Nobody Is Excluding You, You Voluntarily Withdrew From National Responsibility — Soludo Dismisses Igbo Marginalisation Claims

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed claims that the Igbo are being marginalised in Nigeria, arguing that exclusion often results from deliberate withdrawal from national responsibilities rather than systemic discrimination.

The governor made the assertion on Thursday during the wreath-laying and parade ceremony to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

Soludo urged people of the South-East to move beyond the grievances of the Nigerian Civil War, noting that the conflict ended 56 years ago and should no longer shape the region’s relationship with the Nigerian state. He called on the Igbo to fully embrace their role in national development and ownership of the country.

Commending President Bola Tinubu for what he described as renewed seriousness in tackling terrorism and insecurity, Soludo said the country had witnessed improved coordination among the armed forces and other security agencies. He expressed optimism that the Federal Government’s intensified efforts would lead to lasting solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges, which he said had persisted for nearly two decades.

The governor, however, expressed concern over the low participation of youths from Anambra State and the South-East in recruitment into the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force. He described the development as worrisome and counter-productive, warning that it amounted to self-marginalisation.

According to Soludo, Anambra State recorded the lowest level of interest during the most recent recruitment exercises into the army and police across the country. He warned that continued refusal to enlist could result in future generations lamenting the absence of officers of Anambra or Igbo origin within Nigeria’s security architecture.

He stressed that a nation could not be built by citizens who chose to opt out of its critical institutions, adding that Nigeria belonged equally to all its citizens and required collective participation.

Soludo also condemned the activities of armed groups operating in forests across the South-East, dismissing claims that they were engaged in any form of liberation struggle. He described such groups as criminals involved in kidnapping and terrorising innocent citizens.

The governor said no human being should live in the forests, insisting that violence and criminality had no place in a modern society. He disclosed that the state government had extended an olive branch to the remaining armed elements, urging them to surrender their weapons and take advantage of opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration.

He added that the call to lay down arms applied not only to armed groups in the South-East but also to bandits and other violent actors operating in different parts of the country.

Soludo concluded by calling for unity and collective commitment to building a secure, stable, and progressive Nigeria that lives up to its full potential.

The ceremony was attended by top government officials and commanders of security agencies in the state, including the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu.