Chairman of the Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, yesterday declared that Nigeria’s unity remains non-negotiable.
He however urged political leaders to endeavour to be all-inclusive in their decision-making process.
Iwuanyanwu, who said this at the 3rd Igbo Nsukka Zik Annual Merit Award in Abuja with the theme: “Nigeria of our dreams: possibilities, challenges and realities”, stressed that secession is never an option.
His views were corroborated by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and the widow of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Uche Azikiwe, at the event.
Others who also spoke at the gathering were former governor of Enugu State, Okwesilieze Owodo and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum.
Iwuanyanwu said, “Everybody is thinking of being large or big. Nigeria today is a large area of about 200 million people. Whatever you’re doing, if you’re a businessman then you have a market for 200 million people. Why do you want to break it and go to a smaller place? So, I think that all these people talking about secession should please think about it.”
The elder statesman who recalled that he fought in the Nigerian Civil War and got injured, said he suffered during the war adding that few people lost better things than himself.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto urged Nigerians and her leaders to emulate Azikiwe by ensuring that the pursuit of peace remains top on the list of national agenda.
He extolled the late nationalist for placing unity at the top of his priority for Nigeria.
“I call on my Igbo brothers and sisters, home and abroad, to emulate the good deeds of our father, he never fought for only the eastern part of the country but he was with everyone,” he said.
Uche Azikiwe charged political leaders to preserve Nigeria’s unity. She added that the labour of past leaders should not be made futile.
She said her worry over happenings in the country, adding that her late husband treasured Nigeria so much that he would never say anything that will make Nigeria disintegrate.
Represented by his environment commissioner, Yerima Saleh, Governor Zulum said, “Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was not only Zik of Nigeria but was Zik of Africa who was regarded as the chief inspirer of the young nationalists in the continent, where the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah said in his autobiography that Zik inspired him.
“Zik of Africa acclimatisation in all parts of Africa has exemplified his virtues of indiscriminate treatment of all and sundry. Zik was born in Niger State in Zungeru and could speak the three major languages of the country fluently,” he said.
The keynote speaker, Barr. Mainasara Kogo Umar, said: “At that time when Nigeria was the glaring, shining talent of the international world. In those days how Zik and others argued among themselves who should be even the leader, the Prime Minister. But, in today’s Nigeria you have to think of generating huge millions for you to be able to get the form to even express your aspiration.
“You have to think of it and as a result of which what we should now do towards 2023 is that we should imbibe that spirit of common brotherhood and eschew violence. We should think of Nigeria and a second treasure given to us by God to manage, bearing in mind that if Nigeria gets its rights the entirety of Africa and the entirety of the black world and the entirety of the third world nation’s stand to be proud,” he said.
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