Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the people of Nigeria’s South‑East to maintain peace and steer young people away from armed confrontation with the federal government during a funeral service for the late Sir Albert Ikechukwu Nnamani, former administrative secretary of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC). The remarks were made in Ikem, Enugu State, and later released to journalists in Abuja.
Akpabio emphasized that development can only thrive in a climate of stability. “For Ndigbo, I want to plead with you to continue to maintain peace and watch the youth of today. They don’t understand politics or development. You can only have development in an area of peace,” he said. He warned that attempts to achieve independence through armed struggle would be unsuccessful, adding that “state power will always overwhelm you.”
Speaking on legislative readiness, the Senate President said the National Assembly is prepared to pass laws that would grant the South‑East an additional state, thereby ensuring parity with other regions. “We are prepared as a parliament to make the right laws, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in order for Ndigbo to have, at least, an additional state,” Akpabio asserted.
The president praised the current administration’s effort to address historic grievances. He noted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointments have aimed to avoid marginalising the South‑East, although he stressed that any further gains must be secured through negotiation, not violence. “Through peaceful means and negotiation, we shall get our rightful place in Nigeria,” he said, urging that the younger generation not be lost to “wrong politics and wrong advice.”
Akpabio also highlighted the economic impact of recent sit‑at‑home protests, describing the disruption to Onitsha and the broader Nigerian economy as “unfortunate.” He recalled the post‑civil‑war era when bank accounts were frozen and assets devalued, noting that reconstruction in the former Biafran zones has been inadequate, with only reconciliation and rehabilitation efforts undertaken.
Past Nigerian leaders present at the ceremony appeared uncomfortable with the president’s comments. Akpabio concluded by invoking a prayer for justice for the South‑East, saying, “May justice be done to Ndigbo in our lifetime, in Jesus’ name.”
In tribute to the late Sir Albert Ikechukwu Nnamani, Akpabio said the former OMPADEC administrator served with dignity and candour, setting a tone for Niger Delta development. He recalled earlier promises that led to pipeline vandalism, noting that such actions “are now things of the past.”
