Apologise to Ndigbo or be rendered irrelevant – Ohanaeze youths tell Orji Kalu

Forum 7 years ago

Apologise to Ndigbo or be rendered irrelevant – Ohanaeze youths tell Orji Kalu

Sequel to the claim of former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, that Igbos are good in commerce but bad in politics, the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has demanded an apology from the former governor for insulting the race or be made irrelevant in Igboland.

Recall that Kalu had lamented that the people of South-East extraction despite being good in commerce and in every other thing they do, are bad in politics.

Irked by the comment of the former governor, President of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the comment as an insult to the Igbo race.


Wondering if political giants like the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Michael Okpara are traders, Isiguzoro accused Kalu of being one of those who deviated from the political ideology of pioneer Igbo national politicians, the Punch reports.

Alleging that Kalu brought “traders’ mentality” into Igbo politics, the OYC President said, “During the First Republic, Igbos like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara and others were at the forefront of the independence movement.

“In the Second Republic, Igbos like Dr Alex Ekwueme were also at the forefront of national politics.

“It was when people like Kalu came to power that Igbos began to lose grounds, because he (Kalu) and his likes introduced traders’ mentality into the politics played by Igbos at the national level.


“The statement, which is ridiculing Ndigbo, was not expected from somebody who was a two-term governor.

“Was Nnamdi Azikiwe a trader? Was Michael Okpara a trader? What of Odumegwu Ojukwu, Mbonu Ojike, Jaja Nwachukwu? Were they traders?”

“When Tinubu was controlling only one state Kalu was controlling two states.

“How did he (Kalu) lose the two states? Because of his poor management skills.

“Ohanaeze youths don’t want to insult him because he is an elder, but he should apologise to Ndigbo.

“If he refuses to apologise, if he fails to retract that statement, we will put him in the dustbin of history and he will have no more relevance in Igboland.”