Nigeria would not exist without the Igbos - Nebo

Professor Chinedu Nebo

The former Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo has said that there would be no Nigeria without Igbos, citing that they were made special by God to build economy of the country.

Speaking with Newsmen over the weekend, at the South East Development and Leadership Initiative (SELDI) 2016 in Enugu with the theme “Integrating the Southeast Economy for Sustainable Growth and Development”,
Professor Nebo who was also the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said that other ethnic nationalities in the country envy the Igbo nation because of their resourcefulness, dignity of labour and rich cultural heritage.

According to him, “Nigeria is angry with the Igbo’s growth and development. It is obvious. It is only in Nigeria that a traditional ruler will open his mouth and say that if you do not vote for this person, then we will drown you and throw you into the lagoon. A traditional ruler who is suppose to be the promoter of peace and custodian of the people’s culture and tradition”. 

“It is high time we woke up and believed in ourselves. The Igbos are great people all over the world. About 80% of Igbo wealth is in the Diaspora. We invest outside the country without coming back home. We need to adopt the “think home philosophy”, come back home and develop our land. 
“We need to build and develop love for one another. The philosophy of “igwebuike” (togetherness) is still there. There shall be capacity for mentorship for our younger generation.

The former Minister, who described the summit as timely and apt, also advocated for an improved educational system that will ensure that capable individuals are produced from institutions of learning.

“We need to build an educational system that is relevant. It is not just enough to churn out graduates into the labour market. We need to develop our education system and curriculum in science, innovation and mathematics”, he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Nebo used the medium and urged all Igbo sons and daughters from different walks of life to return home and invest with a view of making our homeland great again.