Gov. Otti urges ndigbo to prioritize collective interest above individual differences
Gov. Otti urges ndigbo to prioritize collective interest above individual differences
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has charged Ndigbo to place collective interest above individual differences in order to build a more prosperous future for the Igbo nation.
Otti gave the charge on Tuesday, in Umuahia the state capital during the 2026 World Igbo Day celebration hosted by Abia State.
Speaking on the theme, “Ohaneze: History and the Dreams of Tomorrow,” Governor Otti said the courage, resilience, enterprise and communal values inherited from Igbo ancestors remain critical to the progress of the people.
The governor noted that unity does not require uniformity of opinion, stressing that Ndigbo can disagree on issues while remaining committed to their shared aspirations.
“Unity does not mean unanimity of opinion on every issue, but a consciousness that our individual desires cannot be superior to the aspirations of the majority,” Otti stated.
The governor further urged Ndigbo to replace discord and acrimony with peace, understanding, sincerity and cooperation. He identified education, apprenticeship and the traditional ‘Omugwo’ system as vital channels for transferring knowledge, skills and values across generations.
In his remarks, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, said Ndigbo must interrogate and define the future they want for themselves and for Nigeria. He said the Igbo Charter developed and presented to Ndigbo contains the roadmap for maximizing Igbo potential.
Azuta-Mbata said unity remains the spirit of “Njiko Ka”, the theme of the 2026 Igbo Day, and emphasized that a cohesive front is required for Ndigbo to take their rightful place in Nigeria and the world.
“Our people must bind together. We must deliberately move together so that we can take our rightful place in Nigeria and the world.
“We may disagree on politics, we may disagree on religion, we may disagree on strategy, even in the interpretation of our history. But beneath these differences is a shared identity, a shared responsibility. We must lay a solid foundation for the generations that must come after us,” Azuta-Mbata stressed.
He commended Otti for hosting Ohanaeze Ndigbo and for giving full support to the 2026 Igbo Day celebration.
The Chairman of the occasion, General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), called on all Igbo sons and daughters, wherever they are, to recognize that they have a role to play in building the Igbo nation.
General Nwachukwu, who described the spirit of enterprise as the strength of the Igbo man, stressed the need to deliberately invest in young people, inculcate the fear of God, and make them understand that they are not just leaders of tomorrow, but leaders of today. He urged Igbo youths to embrace Igbo culture and compete with excellence.
Earlier in his sermon during an interdenominational Church service, the Archbishop of Methodist Church Nigeria, Umuahia Archdiocese, Most Rev. Dr. Chibuzor Raphael Opoko, described Ndigbo as a chosen generation of God, noting that if they were not chosen, they would have gone extinct.
Archbishop Opoko, who observed that wherever Ndigbo are found in Nigeria and beyond, they are known for enterprise, ingenuity and hard work, calling on Igbo leaders to unite and work together for the development of the Igbo nation, irrespective of political affiliation.
The highlight of the event was the wreath-laying ceremony in honour of late eminent Igbo personalities at the Aguiyi Ironsi Cenotaph.
The ceremony was performed by Governor Alex Otti, the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, Prof. Mrs. Uche Azikiwe, General Ike Nwachukwu, Chief Mike Okiro and Archbishop Sunday Onuoha.
The event attracted prominent Igbo leaders and stakeholders from across the Igbo nation including the former deputy Governor of Abia State, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu.