23rd Ofala: Igwe Achebe Urges FG To Convene Economic, Security Summit
Igwe Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha has called on the Federal Government to convene a national economic and security summit with a view to addressing some of the nation’s challenges.
Achebe made the call at the 2024 Obi Onitsha Ofala Festival which also marked his 23 years on the throne in Onitsha, Anambra Commercial capital on Friday.
He said the sudden removal of petrol subsidy and floating of the naira were responsible for high inflation and weak purchasing power of Nigerians.
Achebe said though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that the discomfort from his ‘bold and unprecedented’ policy decisions would ease soon, price level and forex rates had continued to worsen.
“Unfortunately, the wellbeing of the polity has declined even more steeply in the last 12 months leading to a 10 day national protest in August 2024, tagged ‘’Endbadgovernance’.
“Mr President has been assuring the nation about the efficacy of his ‘very bold and unprecedented decisions”, even as petrol prices are sky-rocketing, the naira is in free-fall
“We urge Mr President to also consider alternative views and urgently convene a non- partisan national economic and security summit to forge a collective way forward for the country
“In the Southeast, we still face the unrelenting scourge of the unknown gunmen who kill, maim, and kidnap their fellow Igbo for money, chools, markets, and public facilities have remained closed on Mondays at enormous economic and social cost,’’ he said.
Achebe regretted the inability of Anambra the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) to meet to deliberate on matters of interest to the state since March following the dissolution of its leadership which he chaired with the State government.
He said besides the inability of ASTRC to meet, the State traditional institution, consequently, had no mandate to participate in the affairs of the nation’s traditional institution at national or subnational levels.
“This was on the pretext that the ASTRC, which was constituted and hitherto supervised by the State Government, had suddenly become illegal.
“This is most unfortunate at this period that other States as well as the Federal Government and the National Assembly, are seriously seeking ways to enhance the relevance of the traditional institution in the country,” he said.
The festival which climaxed with the revered royal dance.