The Igbo community in Cross River has called for deeper ties with the government and people of Cross River as part of efforts to advance their common interests and ensure peaceful coexistence.
The leadership of the Igbo community made the call shortly after election of its new leadership in Calabar on Friday.
The President-General of the Cross River chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu, asserted that they have found home in Cross River and will do everything possible not to undermine peace in the state.
He charged the Igbo community to ensure that they live peacefully with their neighbors and regard them as one and the same people, even with the difference in their ethnicity.
He noted that though the Ohanaeze Ndigbo remained apolitical, they will continue to support the government for democratic dividends to be entrenched.
He commended members of the community for their peaceful conduct throughout the electioneering process.
Egwuonwu noted that the emergence of the new leadership reflected the unity of the Igbo community in the state and urged the president-elect, Chief Kenneth Okpalaeke, to see leadership as a call to selfless service.
“Leadership is all about service. The new president should continue to promote unity among the Igbos and sustain the peaceful atmosphere we have built over the years,” he said.
Also speaking, a member of the Igbo Council of Chiefs, Chief Livinus Ihezie, described the poll as the most peaceful the community had ever conducted and commended the electoral committee for a transparent process.
He urged the new officers to preserve the unity inherited from previous administrations, adding that a key priority should be the construction of a permanent Igbo Community Hall in Calabar.
He appealed to Gov. Bassey Otu to facilitate the restoration of land earlier allocated to the community for the project.
“We need a befitting Igbo Community Hall that will serve as a permanent home for our people in Cross River State,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Non-Indigenous Affairs, Mr Okey Maduekwe, hailed the peaceful election, attributing it to the atmosphere of peace prevailing in the state.
He said the emergence of younger leaders would reposition the community for greater progress while strengthening ties with the host state.
He urged the new executive to sustain the outgoing administration’s peaceful disposition and support the governor’s development agenda.
In his acceptance speech, Okpalaeke pledged to prioritise unity, self-reliance, and community development, saying members would be mobilised to fund projects through voluntary contributions rather than relying solely on external support.
He promised welfare programmes for elderly and vulnerable members, urging the people to care for the elderly and less-privileged.
“We have to work together as one family. If we unite and contribute what we can, we can achieve any project we desire,” he said.
Okpalaeke pledged to build on the foundation left by the outgoing executives, urging members to remain law-abiding and contribute positively to their host communities.
