Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, Saturday said Igbos needed to reclaim their rightful place in Nigeria by building on their comparative advantage over other Nigerians.
Uzodimma stated this in Owerri, the Imo State capital, during the presentation of a book he authored, “Reflections on the Igbo question.”
He said the Igbo needed to leverage the special talents bestowed on them by God to get their dues in the country.
He said, “One of the talents is technology. The other is commerce and trade. Currently, the evidence is there that it was helpful to us in the past and is still at our disposal today.”
The Imo governor said when the Jews found themselves in a similar situation such as Igbos of Nigeria, they simply used their talents to force the world to accede to their legitimate demand.
He, however, stressed the need for the reinvention of a model of democracy that would offer each federating unit a sense of belonging.
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), who chaired the occasion, said the feeling of marginalisation was not peculiar to the Igbo race alone but a national cry.
“It must therefore not be seen as a basis for separatist agitation,” he said.