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The Onyedu Ndigbo of Ibadan land, Chief Aloy Obi, has advised members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) seeking secession of Southeast Nigeria to channel their grievances through the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the umbrella body of the Igbo people.
In a statement issued on Monday, Obi said though it is obvious that Igbo people are not well represented in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, IPOB should channel its grievances through Ohaneze which is made up of elders and experienced people who can manage agitation successfully.
He, however, criticized the Federal Government for classifying the group as a terrorist organization, saying agitation is acceptable in democracy.
The Igbo leader also supported the call for restructuring of the country, pointing out that the report of the 2014 national conference could serve as a guide for implementing restructuring.
He, however, insisted that the unity of the country must not be compromised in attempts to restructure the country.
He explained that a weak centre will be far better than the current strong centre, adding that the success of regionalism in the First Republic is a confirmation of the need to restructure.
According to him, regionalism allowed the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to achieve several feats for the development of Western Nigeria.
Obi also called on the Federal Government to pay more attention to the economy and embark on projects and policies that will remove the indices of recession which most Nigerians were living with.