Igbo agitations can’t be won ‘on the streets’; time for a new approach – Chidoka

Former aviation minister and current governorship candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP) at the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Osita Chidoka Saturday urged Igbos to consider a new approach in their fight against marginalization, arguing that street protests could not get them the desired results.

Chidoka stated this during the flag-off of his governorship campaign at Amoka in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He also faulted the designation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terror organization, stating that Igbos were not and had never been terrorists.

Chidoka said, “While we salute all those who through one legitimate way or the other had pursued the struggle, we state today that we are stepping into a new frontier. The Igbo voice against marginalization and injustice will not be achieved on the streets.

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“It will rather be won with a determined engagement of our institutions of government and with other Nigerians who feel aggrieved to redefine the meaning of Nigeria and remove the inequalities that have fanned the embers of discord and restructure our nation along the lines of justice, equality and fairness.

”How can Igbos be terrorists? We have always actively participated in the Nigerian project, yet in this country, we have suffered since June 1945 British inspired ethnic violence, nineteen incidents of pogroms, wanton killings, and violence against our people living across the country.

“In March 2015, our country went to an election that divided us greatly. Today the nation is still greatly divided, and almost back to her primordial lines. Our country is troubled; our people are afraid; our future is uncertain.

“We cannot build a great nation without unity at home. We cannot be a nation where people are hated, branded and then hounded and ostracized.

“We stand here to declare that there are no terrorists in our state; there are no terrorists in our region and we do not feel terrorized as a people”.

 

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