo are not in control of the nation’s economy, stressing that there is a difference between being in control of commerce, and economy. On the call for Igbo not to complain over the Biafra war, as they are already everywhere, controlling the nation’s economy, the Ohanaeze spokesman said, he hoped that the ACF understands what it means to control the economy. According to him, the trade and commerce nature of the Igbo shouldn’t be misconstrued to be in charge of the economy.
“You can’t be in charge of the economy when you are not found anywhere in the corridors of power; you don’t determine market forces, how can you be in charge of the economy? The policy makers determine economy; it is the policy of the government that determines the direction or the pendulum of the economy. “For instance, the fuel price; each time the pump price of fuel increases, it affects the prices of goods and services in the nation, as well as the economy. That is the difference between this government and the past Jonathan administration, which went as far as reducing the pump price of petrol that had a huge positive effect on the economy, but as soon as this government came, it increased it from N87 to N145, every other thing changed and the country went into recession.”