“The hard truth is that Igbo play the worst politics, they play this politics because of sentiments protecting one of their own from the South-South, and now, the northerners have understood that they can become presidents with or without the Igbo. Before there was a feat about that. That is why we must change our style and condemn it. We must condemn what is happening and find a way to reengineer ourselves to the system. I have never supported IPOB. Who is Nnamdi Kanu to tell Rochas to follow him to war?”
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, revered for telling the truth as it is, has opened up on a yet to be discovered negative effect of the activities of proscribed Nnamdi Kanu-led terrorist group, IPOB, to the virtually achievable hope of an Igbo presidency in 2023.
Governor Okorocha said it was an undisputable fact that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was a bad omen for the positive turn around that was already on ground by the APC-led Federal Government to make Igbo president come 2023.
Speaking in a press interview published in Vanguard on his stand on IPOB, Okorocha said, “On the issue of IPOB, whether we want to believe it or not, IPOB is not good for the South East, and it is not the best way for us to complain about marginalisation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There are better ways; the IPOB way is too primitive.
“If IPOB must do a thing like that it should have changed the name and fought the way Ijaw youths fought, Arewa youths fought, and they would have made more impact. For everything that comes from the Igbo man, we love to go to the extreme. Now you want to separate yourself from Nigeria, meanwhile, South-South will not go with you, Edo, Rivers will not go with you.
“If you cut us off here now as South East, if I need to go to Rivers State, I will go and ask for passport and visa, and we are keeping quiet to say this. If there is a crisis now, there is no Hausa man in Igbo land who has a duplex, there is no Yoruba man who has a room and parlour or a N20 million investment in Igbo land, but Igbo have trillions of naira virtually everywhere. The same people are asking for secession. If Igbo are asked to go, what happens? They would lose their property, and all of us are keeping quiet, supporting IPOB!
“It was very childish, and those behind this should stop, that is my advice. South-South has produced the president, South-West has produced a president and Vice President, the north has produced many presidents, it is hoping that one day in the next shift, by whatever arrangement, the next people that should be considered is the South-East by Nigeria’s sharing formula. So, where are we in our wisdom and the intelligence? That is my position on IPOB; my advice is that Igbo should change their style and condemn IPOB in a manner that should be done and let us flow with the rest of Nigeria for now because we shall benefit more than anyone else.
“Just like I said, the Igbo feeling of abandonment is also the same way the northerners feel that this is an attack on their government. Politically, we are not at an advantage; economically, Igbo are still disadvantaged. People should do things wisely and advice the Igbo. Sometimes, some people complain about the non inclusion of Igbo in appointments. What of when Igbo were Minister of Finance, Senate Presidents, SGF? What did they do for themselves?
“The hard truth is that Igbo play the worst politics, they play this politics because of sentiments protecting one of their own from the South-South, and now, the northerners have understood that they can become presidents with or without the Igbo. Before there was a feat about that. That is why we must change our style and condemn it. We must condemn what is happening and find a way to re-engineer ourselves to the system. I have never supported IPOB. Who is Nnamdi Kanu to tell Rochas to follow him to war?”
