Ohanaeze Calls For More UK Presence In Igbo Land

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Tuesday, asked the United Kingdom to partner with the pan-Igbo group in areas of education, trade, agriculture, and political emancipation.

The president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, stated this when the British high commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, paid a courtesy visit to Ohanaeze in Enugu.

Chief Iwuanyanwu recalled UK’s relationship with the Eastern Region of Nigeria and called for its resuscitation.

In his words, “We are excited with our relationship with Britain. Britain brought education, Christianity, and civilisation to the East. Particularly, British missionaries influenced the Igbo in becoming mainly Christians.

“Igbos are one of the major three tribes in Nigeria. The creation of three regions by the UK was good, but made some parts smaller in population than others, which has affected us politically.”

He said the success story of the Igbo today was because ‘we embraced Western education’. Iwuanyawu said the cultural resilience of Ndigbo is behind their progression against all odds.

Quoting him, “Igbo communities embraced town unions through which they trained our sons and daughters. In business, we introduced apprenticeship, which empowered our people. Igbos contribute more to the GDP of Nigeria than any other group.

“We are peaceful. We don’t claim people’s land. We buy, we build and we develop society that we found ourselves. In Lagos, Igbos met it as a virgin place and legitmately established themselves to make ends meet. Igbos and the Yoruba are not enemies, except some few who misconstrue us.

“We are over 70 million in population. Igbos are found in every local government area of Nigeria. Our only problem is maybe in terms of number. That is affecting our political quest. That is why we have been asking of restructuring.”

He recalled how the Nigerian Civil War ‘unfortunately brought mistrust to Ndigbo’. According to him, “Igbo leaders were against the coup, but the coup has been profiled as an Igbo coup. We intend to set up a truth and reconciliation committee to establish the truth about the war. This is to reduce the distrust on the Igbo by other groups. Igbos lost everything at the end of the war. After the war, our people were given 20 pounds for whatever we had respectively.”

He urged the British High Commissioner to use his good offices to concretize the pact between Britian and Ndigbo.

He said, “We are grateful to the UK. London is like a second home to the Igbo. We read how UK gives grants to states, and plead that Igbo states are also factored in.

“We are embarking on transformation in agriculture and industrialization. We have coal in Enugu, which is one of the best in the world. We have limestone in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Anambra. It can build up to five cement factories. We have a huge gas deposit in Igbo land.”

In politics, Ohanaeze urged Britain to help enthrone equity in Nigeria to give every part of the country a sense belonging.

He said, “We believe that we should be given equity. If UK and US keep quiet, it means smaller nations will not survive. We are happy that UK is helping so that Ukrain is not wiped out of the world.”

Former president-general of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, in a speech, requested the establishment of a VISA issuing centre in Enugu ‘to reduce the pressure of our people going to Abuja or Lagos to obtain visas’.

He drew the attention of the high commissioner to the seaport projects of Abia and Imo states, and called for UK’s partnership to make the project a success.

He said, “Your visit has re-enacted our old relationship. Your mission carries on a lot of interventions. But Southeast is not getting these interventions sufficiently. The manpower export from Nigeria to UK comes more from Southeast. Consider making more interventions in Igbo land as a way of favouring to us.

“Ohanaeze is presently bringing together the creme of business stakeholders for development initiatives. We seek Britain’s support to achieve this vision. Ohanaeze can have a business communion with your people.”

Dr Montgomery appreciated Ohanaeze for hosting him. According to him, “I appreciate our relationship with this region. His Majesty has a great deal of affection with the people of Nigeria.

“I am here to understand what this region faces, their challenges,and how we can help. You raised germane issues. Micro-economic policies of Nigeria are not favourable for investments, but various policies of President Bola Tinubu will increase business activities in the country. We shall look into the issues raised.”

The high point of the event was the decoration of Dr Montgomery in Igbo traditional attire.