Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The controversial cleric and self-styled prophet, Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, popularly known as Odumeje, has ignited a fierce national conversation with a direct and unflinching demand for equal access to major infrastructure and national facilities for the Southeast, arguing that genuine national unity is impossible without it. In a video that has since gone viral across social media platforms, the Anambra-based prophet declared that if the Hausa and Yoruba have seaports and embassies, the Igbo must have the same. "If Hausa people have a seaport, we have a seaport. Yoruba have seaport, we have a seaport. That is what they call one Nigeria," he said. He extended the argument to international airports and embassies, insisting that the same logic applies. "If Hausa people have international airport, Yoruba have international airport. Igbo people will have their own international airport. That is what they call one Nigeria," he declared. "If Hausa people have embassies, Yoruba people have embassies where they go and get visas. Igbo people will have their own embassies where they go and get visa."
Odumeje's remarks tap into a long-standing grievance in the Southeast, a region that has consistently argued that it is economically and politically marginalised despite its significant contributions to Nigeria's economy and its status as one of the country's most entrepreneurial ethnic groups. The Southeast currently has no functional seaport. The Onitsha River Port, located along the River Niger in Anambra State, was completed in 2010 but has remained largely comatose, with successive federal administrations failing to dredge the River Niger to make it navigable for commercial shipping. The region's international airport, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, was granted international status in 2013 and has operated limited international flights, but many travellers from the Southeast still travel to Lagos or Abuja to connect to international destinations. The region also lacks a federal presence in the form of embassies, with all foreign missions concentrated in Abuja and Lagos, forcing Igbo travellers to travel hundreds of kilometres for visa interviews and consular services.
The cleric did not stop at infrastructure. He turned his criticism inward, expressing deep disappointment with Igbo elites for failing to speak publicly about the issue. "It's an insult to all the elites of Igboland. And it showing that, is an insult to the entire Igbo generation. No public talking about it," he said, visibly frustrated. He argued that the unequal distribution of facilities contradicts the very idea of one Nigeria. "That is not one Nigeria. That is what they call deceive and lie," he declared. He concluded with a warning that speaks to the shifting balance of power in Nigerian politics. "We are no more a boy. We are fathers," he said, urging leaders to consider what younger generations will face in the future.
The video has sparked a torrent of reactions across social media, with many Nigerians applauding Odumeje for speaking what they described as an uncomfortable truth. Supporters of the Southeast's case for a seaport and international airport argue that the region's economic potential cannot be fully realised without the infrastructure to support trade and international mobility. The Igbo are widely regarded as Nigeria's most travelled ethnic group, with a significant diaspora scattered across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The absence of embassies and a functional seaport in the Southeast, they argue, places an unfair burden on traders and travellers who must travel to Lagos or Abuja for basic consular services and to import goods that could otherwise be shipped directly to ports in the region.
Critics, however, have pointed to the fact that the Southeast did have a seaport at Port Harcourt and a functional international airport in Enugu, though both have been allowed to deteriorate. They argue that the federal character principle requires the equitable distribution of infrastructure across all geopolitical zones, and that the Southeast has been historically neglected in the allocation of major federal projects. The Onitsha River Port, they say, is a perfect example of a project abandoned despite its enormous economic potential. If dredged and made operational, it would serve as a major gateway for trade between the Southeast and other regions, reducing pressure on the already congested ports in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The issue of embassies is equally contentious. All foreign missions in Nigeria are concentrated in Abuja, the capital, with consulates and visa application centres largely based in Lagos. The Southeast, despite its population of over 30 million, has no foreign mission. This means that anyone travelling from Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Owerri or Abakaliki to apply for a visa must travel to Lagos or Abuja, incurring additional costs for transportation, accommodation and time off work. The establishment of a consulate or visa application centre in the Southeast would alleviate this burden and bring government services closer to the people, consistent with the principle of equitable distribution of national facilities.
The political undertone of Odumeje's remarks is impossible to ignore. Nigeria's 2027 general elections are fast approaching, and the Southeast has been at the centre of political conversations about zoning, power rotation and the demand for a president of Igbo extraction. Odumeje's reference to "not being a boy anymore" echoes the sentiments of many Igbo leaders who argue that the region has been treated as a junior partner in Nigeria since the end of the civil war in 1970. The call for a seaport, an international airport and embassies in the Southeast is not just about infrastructure. It is about dignity, equality and the recognition that the Igbo are full citizens of Nigeria, entitled to the same benefits and facilities as their counterparts in other regions. As Odumeje put it, "That is what they call one Nigeria." Whether Nigeria's political leaders will heed that call remains to be seen.
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