According to the report from the Vanguard, On Sunday, the Ogbako Ndigbo Nile urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the underlying causes of agitation in Nigeria. The group also criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to tackle these issues during his eight-year tenure.
Azunna Akpelu, the National President of the Ogbako Ndigbo Nile, spoke to reporters during the inauguration of the organization in Owerri. Akpelu attributed Nigeria's current troubles to the previous administration's neglect of the root causes of agitation.
Akpelu stated, "Ogbako Ndigbo is ready to bring all of us together, the North, South, to speak in one voice. Ndigbo wants to participate in everything that concerns us. The way it is, if you did not say this is the place you are, you will not be noticed. We must come out and stop the lies that are told about us. Again, we are being told lies that Igbo hate Hausa, Igbo hate Yoruba. It is not true. Those saying this are creating enemies in Nigeria, and it is part of the issue we will address and correct."
He further elaborated on the Igbo presence and their cultural unity across Nigeria, saying, "We have Ndigbo in every state. For all I know, what makes people one is cultural affinity. Anywhere you see people observing the four market days, they are Igbos. Nigeria is complete here. So, the Igbos who are seeking secession are doing so because they are not recognized. They are marginalized. And again, the misconception about Igbo is too much, and we must stop it as well as correct the misconception about us."
Emphasizing the group's mission to foster unity, Akpelu said, "Ogbako Ndigbo Nile is out now to unite our kith and kin anywhere they are. Every Igbo man should love themselves. We should come back to those things that bind us together. Since after the war, no Igbo man has tested the seat of power. Maybe Nigeria is waiting for Igbo to move forward."
Addressing President Tinubu directly, Akpelu conveyed a critical message: "Let me take this message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we want him to look into issues that brought agitation in Nigeria. If former President Muhammadu Buhari had looked into the issues, we may not have this situation now. Please, the economy of Nigeria is going down, and we need to address it now."