Charles Ogbonnaya, a prominent Igbo leader and elder statesman, has cautioned the Federal Government against ceding parts of Igbo land to other regions, amid rumors of plans to transfer Ohaji/Egbema local government in Imo State to the South-South region.
Ogbonnaya, a two-term Commissioner in Abia State, expressed his support for the return to regional government but warned against ceding any part of Igboland, stating that such action would be "very offensive to Ndigbo" and could be seen as a "declaration of war" against the Igbo people.
As reported by Daily Post, he advocated for the transformation and strengthening of the existing six geo-political zones into regional administrations, rather than ceding Igbo land to other regions. Ogbonnaya also called for the reunification of Igbo-speaking local governments in Delta, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States with the South East region, citing the historical and cultural ties between these areas.
"If Nigeria wants to right the wrongs of the past, all the Igbo-speaking Local Governments in Delta, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States should be brought to join the South East region," he explained. Ogbonnaya commended President Bola Tinubu for initiating the court action that led to the Supreme Court's granting of financial autonomy to Local Government councils.