A United Nations Peace Ambassador and business mogul, Chief John-Paul Ochemba, has called on Igbo politicians and stakeholders to support the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, to resolve the insecurity and find a lasting solution to the socio-political challenges facing the zone.
Ochemba, who praised Okorocha’s initiative in tackling the pro-Biafra protests, noted that the governor had given the Southeast a sense of political direction in the last few years and this had repositioned the zone to reclaim its pride of place.
According to him, the challenge inhibiting development in the Southeast was the absence of a leader-figure to rally the people, as obtained in the Southwest, Southsouth and the North, where there are respected political leaders.
He said: “The Igbo cannot continue like this. It is about time we came under a focused and determined leadership where our collective aspirations and ambitions are articulated and vigorously pursued for the people’s interest.
“It is also important that at this point, Igbo politicians and stakeholders should come together, irrespective of their political differences to support Governor Okorocha who, by providence, has become a political leader.”
Ochemba, who condemned the attitude of the Igbo working against one another for selfish political advantage, lamented that since the death of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Igbo had been in the ‘wilderness’, without an identified leader, adding: “We have been greatly shortchanged in the scheme of things because we have not been able to negotiate with one voice; our approach has shown that we are divided and this has greatly reduced our strength and rating among our contemporaries.”