The new President General of Ohanaeze the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has reeled out his agenda for the Igbo race during his tenure as the Ohaneze helmsman.
Chief Iwuanyanwu who was sworn in on Sunday after the Ime -Obi ratified his nomination, spoke on Arise television interview on Monday.
He identified the key focus of his leadership to include: seeking release for the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; education and economic revival of Ndigbo.
The elder statesman who expressed deep concern over the precarious security situation in the South East, submitted that the release of Kanu would help restore peace to the zone.
Chief Iwuanyanwu who said he had planned to convene a peace summit in the South East, noted that the proposal might not work if Kanu remained incarcerated.
He, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to release Kanu as his parting gift to Ndigbo before exiting power on May 29.
” Our position as Ohanaeze on Nnamdi Kanu is that justice should take its course. But now that the courts have tried him and discharged him, we feel there is no justifiable reason to still keep him in detention.
“In fact, it’s a problem for us when Kanu is not released because he has a very strong followership. A lot of our young people who believe we are not getting what we should get from Nigeria support the agitation by Kanu.
” So, if Kanu is released, it will reduce the security problem we have in the South East.
” It’s my intension to organize a peace summit where Ohanaeze will invite all the groups agitating for one thing or the other and make them to embrace peace.
” But we can’t organise peace summit if Kanu is still in detention. It won’t work especially when the courts have said he should be released.
” It is, therefore, our appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to release Nnamdi as a gift to us before leaving office.”
The new Ohanaeze PG commended President Buhari for some of his infrastructural interventions in the South East, explaining that contrary to misconceptions in certain quarters, Buhari does not hate Ndigbo.
” We know that Buhari loves Ndigbo. I’m in touch with our state Governors and they told me many of the things he has done in their states.
“Buhari has done the Second Niger Bridge; Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway; he has approved the dredging of Ugwuta Lake which is a joint venture between the Imo State Government and the Nigeria Navy.
” So, I thank him and appeal to him to do us this one favour which is to release Nnamdi before leaving office on May 29. Every Igbo will be happy if he does that”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu who said he had commissioned a study on power generation in the South East, disclosed he would set up committees on education and economic revival.
He identified youth unemployment as a major challenge Ohanaeze under his watch would aggressively tackle in partnership with state Governors in South East.
“Unemployment causes social unrest. We will work together with state Governors to address it.
” After the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, by 1960, Igbo had come top in education, economy, military science and technology and so many areas.
” We have never had political powers, yet we are highly advanced. So, I’m going to set up a council on education to find out what makes us strong in education and to improve on it. I will also set up a council on business to ensure our businessmen are women succeed.”
The new Ohanaeze helmsman also said he would set up a committee to bring back on stream, the famous but moribund Nigercem Cement Industry Nkalagu, before the year runs out.
” The major raw material for cement is limestone, and we have it in abundance in South East. So, I will set up a committee to ensure Nigercem Nkalagu begins production before the end of this year.”
On how to end the power challenge in South East, Iwuanyanwu said:” I commissioned a study on power, and I got an amazing report that we can generate cheap power through coal. We have coal in abundance in Enugu. It’s one of the best in the world. So, we will explore that especially now that power has been brought to the concurrent list.”
The former Chairman, Ohanaeze Council of Elders, used the opportunity to clear the air on his alleged anti-Yoruba comment in Awka which he said was twisted by mischievous elements to possibly pitch Yoruba against Ndigbo in the run up to the general elections.
He denied ever referring to the Yoruba as political rascals explaining that he only said that those behind the unprovoked and senseless attacks against Igbo interests in Lagos were political rascals.
” Before the elections we had complaints from Igbos living in Lagos who felt threatened and unsafe, telling us that even in schools their children face hostilities because they are Igbo.
” So, I called some Yoruba Leaders who even condemned the action. I was convinced that there was no problems whatsoever between the Igbo and Yoruba but the people I describe as political rascals are the ones causing the problem for personal motives.
” As a leader, I told them: Don’t be afraid. Stay in Lagos; Yorubas are our friends and brothers. Chief Awolowo showed love to a lot of Igbo. As a young man, I visited him when I was nursing my presidential ambition, and he blessed me.
” Yorubas are good. The late Moshood Abiola was my very good friend. I knew Tinubu through him. So, I was surprised to see that somebody manipulated the story out of mischief.
” If you listen to the video you will discover there is a gap between Yoruba and political rascals. Somebody who wanted to cause crisis between Yorubas and Igbo, mischievously cut off part of my remark to twist the comment.
” It was Shehu Sani who first discovered this and drew the attention of people that it was fabricated. I thank him for that.
” People should be careful what they hear. Fraud has reached advanced stage in Nigeria. Mischief makers twist people’s fair comments to implicate them, and this is very sad”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, again, condemned the senseless and unwarranted attacks against Igbo interests in Lagos during and after the elections.
He urged the federal government to take action against the perpetrators, insisting that nobody has the right to prevent any law-abiding Nigeria citizen from going about his lawful business in any part of the country.
“It’s a very embarrassing situation that at this time in 2023, after so many years of independence, that a Nigerian citizen should be told that a particular place where he had lived for a long time that he should quit.
” Yoruba Leaders have come out to condemn it. Those behind it are political rascals and not Yoruba people.
” Ohanaeze has a lot of respect for Yoruba people. Before the amalgamation of 1914, Igbo people have been living and investing in Lagos. Igbo don’t cheat their hosts. Even in America and London they acquire property and contribute to the development of their host. That’s why they are respected.
” Ohanaeze believes this will be the last time anybody should tell an Igbo man or woman to pack out of his house in any part of the country”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, however, said that the Governor of Lagos had been favourably disposed towards the Igbo living in Lagos.
” Igbo living in Lagos told us that the Governor has been good to Igbo and not against them. I want politicians to be careful of those they engage as aides to avoid creating problems for them.
” If you recruit a thugs who is a criminal and he is working for you. You should be able to take responsibility for his crimes”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu said that the opportunity given to him to serve as Ohanaeze PG, had conferred on him, an onligay to do well.
” I have made up my mind to do my best. People who knew me in the past have confidence in me”
Iwuanyanwu who said his emergence was the first time Ohanaeze PG was elected without rancour or acrimony.
” Governors or their Deputies from the five South East states were present for the first time. They all came together to pledge their support for me”.
Chief Iwuanyanwu will be completing the tenure of Imo State to lead the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization following the death of the late Professor George Obiozor.
VANGUARD
