April 18, (THEWILL) – The Oluwo of Iwo in Osun state, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanni, has advised South-easterners to rethink their approach to the socio-economic development of Nigeria to shape their political destiny.
The monarch said the failure of the Igbos to change their approach will amount to chasing a shadow on their political journey of producing Nigeria’s President.
Oluwo’s stand is coming at a time the South-East is demanding a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, on the basis of equity.
While condemning the sit-at-home order issued in the South-Eastern part of the country, the monarch said it was not only inimical to their survival but also to the growth of the nation.
He held that no Nigerian will feel secure in the hands of a leader, whose ethnic attachment deprived other Nigerians of their rights.
The monarch in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibrahim, said that he cannot trust any south-easterner to be Nigeria’s President.
While acknowledging the damage done to Igbos by the Nigerian civil war, he enjoined the southeasterners to rescind on their attitude of barring people from other parts of the country from owning properties in their domain.
He insisted that the policy was not only detrimental to their political strength, but also a deficit to the economic unity of Nigeria.
In his words, “The civil war wounds meted on south easterners is a weak factor to institutionalise policies capable of tearing the nation apart.
“I have people from across Nigeria in Iwo, including the South Easterners. They not only have their businesses, but also built their houses and own farmlands. Such is not only peculiar to Iwo, but to other parts of the country, except the South-East. A Nigerian in Nigeria should be able to own land anywhere.
“The style by the South easterners is barbaric. Such is not only detrimental to their economic viability, but also to their political recognition. As a traditional ruler, I can’t trust any South easterner as my President.
“You can’t be a leader of sectional interest. With such unsophisticated, primitive, and uncivilised thinking, no Nigerian from other zones will vote a south easterner as their President.
“The south easterners did not stop at that. They went far as effecting a stay at home order in respect of Biafra and agitation for the Biafra nation. They kept themselves inside, refused to go to work and engage in businesses. Please, will miracles feed them? That was a self-inflicted punishment in the 21st century.
“I urge them to rethink and move on. I’m not particularly against their political destiny, but their approach will have much effect on their political growth. Their presidential destiny is in their hands
“The easterners are numerous here in Iwo. They have big businesses and built houses. Go to Lagos, Kano and some other parts of the nation,they are doing their businesses and have their family settled permanently. Why are south easterners refusing to replicate what they enjoyed from Nigeria to Nigerians? Unless those policies are reviewed, having a south easterner as the number one citizen of Nigeria will continue to be a dream.
“The easterners contribute immensely to promoting the economic growth of other zones but promote ethnic bias. They should continue hurting themselves, while others grow. Since businessmen from other zones are not permitted to own land to erect their companies. Maybe they should continue to be in isolation.
“They should observe themselves. They are not even trusted by most Nigerians from other zones. For how long will they endure this?”
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