The 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) and former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi has called on Ndigbo to tell their own history.
Obi made the call when he unveiled a book titled: “Igbo Book of Records”, authored by two veteran journalists, Nze Sam Nwanze and Comrade Mike Ubani.
The former presidential candidate said Igbo people were more disposed to writing and telling the world of their own history, culture, heritage and events as measure of defining the future, more than any other.
The 2023 presidential candidate, who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Valentine Obinyan, described the compendium as a masterpiece that encompasses various tradition, culture and way of life of the ancient Igbo race.
He commended the authors for the good work and described the compendium as a renaissance of the Igbo nation.
“It is an entirely a reinsurance of Igbo nation. The authors have done a great thing for the Igbo race; now the Igbos have a book of records,” Obi said.
According to him, the vision of the authors in coming up with the book aligned with a book on India where some Indian authors wrote about their culture, their great founders.
He also noted that Jewish philosophers and writers had also written famous books, including the Holy Bible through which the world knows their history and civilisation.
An Associate Professor, Mrs Rebecca Nnamani, who spoke at the event advocated the revival of Igbo culture as a gateway of redefining Igbo future, pointing out that Igbo people were known for hard work, resilience and enterprising spirit.
“Our ancestors valued reasoning, strategic thinking and planning. We must encourage intellectualism, we must promote our culture and language,” Nnamani stated.
She advised that Igbo must reject laziness, mediocrity and imbibe hard work, resilience and perseverance to reclaim Igbo lost values.
“When we talk of perseverance, no ethnic group in Africa has demonstrated resilience more than the Igbos. A people who worked tirelessly to shape their destiny were the Igbos of origin. Igbos create, they do not fold their hands but innovate,” she noted.
Prof Nnamani further advocated a reawakening of the Igbo spirit of enterprise, adding, “It requires a radical action. A reawakening of the system that produced billionaires. The Jappa syndrome shouldn’t be in Igbo land. Igbo have suffered economic strangulation and marginalisation but still survives.”
Reviewer of the book, a veteran journalist, Dr Uche Maduemesi, poured encomium of the authors, stressing that ‘Igbo Book of Records’ is a must read.
Earlier in his address, Nwanze said the objectives of the book was in line with the policy of the parent body – Igbo Achievers Foundation which was registered in 2018 to champion the Igbo cause of recovering its lost values as a panacea for enhancing intellectualism, research and authentic information on the Igbo race.
“The book is meant to be a compendium where authentic and well researched issues on Igbo culture, tradition, events and genuine achievers can be found.
“As an annual publication, we must make sure we don’t depart from this policy. In this way, Igbos and others including foreigners who are seeking genuine and authentic information and materials for research or personal knowledge can take us seriously and see the book as a one- stop resource for the information they seek,” he said.
The compendium comprises of six parts of insightful topics about the history, culture and heritage of the Igbo nation.
