"It is not about self, but about the Igbo
nation. Any Igbo man that is better than me can go for the seat and I ll support him, but
if Igbos collectively pick me I willl run"
The Executive members of the Apex Igbo
Socio-political organization NJIKO IGBO Abia State chapter recently paid a
courtesy visit to the founder and international President of the body Dr. Orji
Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state at his country home Igbere. In a
passionate address to the EXCO Kalu said: Some people want me to be silent but
I will continue to speak and speak passionately for my people. I want to make
it abundantly clear that what I want is that any Igbo man can be president, any
igbo woman can be president. The most important thing is do not kill this tribe
because they fought a civil war. Do not kill this tribe because you denying
them of social justice, equity; what we are asking is for justice, we are only
saying let us do this job like others are doing. We are not just saying it's
our turn, we are also saying that we are going to bring in value to the
cooperate existence of the country Nigeria. For fifty three years of local
independence no Igbo men have been able to say that he is president of this
country. It’s not about me because some people think they are clapping for me,
that they are doing me favour, they are not doing me any favour.
I
can live anywhere in the world comfortably if that is my wish. I don't need to
talk about the Igbo. But I cannot also stay inside my room, healthy and be
comfortable without talking for my people Ndi Igbo. People are making mistake
because I have not told any man that I was contesting for presidency but what
am saying is that it is the turn of Igbo to be president in this country. Let
it be in the sub consciousness of every Igbo man that exist, be it in the US,
Geneva, Ariara, Osisioma and every part of the world.
It's not about me; it's about my people who
are being marginalized to nothing. This is about our people that are suffering.
What are we going to tell our future generation when am retired in Igbere?
When I was leaving as governor I told
people that I will never speak again but I was inside my house and my
conscience wouldn't let me, because the world is about having conscience. This
is the last lap for anybody to speak and speak louder because the bible says
that there is time for everything.
If every Igbo man can speak with their
voice, their might, in the churches, market places, everywhere, this people
will no longer be taking us for a ride.
The same road I fought for are still the
same way.
Enugu - PH road, Umuahia - Arochukwu
road, these were the same roads I fought for, these were my genuine
disagreement with President Obasanjo , they have not been built.
Why can't an Igbo man be president? Are we not
Nigerians? If Jonathan is president, he's a president of Ijaw extraction not a
president of Igbo extraction.
We have given them, they should give us.
For those he discussed with, they say he promised them , I wasn't there, if he
has made a promise in 2011, he should come out open and say he will not run and
will support Igbo and that is friendliness. So I don't want anybody to
misinterpret what we are saying.
It's about our tribe, our people, our
conscience, it's about our believe in the cooperate existence of Nigeria. what
we as Igbos know is that we have an added value to add to the development of
this country just as we know that you see Igbos in all part of world and as
such they also dominate in the development of the world at large. We are not
saying come an dash us the presidency, the Hausas have held it for 35years, the
Yorubas for 12 years and the South South by 1215 it will be 6 and half years.
So what we are saying is in 2015, as
mark of honor, Justice, Equity and Respect to human psyche as common Nigerians,
for us to continue to believe in the unity of the country, allow us to be
president.
It must not be anyone, but let it be
Igbo. I don't want to be Igbo leader, God is my witness, this is "ala Igbere"
but if other regions say it is our turn and I dont see any Igbo man coming out,
I will come out in conformity with what I preach.
I don't want Igbo elites to say I'm
saying this because I want to be president, no, it can be anybody. I always say
it that if no Igbo man comes out I will stand out and represent the Igbo tribe
come the next general election. I don't want it to look like am preaching
because I want to be the next president but what am saying is if nobody comes
out I will.
We all know Igbos are hated in this
country, they found joy in our agony and always wish that we can be oppressed
easily.
For three years I didn't speak, I was
just watching but nobody said anything, all they do is just taking money from
Abuja. When will this stop?
We now have more active women than men in Igbo
land .what we want is social justice which should be granted to us. We are not
begging any body, we re asking for our right.
After killing us for 3years in the civil
war, they are still killing us. Even the Boko Haram it is still Igbos that are
being killed everyday and their properties destroyed. Have you thought about
compensating them? Yes I advocate for Amnesty because it is there in the bible
to forgive our enemies. But when you re forgiving your enemy, they should
remember the familes of the people they killed during the Boko Haram, The
federal government should as a matter of urgency address those issues.
We don't want to do the same thing we're accusing
Ohanaeze, we want to speak the truth and stand by it, the way our leaders are
disgracing us in Abuja should stop. People will see the right thing to say as
ministers, senators etc but because they don't want to fall out of favor with a
political leader, they will not say it, they will bend it. But it’s not Igbo
like.
So we must stand up as Igbos and speak
the truth.
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