Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has definitively rejected separatist agitation in Nigeria’s Southeast region, asserting that the Igbo people’s economic prosperity is inextricably linked to their continued unity within the Nigerian federation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics,” the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor emphasized that the Southeast needs Nigeria as much as Nigeria needs the Igbo nation, challenging the logic of secessionists.
“I am of the view that the Igbo man needs Nigeria and Nigeria needs the Igbo man,” Soludo stated, adding: “We are an itinerant people who cannot afford to be intolerant. That’s my view.” He further declared his willingness to debate his position with any proponent of separation, underscoring his “very deep belief” in a united Nigeria.
While acknowledging the democratic right to peaceful protest, Soludo clarified that his focus remains strictly on governance and delivering development to his state. He also called for a comprehensive regional dialogue, proposing that all stakeholders, including the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, should participate upon his release.
“When Nnamdi Kanu comes out, we are all going to sit down on a round table and interrogate our alternative vision for Igbo land,” Soludo said.
The governor used the interview to address the contentious sit-at-home order that has previously crippled the region’s economy, stating that the directive has largely faded in Anambra. He blamed criminal elements for exploiting the issue, noting that even Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are on record to have disowned the order. “We’ve made it very clear that if you are protesting or agitating for anything, you are holding yourself down by killing your own people under the pretext of Monday’s sit-at-home,” he concluded.
Soludo’s vision for the future is to “build a livable and prosperous homeland so that, as itinerant people, wherever you go and don’t find comfort, you have a livable and prosperous homeland to return to.”
