18th June, 2024
The marginalisation of the Igbo and other minorities is a potential time bomb capable of causing incalculable damage to the advancement of the nation, a New York– based lawyer and chartered accountant, High Chief Owolabi Salis has warned.
Speaking against the persistent agitation, against alleged marginalisation of the Igbo and other minorities, he said in a statement from his United States (US) base, that it had become expedient to frontally confront the challenge once and for all in national interest.
Salis stressed emphatically that no nation brushes aside the issue of marginalisation and fully realises its potentials.
According to him, this is the reason the issue of Igbo and other minorities marginalisation had continued to raise its ugly head from the 60’s to the 70’s till date.
Salis said: “No nation pushes the issue of marginalization under the carpet and sleeps with her two eyes closed because it is an issue that will not go away without justice.
“For there to be unity in Nigeria, we must restructure the country to eradicate discrimination in our political and economic life.
“My late Uncles, Adeniran Ogunsanya, TOS Benson and Prof Ayodele Awojobi who were icons in the country shared the same views against marginalisation in the 60’s , 70, and 80’s, politics and I still remember their words of wisdom as a young man till today.
“Thankfully, President Bola Tinubu, acclaimed democrat, activist, and advocate of restructuring, is now in the saddle and has the opportunity to practice what he has been preaching before now.
“This is an opportunity for him to write his name in gold by removing the hate and distrust that has been with us all along, through bringing about fairness, equity, and justice across board
“Thankfully, the National Assembly has told the world that it would cooperate with this President and is even proposing the creation of Orlu State to bring the South – East at par with other zones.
“The same lawmakers are also proposing rotational presidency, and creating the South-East Development Commission, as a way of addressing Igbo marginalization.
“I enjoin the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to show leadership in this regard by talking to the people on the need to stop the bloodletting and instead build cordial relationships among themselves and other Nigerians of diverse interests.”
Salis added that the Chief Iwuayanwu-led group should develop plans alongside South-East governors to protect Igbo Culture and heritage from being destroyed by miscreants.
He said the presidential system “we are operating now makes the minorities in the South South, North Central, and North East second-class citizens, which should not be. We need to restructure beyond the parliamentary and presidential systems to create a sense of belonging to all.”