The Igbo Community Association (ICA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has strongly condemned a Junior Secondary School textbook titled “Living History for Junior Secondary Schools” over what it described as the deliberate exclusion of Igbo history from its contents.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the association said the omission amounted to a distortion of Nigeria’s collective history and posed a serious threat to national unity and inclusiveness.
According to the ICA FCT, the absence of Igbo history in the textbook undermines the contributions of the Igbo people to Nigeria’s historical evolution and development, describing the action as unacceptable and divisive.
The association called on the Federal and State Governments, as well as relevant education authorities, to take immediate steps to address the issue. Among its demands are the withdrawal of the textbook from circulation, sanctions against the authors—identified as J.M. Itsekure, O.O. Olajide, and T.E. Taiwo—and the blacklisting of the publisher, Accessible Publishers Ltd.
The group also urged government authorities to consider legal action against those responsible and to confiscate and destroy all existing copies of the book already in use in schools.
“The Igbo people are an integral part of Nigeria’s history, and any attempt to erase or downplay their role is dangerous to national cohesion,” the statement read.
Speaking on the matter, the President General of ICA FCT, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, said the association would not tolerate any attempt to rewrite or distort history through educational materials.
“We will not tolerate attempts to erase Igbo contributions to Nigeria’s history and development,” Ellis-Ezenekwe said. “This is a call to action for all Nigerians to stand against divisive narratives and demand accountability from those shaping the minds of future generations.”
The ICA FCT further called on education stakeholders, parents, and civil society groups to join in ensuring that Nigeria’s history curriculum reflects fairness, balance, and inclusivity.
The statement was jointly signed by Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, President General, and Emmanuel Chinwoke Onah, Secretary-General of the association.
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