Professor Obiora Okonkwo, the chairman of United Nigeria Airline, has bemoaned the absence of affection among Ndigbo people.
Speaking at the annual gathering of the Ikenga Igbo socio-economic and think tank organisation, Okonkwo claimed that the majority of the issues facing a number of well-known Igbo sons can be attributed to their fellow Igbo natives, who put out a lot of effort to undermine them.
The lawmaker, who received an award from the group for being a “Enabler of Ndi-Igbo Vision, Strength, and Resilience,” claimed that because there is a lack of affection among the Igbo sons, many of them use social media to demarket their brothers.
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He said: “The problem is no longer what outsiders are doing to us, ndị Igbo, but what we ourselves are doing to each other.
“We have spoken about what others have done to ndị Igbo, without addressing what we Igbos are doing to ourselves. The spate of hate is too much among many Igbo brothers and sisters, who, instead of collaborating, see themselves as competitors and strive to pull others down rather than working together and showing solidarity.
“People now go to the internet, generate stereotypes, and present them as truth, and people believe these narratives. A recent example is when a man went to the Air Peace portal and compared a business class ticket to the Southeast with an economy class ticket to a state in the North without considering the difference in pricing for each class.
“He started hurling insults and attacks at Air Peace. That’s plain wickedness and ignorance.
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“When I entered the industry (aviation), there were people who thought I would fight and compete with my brother, Allen Onyema. Perhaps they believed Igbos were always antagonistic towards each other, thinking I would be a better weapon for them to attack Air Peace.
“However, when I got in, they saw the opposite. Instead of fighting and competing, we decided to collaborate and work together; this has made us the target of the industry.
“Ndị Igbo, we are known for our resilience, strength, and ability to succeed amidst challenges. If we manage to overcome the ‘pull him down’ syndrome that has now pervaded our people, external attacks would be nothing.”
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