· Pleads with Ndigbo businessmen to invest at home
· Backs restructuring of Nigeria
 
Eminent Igbo monarch, the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Alfred Nnae­meka Achebe, has hinged the development of the South East geopolitical zone on the unity of the elite from the region.
He said that the fastest and most feasible route to ending the marginalisation of Ndig­bo in Nigeria is for the politi­cal and business leaders to for­get their differences and work for the common good of their people.
The monarch, who sup­ported the clamour in different quarters for the restructuring of Nigeria, wondered wheth­er Ndigbo were prepared for it.
Obi Achebe spoke on Mon­day at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, the Anambra State cap­ital, at a lecture to mark Anam­bra’s 25th anniversary.
He traced the history of Nigeria from Independence to date and asked if the Igbo were not the least prepared for the Nigeria Project, “whether it is re­structured, breaks up or whatev­er, because they chose to be di­vided along political lines to the extent that ministers who served in the previous administration or those serving now do not com­municate with their governors, including Governor Willie Obi­ano of Anambra State, simply be­cause they do not belong to the same political party.”
Achebe, in his lecture tagged: “Think Nigeria, Invest in Anam­bra”, said that most of the invest­ments that developed Lagos, Kano, Abuja and even cities out­side Nigeria are owned by people of Igbo extraction and majority of whom are from Anambra State.
Obi Achebe said that the Igbo are “the most dispersed tribe in Nigeria and yet have not learnt that community life, instead of in­dividualism, is the best form of preserving their destiny.”
He therefore advised Ndig­bo to bear in mind that the long-term interests of their business­es can only be achieved in a fair country and to factor the long-term interests of their invest­ments and be prepared to ne­gotiate the restructuring of the country from that position of strength.
The monarch further urged Ndigbo to diversify homewards progressively and make the South East the industrial power house of Nigeria.
To make more progress, Obi Achebe said that the Igbo must stop being hostages in other peo­ple’s domains; must revive core Igbo moral values; change their attitude and balance their indi­vidual competitiveness with com­munal life – while the home gov­ernments should create enabling environments to attract Igbo in­vestors to their communities.
The event was attended by traditional rulers, politicians, and other leaders in the state.
The monarch urged the peo­ple of Anambra at home and in the Diaspora to repatriate some of their investments to the state to facilitate its socio-economic de­velopment.
On his “think home” philos­ophy, Obi Achebe noted with re­gret that as Anambra people con­tinued to invest in other states and develop them, their state has continued to lag behind in the ar­eas of infrastructure and employ­ment generation.
Enumerating industries and investments owned by Anam­bra indigenes outside their state, which have helped in developing such economies, the Obi of Onit­sha urged the people to remem­ber their home and to understand that what they have at home is worth more than the ones abroad.
He cited instances where Igbo investments in other states have been targets during wars, demon­strations and riots.
Obi Achebe said: “My dear people of Anambra State, this call for us to think home as regards siting or establishing our invest­ments did not start today. When we are talking about marginali­sation of Ndigbo in Federal Gov­ernment’s appointments and em­ployments, let us remember that we can employ and fend for our­selves without being dependent on governments at any level.
“My people, let us think home. Let us remember our state. Investments made in your own state will go a long way to boosting her economy, creating massive employment and devel­oping the state. This is in spite of the fact that in some Igbo states, especially Anambra, the gover­nor has created a socially stable and viable environment for in­vestments to thrive”.
Translating ‘Aku Lue Uno’ as “Indigenisation of Wealth”, Achebe advised Ndigbo to think like the Jews, who are not just in­vestors in the Diaspora, but have a very strong investment base at home.