Greed is the Problem of Ethnic Nationality in Nigeria – Okpighe

By Kelvin Ohoror

The President of Emede Grammar School Old Students Association (EGSOSA) Mr. James Okpighe has identify greed as the major factor bedeviled ethnic nationality in Nigeria, he made this known during the 44^th year anniversary/re-union of Emede Grammar School.

According to Okpighe, what is actually wrong with Nigeria that we cannot stay together? The new word in the Nigeria lexicon now is, let us restructure. They forgot history, those who are saying let us restructure, because their misadventure somewhere will affect me. So, I have to make it clear, do not push us into unnecessary war, he stated.

The President of the old Students Association also reiterate that, why are we issuing threat to ourselves under the guise of secession and restructure. Before independence in this country, Nigerians sat down and restructure in 1957 with every region controlling their resources and to develop at their own pace.

Chief James Okpihe delivering a paper on greed the problem of ethnic nationality of nigeria

He also noted that, the northerners demanded for the highest number of seats in the parliament before they can accept to restructuring of the country in 1957. But Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe desire to be President of greater Nigeria and other people of the region allowed the Northern Nigeria to have majority seats in the parliament, this was the first problem of Nigeria as a country.

Mr. Okpighe further asserted that, when the people of the south discovered that they have made a mistake, they wanted the amendment of the constitution, the North did not accept, the next option was violence to change the structure of the Federalism. At that time your resources takes care of your own region, nobody carry money to the centre and share back. It was the regions that say we will contribute this to the central and develop at our own pace.

He also said that, if the Easterners soldiers have not stage a coup d’état, there wouldn’t have been a counter coup. Eastern soldiers killed everybody in Nigeria except their own people and the North said enough is enough and the then military head of state Aguiyi Ironsi who is also from the South-East decided also to abolished Federalism with decree No 34.

He lamented that, due to that decree, promotion has to been on merit, which means all the whole sensitive position was to be for Igbo and Yoruba people who were more educated at that time. The Northern people now said, they have killed us and again no more quota system, we shall die. What is happening now occurred then, all Igbo leave the Northern region and they refused, and they were killed. If you have anybody in the North let them come home before October 1^st.

His words “the Igbo’s who caused the problem are now including Edo, Delta, Rivers in Biafra. Why not only the core Eastern States? They are doing this because of the oil. What are they bringing to the table? Their land is not fertile, so why joining them. Every ethnic group accommodate one another, is only the South-East that don’t accommodate. How many Isoko people are in the South-East doing business? You can go to the North, West and trade, you will prosper but in the South-East no way”.