Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has appealed for a return to normalcy in Igbo land, calling for an end towards anarchy in the Southeast region.
The call was contained in a message by Amb.(Prof.) George Obiozor, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide for the occasion of annual celebration of Igbo day, to be marked 29th September 2021.
The Southeastern region of Nigeria had in recent times been a hotbed for violence, especially attacks on security personnel and formations, burning of public infrastructure, cult killings among others.
In the message, the Ohanaeze leader, Ambassador Obiozor said Igbo youths particularly the leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, should take notice of the danger violence has posed in Igbo land.
Ndigbo, he said must avoid being a race that has voluntarily chosen to perish in violence and insecurity, and as such, stop threatening themselves with violence and violence rhetoric.
He expressed fear that something other than the initial objectives of IPOB is taking place and it is dangerous.
“Today, what we are seeing in Igbo land is not liberation but ala Igbo destruction and devastation.
“It is a national tragedy for Igbos.
“The liberty and freedom of Ndigbo are threatened internally and externally.
“I call on IPOB leaders to reassert the authority and control of the organization,” he feared.
Obiozor urged the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to be cautious and seek dialogue as well as ensure that the IPOB is not hijacked.
“To our Son Nnamdi Kanu himself, what good is it to have the greatest dream in the world, if others reap the benefit and glory?
“In history there is only a thin line between a Hero and a villain.
“The greatest tragedy for any leader in history is to end up from a hero to a villain.
“Ndigbo must think again which way forward.
“Our anger and disgust must be directed at leaders and fellow citizens, who do not want Ndigbo to become emancipated like themselves as Nigerian citizens,” the Igbo leader advised.
Ohanaeze reiterated its preference for dialogue instead of violence or military solutions to national problems, warning that the dialogue should not be delayed further.
According to him, for Ndigbo, the demand is simple, that the Nigerian Federation should be sustained and have a sense of stability and that it must be a union of equals and the composite units must have the ability to survive without begging the center.
In his words; “We must tell ourselves the truth or keep deceiving ourselves by ignoring the calls for decentralization and devolution of power in Nigeria.
“Ironically, in history, societies where truth comes last tragedy comes first.
“We must learn the lessons of history, particularly our own Nigerian history on how the story began.
“Nigeria must avoid being a failed state.”
Obiozor described the continued delay by Southeastern governors to launch the proposed Ebubeagu security outfit in the region, as an embarrassment, maintaining that the region needs a homegrown solution to its internal security crisis.
“I strongly appeal to the Governors without further hesitation to consolidate and launch Ebubeagu security architecture, in the South-East.
“The security situation in the South-East makes this call urgent and imperative.
“Our people must have a security networking agency that is under their control and capable of identifying both internal and external security threats in Igbo land,” he maintained.
