By Akinwale Kasali
Legendary musician, Onyeka Onwenu has called for the unity of the nation, imploring Nigerians to shun tribal, religious and language differences. The unity of the people is germane, she said.
The One Love Keep Us Together crooner stressed that at this point in time, the unity of the nation is not negotiable.
The Music legend, reputed for her secretive personal life, charged Nigerians to play less on tribalism and focus on the positives inherent in the different ethnic groups that make up the country.
She said these during a virtual pre-book launch briefing ahead of the release of her memoir ‘My Father’s Daughter’, billed for October 1.
Using her marriage to a Yoruba Muslim that produced two children as a reference, the Lady popularly known as the Elegant Stallion enjoined every Nigerian to uphold the country’s unity and stop insulting and denigrating one another.
‘’We are blessed with the richness of our culture and everyone should see themselves as one and not let divisions break the country,” she asserted.
She, also, challenged the people of the South East, especially those in the diaspora, on the need to develop the region, which she said had continued to suffer marginalization and neglect from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“It doesn’t take away whatever you are doing in Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt. You are free to live and do business wherever you are, but remember back home. We are being marginalized for a long time. And our people have always done things for themselves.
“We built the Imo Airport. I was part of the process. It remains the only airport in the country that was built by the citizens and handed over to the Federal Government.
“My father went to school abroad, people in his home town collected money and supported him. That’s how we do things, we are a communal people. So, I’m not afraid to go back home,” she stated.
The Broadcaster-turned musician-turned human rights activist and politician, bared her mind on the agitation for self-sovereignty by some groups in the country, saying that she would return to the South-East region to contribute her quota to its development if it comes to fruition.
She, however, recalled an event when joking with her sister-in-law, who is also a Muslim, that she would leave her children for “Biafra” if the country splits and her decision would be due to her commitment to contribute to the development of the South-East, which she said, has been marginalised for long.
“If that happens – a possible break-up of Nigeria, I will go back to the South-East because I want to go back home. And even if we don’t split, I want to do so much there” she said.
Onyeka explained that the new book, titled ‘My Father’s Daughter’,- about 450 pages – is designed to give inspiration to the younger ones, especially the younger feminine gender, since it encapsulates her low and high moments, through life.
According to her, the book will also examine aspects of her life which were hitherto unknown to the public and would be formally unveiled on Thursday, October 1, 2020.
It would be in e-version and audio and accompanied with some classics of the musical legend.
Onwenu has starred in many Nollywood movies in recent time, but has been off the radar for years now.
