The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and its
northern counterpart, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday in Enugu rekindled hope in the continued existence of Nigeria as one
indivisible entity.
Chairman, National Executive Council and head of the delegation of
ACF to a meeting between the two groups, Alhaji Aliko M. Mohammed had arrived in Enugu on Tuesday with Senator J.K.N Waku, Senator
Ladan Shini, Major-General Lawrence Onoja, Brig-General Mohammed
Umar, among others, ahead of their meeting with Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to
inaugurate the South-East chapter of ACF.
The meeting proper held yesterday at Universal Hotel, Enugu was presided over by the two leaders of the organisations: Alhaji Mohammed (ACF), and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Ambassador Raph Uwechue, who attended the meeting with former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; and former Ebonyi State governor and health minister, Chief Sam Egwu. Others are Senator Offia Nwali; Nweke Anyigor; Eze Ozobu; former Ohanaeze PG, Prof Joe Irukwu; Ohanaeze Secretary, Nduka Eya; First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi; Professor Chinedu Nebo; Professor Uzodimma
Nwala; Chief Onyeso Nwachukwu, among others.
After the meeting, the two groups in a communiqué said they had a big brief discussion where they underlined "the imperative of national unity dialogue and consensus, based on the principles of equity, justice and cooperation among the various people of Nigeria." They, however, agreed that since the visiting ACF raised some weighty
issues in its address, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo would need some time to
study its presentation and then make its own response for discussion in a future meeting.
In the ACF presentation, Alhaji Mohammed had noted that the meeting
had deep historical significance as it was the first time in recent times
when leaders from Northern Nigeria and their counterparts from the
South sat down together on a common table as one extended family to discuss. He told their Ohanaeze Ndigbo host that they requested for the meeting in their belief that all the ethnic nationalities have a duty to dialogue with one another and search for solutions to the major issues of concern to the country.
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