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…Flays worsening hardship in Nigeria
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has decried the scourge of violence and kidnapping in Southeast costing the region estimated N7.6 trillion since 2021.
The monarch said it had continued to mutate in different forms, praying that the recent conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland would contribute to general reduction of violent crime in the region.
Speaking in Onitsha, Anambra State on Friday during the 24th Ofala festival themed, “Njiko na Ntachi” (Unity & Perseverance), Igwe Achebe expressed overwhelming joy over the festival’s continued growth in stature, attracting more visitors and media attention from Nigeria and abroad.
Igwe Achebe said the theme: ‘Njiko na Ntachi’ (unity and perseverance) was chosen to remind the citizens of the importance of community resilience, and that by embracing the theme the community aims to foster unity by encouraging them to come together with a sense of belonging; promote resilience and uphold enduring communal values
“We are confident that we will in no distant future achieve the highly distinctive recognition as a world heritage cultural festival by UNESCO,” he affirmed.
Continuing, he posited that the damage to the Nigerian economy also had grown astronomically in all sectors of human endeavour.
“The SBM Intelligence Report titled ‘Four Years of Disruption’ published in May 2025, estimates that some N7.6 trillion has been lost since 2021 when the imposition started.
“This is a moment for deep reflection among Ndigbo. Nigeria and the world are leaving us behind due to the deliberate actions of a few purveyors of violence among us,” he lamented.
He noted that growing hardship occasioned by worsening economy in Nigeria, adding that the situation was being worsened by diversion of attention of politicians to the 2027 general elections.
Igwe Achebe said that the hardship, prevalent among ordinary Nigerians had thrown more citizens below poverty line.
He urged government to make urgent provisions for the poorest, including provisions of palliatives and ensured they reached intended beneficiaries.
“According to the latest World Bank development update on Nigeria, our poverty rate has risen from 40% in 2018 to 46% in 2023, that is from 79 million to 104 million people being classified as poor.
“The reality on ground is very dire, particularly with regards to basic essentials such as food, medication, transportation and house rent.
“The situation is worsened by the unending violence in most parts of the country which affects the agricultural sector very seriously,” he added.
The monarch urged the government to make urgent provisions for the poorest in the population and provide palliatives that can directly reach the intended beneficiaries without being sidelined by government bureaucracy, whilst it is pursuing laudable macroeconomic stabilisation measures.
He revealed that the attention of the political class has become literally diverted to the 2027 general elections. “New alliances are being forged as political fortunes rise and fall. There’s a distinct impression that these efforts are largely for the self preservation and material benefit of those in the game.
“This year, we’re guided by prevailing hardship in the country. We thus acknowledge the situation as well as empathize and encourage the people to wade through these hard times,” Igwe Achebe stressed.
On the upcoming Anambra State off-cycle governorship election on Nov. 8, the monarch decried apathy by residents in ongoing voter registration exercises, calling for urgent mobilization.
“In the first week of the INEC current voter registration exercise, only 2,482 persons pre-registered on-line across four South East states, excluding Anambra, compared to 848,359 in the South West.
“This is alarming and demands urgent mobilization by our leaders,” he said.
Igwe Achebe noted that “Like in other years, this year’s festival was attended by who is who in Nigeria and outside, with the associated pomp.”
