By Ugochukwu Alaribe
UMUAHIA—Igbo Neighborhood Affiliation, Abuja, has referred to as on the Federal Authorities to ban a historical past textbook, titled: ‘Dwelling Historical past for Junior Secondary Colleges’ over its alleged exclusion of Igbo historical past.
The affiliation alleged that the omission was a deliberate try to erase Igbo contributions to Nigeria’s historical past and improvement, warning that it might incite hatred and resentment towards Igbos and different minority teams.
In a press release collectively signed by its President-Normal and Secretary-Normal, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe and Emmanuel Onah, respectively, the group described the omission as an aberration and a “grave distortion” of Nigeria’s historic narrative that shouldn’t be ignored.
In response to the affiliation, the content material of the textbook undermines nationwide unity by selling divisive narratives able to setting one ethnic group towards one other.
The Igbo Neighborhood urged Nigerians to withstand what it described as makes an attempt to rewrite historical past in a fashion that marginalises any part of the nation, stressing that such actions threaten peaceable coexistence.
It particularly referred to as on the Federal Authorities to right away ban the textbook, confiscate and destroy present copies, and prohibit its use in faculties and different instructional establishments nationwide.
The group additionally demanded sanctions towards these accountable for the publication, together with the authors and writer, urging the authorities to blacklist them and take applicable disciplinary motion.
As well as, it referred to as for his or her prosecution, alleging that the textbook promotes narratives able to triggering ethnic stress and disaster within the nation.
The assertion learn partly: “We demand instant motion from the federal and state governments to ban this textbook, withdraw it from circulation, and cease its use in faculties and different instructional establishments.
“The authors and writer needs to be blacklisted and subjected to disciplinary measures, together with prosecution, for selling divisive narratives able to inflicting ethnic disaster in Nigeria.
“We won’t tolerate any try to erase Igbo contributions to Nigeria’s historical past and improvement.”
The affiliation additional described the difficulty as a nationwide concern, urging residents throughout ethnic and regional traces to talk out towards what it referred to as historic injustice.
“This can be a name to motion for all Nigerians to face towards divisive narratives and defend an inclusive and truthful account of our shared historical past,” the assertion added.
The group burdened that historical past training ought to promote unity, mutual respect and understanding amongst Nigeria’s various peoples, fairly than deepen divisions or foster exclusion.
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