UMUAHIA — GOV. Orji Kalu of Abia has appealed to Nigerians to forgive the Igbo over the civil war, saying Nigerians should chart a new course towards reintegration. Kalu, who made the appeal weekend in Umuahia, when he received Chief Jerry Waya, a PDP stalwart, apologised that the Igbo should be forgiven for fighting the 1967-1970 civil war. He urged Nigerians to forget the past, adding that it was a mistake on the part of the Igbo, and that they should not be continuously punished for the mistakes of the past.
Kalu, who said that he and many people in the present generation were not part of the war, queried "why should we continue to suffer for the mistakes of the past".
"I think we should forge ahead to develop the country and take it to higher heights. There is no better time we need the support of one another than now," he remarked.
He urged the Igbo to support the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, adding that the time for war was over in the country. Kalu called on the President to leave a lasting legacy in office, stressing that the greatest problem plaguing the state was erratic power supply, and called for the privatisation of NEPA.
Earlier, Waya who was in Umuahia to deliver a special message from Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the vice president holds the Igbo in high esteem. He expressed optimism that Kalu as a good leader was capable of leading the Igbo into the political mainstream in the country, pointing out that if the Igbo had five people like Kalu, the complaint of marginalisation in the south-east zone would cease.
"Gov. Kalu is only concerned with fairness and justice, as it relates to equitable distribution of national resources in the country," Waya said.
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