Don’t Allow Nigeria Disintegrate, Azikiwe Begs Politicians

* As Iwuanyanwu says secession not in anyone’s interest

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Prof. Uche Azikiwe, wife of foremost nationalist and Nigeria’s first president, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, has called on politicians, especially those in the helms of affairs in the country to do everything possible to sustain the nation’s unity which her late husband and others who fought for the emancipation of Nigeria stood for.

Prof. Azikiwe, who made the plea on Wednesday in Abuja, at the third Igbo Nsukka Zik’s Annual Merit Award/ Lecture in commemoration of the late president’s birthday, observed that nothing will gladden the heart of her late husband like seeing that Nigeria remains one indivisible country.

While reminding the audience that the late Zik’s slogan was “one Nigeria”, she urged leaders “not do anything that will make Nigeria disintegrate”, adding that both the leaders and the people must come together in unity to move the country forward.

“I am always worried when certain things are happening in Nigeria. A few years I live with him. I know how he pressured Nigeria. He will say whatever that will make Nigeria disintegrate, God forbid.

“That is why I will stand on behalf of Azikiwe to pray that whatever happens, Nigeria will never disintegrate. Please let us come together. It will make him happy and make some of his other contemporaries happy that Nigeria is one. Please, let our current leaders do something to make sure that Nigeria is one. One Nigeria is what we need,” she said. 

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has argued that it will not be in the interest of any group to secede, as the country is better off as a single entity. 

Iwuanyanwu, who took time to relay the issues that led to the country’s civil war in the late 60s, maintained that the Igbo and the late Ojuwku were never in support of secession, adding that the Igbo still believe in one Nigeria but things must be done properly. 

“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.

“I am also warning Nigerians, nobody should come and say that there is a law everybody must obey. Nigeria is a nation state comprising so many ethnicities. Everybody knows their group, they know their culture. So, it is not possible to bring American democracy here. We need zoning. It should be zoned among the six geopolitical zones. 

“If you do that then there will be no tension but if you say Igbo cannot come together, the repercussions will be on the people of Nigeria because you cannot force people. A leader must be fair, just to everybody so that the younger people can know that they can participate,” he said. 

In a keynote address, Mr Mainasara Kogo Umar lambasted politicians and current leaders for being so self centred and materialistic, describing as unfortunate a situation where some leaders are richer than their states.

He recalled that during the era of late Azikiwe, what the country had then was servant-leaders, where the leaders were the first to suffer anything and last to also enjoy anything.

He traced Nigeria’s current disunity to the discovery of oil in the 60s, which according to him, bred all kinds of rivalry amongst the north, south, east and west, adding that the unnecessary rivalry resulted in a 30-month civil war where over three million people lost their lives.

While commending the late Azikiwe ‘s contributions to the end of the civil war, he advised the people to eschew violence and promote the spirit of brotherhood, adding that “if Nigeria gets it right” other Africans will get it right. 

In a welcome, the Director General of Igbo Nsukka United Front (INUF), Comrade Chineme Onyeke, noted that the annual merit award/lecture series was designed specifically to promote national integration, peace and unity through dialogue and as a catalyst for the development and prosperity of one Nigerian state.

He said that the theme of the 2022 edition, ‘Nigeria of Our Dreams: Possibilities, Challenges, and Reality’, is germane especially as the 2023 general election is around the corner.

He said the event is coming up “at a time when our beloved country Nigeria is facing a plethora of challenges threatening her corporate existence, ranging from insecurity to economic and political problems”.

Onyeke used the opportunity to express the stand of the group on free, fair and credible election, which they believe, would enthrone patriotic, competent and forward-looking political leaders.