By Gilbert Ekezie
The President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) , Prof Timothy Uzodimma Nwala has said that for equity and fairness, Ndigbo should be allowed to produce pesident of Nigeria come 2023.
This, he said, will give Ndigbo a good sense of belonging in the country.
Nwala who stated this at the end of year programme organised by Igbo Women Assembly in collaboration with the Alaigbo Development Foundation at the Welcome Centre Hotel, Airport Road, Lagos recently advised Igbo to invest more at home.
What is the position of ADF on 2023 presidency?
To be sincere with you, in our thinking on the 2023 presidential election and what we are looking at are obvious. There is no other zone that deserves the presidency now than the Igbo.
How do you mean?
Yes, for the purpose of equity and fairness, Igbo need to become Nigerian president in 2023. You see, I was among those who attended the National Conference of 1994/95 during the Abacha regime, where it was agreed that the presidency of Nigeria would be rotating from zone to zone. There are six zones, three in the North and three in the South. Since we had that conversation, Southwest has had a shot, another zone in the North also, South-south, then it went back to the North, which is the one Buhari is serving. Now, it is only obvious that it gets to the Southeast.
As it is, it seems that conversation is not being respected, what is your view on that?
Well, I see that as a mark of disrespect by those that we own the country together for not supporting the Igbo for the presidency before now. But I believe that 2023 should be the turn of Ndigbo , if actually all of us are from the same country.
In what way is ADF promoting Igbo culture and development, especially as it affects having an Igbo person as president in 2023?
We do that in so many ways. We support every thing that will bring development to Igbo land. The issue of 2023 is very important to us and we are sensitizing the people to see the need to allow Igbo to produce next president of Nigeria. We also give support to our women wing, the Igbo Women Assembly, who also sensitise the public on what the group stands for, especially to sensitise the people on the importance of upholding the Igbo language , culture and other development agenda of the group.
What is your advice for the Igbo?
The Igbo must be very careful and try to be their brother’s keeper. They also need to be united and speak in one voice . Obviously, with unity of purpose we can conquer the several problems facing our people by outsiders and their insider collaborators. They should also ensure that there is strong security in Igbo land. There is hunger in Igbo land; therefore, our governments must do the needful by encouraging investment.
What is your advice to Igbo on the way forward?
We have always been telling the Igbo in the Diaspora to come home and support Alaigbo by investing at home. The youth in Igbo land should also desist from engaging in hard drugs and try to have something doing because an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.
We , as Ndigbo should make up our mind to support our culture and tradition, protect our land. If we are united and have deep-rooted peace in our hearts, we are going to achieve a lot. ADF recently came up with the mantra of Aku ruo ulo, (let wealth get home), it is designed for our people in outside Igboland to come home and invest; it can be in agriculture. It is a thing of shame that those in the desert are now feeding those of us in the rain forest. These are some of the things we are telling our people today.