By John Nnia Nwodo
Paper presented by
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo at Chatham House, London, on
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Let me begin by
extending my deep sense of gratitude to the Royal Institute of International
Affairs, for inviting me to participate in this current series of discussions
on Next Generation Nigeria: Accountability and National Cohesion.
The involvement of this reputable British Institute in discussing and
proffering suggestions for extant Nigeria’s problems is not only commendable,
but I believe most relieving for the British establishment, who must
understandably feel a deep sense of vicarious responsibility for putting
together a country confronted with such grim future.
Our first Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Tafawa Balewa
and the then premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, as well as the then
Minister for Finance Festus Okotie-Eboh, were murdered. A massive pogrom was
unleashed on South Eastern Nigerians living in the Northern
Nigeria . A
sitting Head of State from the South East, Major General Aguiyi Ironsi and a
governor from the South West Col. Adekunle Fajuyi were murdered. The military
suspended our 1963 constitution and adopted a unitary system of government to
fit their command and control structures. Opposition to this move by Southern
Nigeria led to constitutional talks in Aburi, Ghana. The agreements
reached at Aburi were jettisoned. War broke out and claimed more than three and
a half million lives mostly from the South East.