Indeed South-East is Marginalised- Joe Igbokwe Laments, Reveal Way Forward

As a Nigerian from the South-East, would you support any politician outside the APC from your region to become president?

No Igbo candidate can win an election in this country without the support of the South-West, North, and South-South. Many politicians from Igboland struggle to build those necessary bridges. Do you know how many years President Tinubu has spent building his political career? He was closely aligned with the late M.K.O. Abiola during his campaign. From there, he became a senator, then the governor of Lagos State, and played a pivotal role in sponsoring many politicians into power.

He brought me to Lagos and never cared about where I came from. He has nurtured individuals from all corners of Nigeria—North, South, East, and West. We all know how he helped former President Buhari into office, promising to deliver the South-West for the 2015 election.

What I’m saying is this: my people in Igboland cannot insult the country and other regions and expect to win elections. This applies to both our leaders and indigenes. Whenever I speak out about this, I’m insulted, and seen as an enemy. But the truth is, as Igbo people, we need to foster relationships with other regions.

The Igbo often claim the South-East is marginalised, which fuels their grievances. What is your view on this?

I am from the South-East, and I’m a proud Igbo man. Yes, the South-East is indeed marginalised, especially when you compare the number of states in each region. Other regions have six or seven states, while the South-East has only five. As a result, we receive the least in resources shared across Nigeria. However, there was a potential solution to this issue that we mishandled, and it was our own people who caused it.

During former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, there was a proposal to create an additional state in the South-East. Just as it was about to be signed, Enugu and Imo states disagreed on who would give up territory. Enugu wanted Nsukka, while Imo wanted Mbaise. Their inability to reach a consensus led to the proposal being abandoned by the president. That’s why we are where we are today. Whatever is happening to the Igbo people is, to a large extent, self-inflicted.

Consequently, our representation in the National Assembly is minimal, despite the investments our people have made across the country. How can you harm your own people and still claim you want Biafra? I tell our people that our land is too small. While landmass may not be the sole factor, it’s important. Many states in Nigeria are larger than the entire South-East.

What solutions do you propose to address this issue?

This situation cannot continue. I have written to the President regarding the creation of an additional state in the South-East. However, as Igbo people, we must also do our part. There is something called cultural competence and the management of emotional intelligence that we need to master as a community. I suffered greatly for speaking this truth; my house was burnt down in my village as a consequence. That was the sacrifice I had to make, and I have been labelled as anti-Igbo.

Another question we must ask is, if we achieve the sovereign state of Biafra, what is the likelihood that we will remain united? Our people are naturally republican. You cannot locate all your investments in Lagos, Abuja, and other parts of the country, abandon them, and then expect to live in a region smaller than Kogi State. We must not close our eyes to the vast opportunities in Nigeria. We just have to play by the rules.