Jolted by recent statement of General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade (RTD) that Igbos should have been allowed to secede, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has added his voice to the claim by advising the Federal Government on the best way to resolve the Igbo’s agitation for self realization.
Speaking to group of journalists in Abuja, Onuesoke said people and ethnic national have rights that must be respected, adding that if the Igbos so choose to be on their own they should be allowed to go.
He, however advised that if that be the case and for there to avoid bloodshed, the federal government should conduct a referendum among the Igbos both in Nigeria and diaspora over their demand for self determination so that some of them are not forced against the wish.
According to him, “In 1973 Northern Ireland voted in referendum either to be part of United Kingdom or not and the citizens voted against it. Scotland equally conducted referendum in 2014 to break away from UK but the people also voted against it. Just recently, in June 2016 United Kingdom conducted a referendum on either to stay in European Union or not and they voted in favour of it. Such experiment should also be emulated in the case of the Igbos.”
He argued that it is a fact that the different regions that made up Nigeria were brought together by Lord Lugard during the 1914 amalgamation without taking into consideration their historical and cultural diversification, stressing that the only policy that would have made Nigeria intact and peaceful is when they practice true federalism.
Onuesoke who is one of the agitators of true federalism stressed that since Nigerian leaders refused to tow the line of true federalism, the best line of action is that those who want to go their way like the Igbos should be allowed to go but the it should be done through referendum.
“Why must we force ourselves to live together in a fake entity created by whites? Hausa, Fulanis, Yorubas, Igbos, Nupe and Kanuri among others do not have any genealogical, cultural, language, beliefs, ideological and even looks affiliations.
“Is it difficult to understand that Yoruba and Igbo do not share common ancestry, and their cohabiting is not of their freewill or consent, but by coercion of the meddlesome British empire? That migrant Fulani’s, who share same DNA with Berbers and Tuaregs of North Africa are incompatible with Igbo’s who share similar DNA with Jews of Israel,” he stated.
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