Problem of Igbo not from other tribes, says Okoye, NIROH boss

Zika Bobby

Ndigbo Royal Heritage Worldwide (NIROH) is set to launch a redemptive initiative aimed at bringing Igbo land back on track to realise its full potential.

President General of the group, Dr. Paul Okoye, stated this ahead of the programme slated for November 11 in Enugu.

Okoye said he was unanimously chosen for the mandate by the aboriginal Igbo leadership structure as exemplified by Nri Ancient Kingdom.

“This has become pertinent in view of the fact that Igbo nation as presently constituted has deviated from the direction laid down by the progenitors.

“Igbo land is presently in tatters and we are of the opinion that a new Igbo initiative must begin, devoid of the usual blame game. I do not believe that the problem of Igbo is Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Efik or whoever.  The idea is to liberate Igbo with a global view, motivating the people to focus on our strengths rather than living in the past. It is going to involve all of us; people at home and in the diaspora, clergy, youths, members of the academia, everyone.

“We will be targeting the youths and re-orientating them towards a path of socio-economic renaissance so they become proud of whom we are once again,” he said.

Okoye said Igbo were  republicans in nature, but misapplying that would  remain detrimental to the ethnic  group.

“In the new programme, the ‘aku ruo ulo’ is one of the priorities, because it is abundantly clear why Igbo have invested little in the eastern part of Nigeria. The way out of the impasse is to create an enabling environment,” he said.

He said NIROH’s journey  had been a struggle which started after the civil war from the late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu until it was unanimously passed on to him, an Italian-based technocrat with world class degrees from institutions in United Kingdom and Switzerland in August 2019.