Nigeria hates Igbos so much; we would have done well in Biafra – Igbo leaders

Igbo leaders urge south easterners to focus on their strength

– Igbo leaders have urged the people to focus on their strength so as to develop in the country

– Some of them noted that they were disliked in Nigeria

– Onyeka Onwenu pointed out that some of the things developed during the Biafra war were destroyed

Leaders of the Igbo nation have lamented the way Igbo people have been treated in Nigeria with some suggesting that the region would have done in Biafra.

Vanguard reports that they made this known in Lagos at the public presentation of a book entitled: The Land of My Birth which was authored by a legal practitioner, Mr. Abraham Nnadi.

READ ALSO: MASSOB lashes Igbo leaders for abandoning Kanu

They however urged their people to focus on their strength and stop lamenting their position in the country.

At the forum, they reached a consensus that the country needed to be restructured.

Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd) who is a former chief of general staff said: “Igbo people are great people, it is unfortunate that they are being hated. But I am urging them to stop lamenting.

This is not the time for lamentation. Igbo people should get up and move on because hatred is not always a bad thing. Ndigbo have good manners. Let them practice good manners and move on. We are not known for being idle. Igbo people will succeed in this country.”

Prof Anya Anya urged Igbo people to stop lamenting and said the country was due for restructuring.

“Ndigbo should stop lamenting over their position in the country. Nigeria needs restructuring. Ndigbo should assist in building the reputation of Nigeria by being united. It is only with unity that Ndigbo would achieve their goals in Nigeria. But Ndigbo must stop the habit of lamentation.”

Onyeka Onwenu said that the innovation of Igbo people during the Biafra war was destroyed by Nigeria and that the region would have done well in Biafra.

READ ALSO: Igbo unity day and cultural festival to be celebrated in Lagos

She said: “Ndigbo have done well despite the civil war. We like to work hard. At the end of the war, we had nothing but we are everywhere today. That shows that we would have done well with Biafra. Biafra was producing and refining petroleum and weapons. But since the war ended, none of them were sustained by the Federal Government. The government destroyed the capacity of the Igbo people to produce the things they were producing then.

“We lost everything and the Igbo were downgraded. Igbo women are also being downgraded. You can never waste money training a girl. Igbo women should stand tall in their Igboness.

We have Igbo women who are holding political positions but when they contest for positions, they find it difficult excelling. I contested for local government chairmanship for eight years but never won because I was not supported.”