The traditional ruler of Nri in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra, Eze Obidiegwu Onyesoh, has urged Nigerians to stop blaming President Muhammadu Buhari for the challenges facing the country.
Onyesoh made the call on Friday while addressing newsmen ahead of Saturday’s celebration of 2916 new yam festival in the kingdom.
He stated that all Nigerians, especially the past leaders, contributed to the country’s problem.
He said, “Buhari is not our headache; corruption and looting of national assets were there before he came in.
“Corruption was institutionalised in the country and everybody acted with impunity.
“There was no discipline anywhere. So, we should stop blaming Buhari; rather, we should blame ourselves and do some self-examination.”
Onyesoh urged the people to allow Buhari to reconstruct the country which was already in shambles before his election.
On the festival, the monarch explained that Nri was regarded as the ancestral home of the Igbos, and that there were myths surrounding new yam festivals.
He said, “Igbo mythology has it that when Nri became hungry and needed something to eat, he found yam sprouting from his son’s grave and when he uprooted it, cooked it and ate it, it tasted good.
“This is why yam is venerated among the Igbos and anyone who deliberately damage yam crops is treated as a murderer.”
According to him, new yam festivals followed an injunction by God to the people of Israel to offer their first crop on the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
(NAN)
