Restructuring will bring the best from Nigerians- Onugha

The President of an Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Imeobi Igbo, Dr. Mike Ikegulu Onugha, has joined the on-going debate for the restructuring of the country, arguing that it will bring the best from the component groups that constitute Nigeria.

Dr. Onugha said from inception of Nigeria, the country was restructured but the military came in and forced unitary system of government on Nigerians because they wanted to control the resources from the oil.

“Restructuring will move Nigeria forward. We support every group that supports the restructuring of Nigeria. Nigeria was built on restructuring. It is military which brought centralised government we are practising today,” he said.

The Imeobi Igbo president condemned the Operation Python Dance II in the South East by the Military, which unleashed attack on defenceless people of Abia State, saying that the Army invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s residence was the handiwork of South East Governors who felt threatened by the activities of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“But IPOB is not a threat to anybody. What needed to be done by the President was a degree of fatherly disposition to negotiate his way out, instead of unleashing soldiers on people who were not bearing arms.

IPOB is not and cannot be a terrorist organisation. President Muhammadu Buhari should stop the Operation Python Dance II,” said Onugha.

He said the group will organise debate for governorship candidates for the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra State, which would be based on five planks – education, agriculture and commerce among others, noting that through debate, the people would know the capabilities of the candidates who are angling to rule the state.

Explaining the objective of Imeobi Igbo, Onugha said it is to galvanise the Igbo people within Nigeria to have one voice.

He said: “We are interested in who rules us. We intend to mobilise our people. Bring up Igbo agenda and where it will take us to. We are in every nook and crannies of Igbo land, including Delta and Rivers states.

We are also interested in having relationship with other ethnic groups in the country. The Igbos are real Nigerians”.

Onugha said their emphasis would be how to sensitise Ndigbo, market women artisans, traders and others, not going to Abuja, Lagos or other cities to pontificate, stating that there is a disconnect between Ohaneze Ndigbo and other socio-cultural organisations and the people.

“Ohaneze Ndigbo is the apex socio-cultural organisation. It has a different agenda. For us, we talk to the grass root,” he said.