Posted by Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State, has been proclaimed a war zone by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Soludo delivered the proclamation on Saturday at the Ofala Festival of Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, also known as Agbogidi, monarch of the Onitsha Ancient Kingdom.
Soludo, speaking to the people of Onitsha, remarked that the area now known as Greater Onitsha (comprising five local government areas in modern-day Anambra) was the original site of Igbo civilization and that the city of Onitsha itself must undergo modernization before the rest of Igboland can do so.
Since this year marks Agbogidi’s 22nd year as king, Soludo congratulated him on the occasion of the Ofala Festival. The way Onitsha people portray Onitsha Ofala appeals to me. It’s an honorable way of life.
For Ndigbo to progress, Onitsha, as the Obi of the people, must progress. That’s why we’re putting in so much effort to get those skeletons back to life. Igbo’s claim to fame is its massive metropolis.
We are determined to completely eradicate all criminal elements from Onitsha. We’ll be there to get them very soon. There’s no telling where the invaders from Onitsha are coming from, but we’ll keep sending them packing.
According to Soludo, “something major” in terms of security is going to happen in Onitsha within the next several weeks.