By Alex Enebeli
The Apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has again, urged people of Southeast to resist sit-at-home order by an anti Igbo group during the forthcoming election.
The group made the call in a communique issued and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia at the end of an emergency meeting of the group’s National Executive Committee (NEC), on Friday in Enugu.
The meeting was presided over by the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Secretary General, Amb. Okey Emuchay.
Ogbonnia said the NEC elaborated on a few issues of national interest and reached some major resolutions.
According to him, the most worrisome among them was the sit-at-home and total lockdown order to the Igbo by one Simon Ekpa, who is based in Finland.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo express shock and doubt that a true Igbo would unconscionably embark on a disingenuous duplicitous adventure aimed at denigrating, disenfranchising and decimating his people.
“The most disturbing is that the unscrupulous sit at home and total lock down order by Ekpa falls within the Nigerian general election.
“Ohanaeze stands firmly on natural justice and equity to proclaim that it is the turn of the South East of Nigeria to produce a president for Nigeria and by the irrevocable forces of providence.
“The right thinking Nigerians and the global community have embraced the virtues in Peter Obi as the most suitable, competent, visionary, inspiring and energetic presidential candidate for the forthcoming general election.
“It is therefore strange that at the very rare consensus and convergence of history, equity, public consciousness and expertise in Obi, an impetuous youth will engage in an unreflective drum-beat that draws his people to a macabre dance,” he said.
The publicity secretary said Ohaneze was curious that while the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful had dissociated IPOB from any sit-at-home in the South-East during the election period.
“We are urging residents to disregard the rumoured order making the rounds by the Simon Ekpa” and that “IPOB is only interested in the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”.
“The Autopilot ignores the necessary landing permit by his people and Ohanaeze therefore urges the residents in Igboland to ignore the sit at home in its entirety,” Ogbonnia said.
The group lauded the interventions with the Finish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen by Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
Others were Igbo Union in Finland, the general public especially the Youths and the reassurances of President Muhammadu Buhari with respect to security and a free and fair election in 2023.
The NEC used the opportunity to pass a vote of confidence on Emuchay as Secretary General of Ohaneze and its National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, for their selfless services for the Igbo nation.
The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that the women from the South East had on Feb. 15 called on Ekpa to leave the people alone and urged everyone to resist the sit at home order. (NAN)
