A foremost Nationalist and former Minister of Aviation in the first Republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi has called on the people of the South East to give peace a chance
The 93 year old, Chief Amaechi made the call in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital in an interview with newsmen during a visit to Governor David Umahi.
He said that he was in the State to brief Engr Umahi on the efforts made by Igbo leaders to find lasting peace in South-East geo-political zone following violent agitations by separatist groups.
The elder statesman, who recently led a selected team of Igbo Leaders to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari over the security situation in the region expressed worry over the recent killing of policemen and civilians in parts of southeast Nigeria by gunmen.
He said: “Days ago I led a delegation of selected Igbo Leaders to meet the President of Nigeria on the growing tempo of violence in Nigeria especially in the southeast. The President was happy to receive our delegation and our discussions were frank, sincere and all targeted at finding peace and true reconciliation and we are expecting a positive result”.
“I have come to Ebonyi state to greet the governor, who is the Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and to seek their support in our efforts to find peace. I am deeply worried and pained by the new spate of violence in which policemen and civilians were said to be killed.
“I am appealing to all who may be involved in these crimes to please ceasefire and give peace a chance. Whether they are of IPOB or Massob or known or unknown gunmen or agents of any organ or personality to please stop it now. You can never achieve peace or reconciliation through violence.
“As the only surviving minister of the first republic, I appeal to all to please respect my age and help me to make peace before returning to my maker”.
On the quest for president of southeast extraction, Amechi said it is achievable if only politicians and people of the region can work together.
He however expressed concerns at the seeming lack of proper strategy and planning by the political class in the region towards the President of southeast extraction project.
“I think many hawks are growing in other parts of the country, and there are people who are not happy to see Ndigbo come back again to the mainstream. But there are people who have been giving a rethink to what has been happening all these years and they will want to, in other to bind everybody together, to have a true federation where everybody belongs, they are prepared to cooperate with Ndigbo.
“The problem we have now like I told our people the day when I called a meeting in my house, a joint meeting of PDP and APC and I told them to go their parties, work hard to nominate Igbo candidates and whosoever wins is an Igbo man. But if any of the parties nominate somebody from another zone, it will be a big contest and it will be very difficult for an Igbo man to win on the platform of the smaller political parties.
“But the problem is that I don’t think they are applying enough strategy. To get such a position, you have to plan, you have to strategize, you have to organize, you have to move, you have to mobilize and you don’t do it by making noise, you do it quietly.
“If you say what you want to do tomorrow, by tomorrow when you do it, it is no longer news. But if you fail to do it, then you become a failure. I am still alive and I am prepared to help them plan and strategize if they come to me for help”, he said.
