Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has called on Igbo elders, leaders and stakeholders to close ranks and speak with one voice in politics.
He cautioned that disunity has continued to weaken the political strength and heritage of Ndi Igbo of the South East region.
Kalu made the call at the South East Stakeholders’ Convergence (SESC), also described as the South East Elders and Stakeholders Meeting, convened in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Friday to discuss unity, progress and peace in Igbo land.
He also urged them to pay more than passive attention to socio-economic issues and get deeply involved into the national politics of Nigeria.
Addressing the gathering chaired by the former Military Governor of Imo State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator (Gen) Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd), the Deputy Speaker said unity remains the foundation for development, stressing that peace in Igbo communities would only come when leaders reason together in harmony.
“Unity is strength. We will achieve more when we are united. The need for unity cannot be overemphasized. Peace leads to the development of communities”.
Kalu commended the elders for setting aside their personal engagements to attend the meeting, describing their action as patriotism and genuine love for Igbo land.
“I salute you all, my elders and stakeholders for this thoughtfulness, this great idea to come together and discuss the unity, progress and peace of Igbo land. This is patriotism.
“You all have what you are doing but for you to leave it and come here to discuss the development of our place, it means you love Igbo land. It shall be well with you all,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker said the upcoming and the contemporary younger generation are encouraged by the elders’ example, likening leadership to a relay race in which one generation hands the baton to the next.
“Some of us who are coming up are encouraged by this unity and patriotism you display. We are glad to see our elders sit together to discuss the future of Igbo land. This is like a relay race, where you run and later hand over the baton to the next person and the next generation.
“We are coming behind you so that whenever you hand us the baton, we collect it from you and continue with the race of progress and development,” he said.
Kalu however said that without unity, Ndi Igbo risk losing their direction and heritage.
“But if we are not in unity, we will miss our bearing and lose our heritage. But when we reason together in unity and harmony, we achieve greatness,” he said.
Speaking about Nigeria’s political structure, the Deputy Speaker noted that Igbo as one of the major tribes in Nigeria is not standing strong in the national politics.
He further argued that the political numbers of Ndi Igbo are not fully reflected across the five South East states because the people are scattered across the country.
To encourage active political participation, the Deputy Speaker urged a change of mindset, saying the post-war decision by many Igbo people to focus only on personal development and stay away from national politics had not served the region well.
“And it will not be good we shake and be left out in the scheme of things. Please, let’s come together. Let’s unite. When we unite, we gain more respect as a people. But when we work in isolation and silos, we lose our heritage.
“The number of votes of Ndi Igbo is not what we are getting across the five states because we are scattered around the country. If we take a position now and say, Igbo this is our agenda, this is what we want to do, I can assure you, the whole of Nigeria will feel our impact.
“But if we work in silos, every man to himself, to your tent O Israel, it is not encouraging at all. It yields no positive result. It reduces our number.
“After the war, we had believed we will work it out on our own and develop our place. We say we are not interested in politics. It is not our business. We have tried to develop on our own. It is about time we changed that mindset.
“The politics and governance of Nigeria should be our concern. We should get involved and play an active role because if we are not in the room, we can’t be part of the decision. We need to be part of the decision making process,” he said.
Kalu therefore called for a common position to help Ndi Igbo to deliver with one mind.
“There is no wisdom in saying we are not interested in the politics of Nigeria. It should be our business. Let us say one thing and stick to it with one mind, then, we will see the result of our togetherness. God bless you,” he said.
The stakeholders meeting held in Imo State Government House attracted the presence of Governor Hope Uzodinma as the chief host, some traditional rulers, representatives of religous leaders, women and youth groups from the five eastern States, other prominent Igbo sons and daughters in politics and governance, business, academia amongst whom are former Senate President/Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; immediate past Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); Prof. Nnenna Oti; former chairman, Police Service Commission, Chief Simeon Okeke; former President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu; Chief Tony Chukwu; Amb. Greg Mbadiwe; Prof. Osita Ogbu; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Amb. Okey Emuche.
