THE newly inaugurated leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, OYW, has called on the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, not to go ahead with their threat to disrupt the Igbo Summit being planned by the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urging them to give peace and dialogue a chance.
Nnia Nwodo, President-General of Ohanaeze
Ohanaeze youths warned that they would not succumb to the intimidation and threat by members of IPOB.
Rising from its maiden meeting held Monday, in Owerri, Imo State, OYW reminded IPOB that though all of them are pursuing the same good cause for Ndigbo, “we are still bound by the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, Ohanaeze youths said that still being part of Nigeria, “we are ever willing to partake in any political or constitutional reform that would advance the cause of our people and strengthen the viability of the federating units”.
The communiqué which was signed by the deputy national president of OYW, Dr. Kingsley Dozie and 11 other leaders said, “we join hands with other patriotic and well meaning Nigerians/zones who subscribe to restructuring because it is sincerely for our common good as a nation”.
According to them, “in as much as we condemn the unjust killings of our people and the proscription of IPOB, we will not succumb to the intimidation and threats of truncating the Igbo Summit holding in Awka on 21st of May 2018, which undermines our fundamental human rights of speech, association and assembly.
“We advise our brothers in IPOB to embrace peace, dialogue and constructive reasoning as the best medium for achieving our common goals and objectives”.
The group therefore assured all those invited for the summit not to fear, saying it would be hitch free.
Ohanaeze officials planning May 21st summit arebetrayers—IPOB
But in a reaction, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday alleged that the planners of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Summit on May 21st in Awka, Anambra State are betrayers of the Biafra struggle and corrupt people with long history of treachery and sabotage in their blood, whose parents and grandparents collaborated with the British conquerors in the 19th century to swindle Nigerians.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said: “Anybody seen delivering a speech at the Awka summit will be deemed to have collaborated in the death of hundreds of IPOB members as a result of Operation Python Dance activities and will be marked enemy of Biafrans.
“Before the British colonized Nigeria, they first conquered the country and the fathers of the modern collaborators were made servants and warrant chiefs in the homes of British colonial masters to serve their interest against our people.
“Careful observation reveals that the few corrupt people organizing the Federal Government sponsored Ohanaeze Ndigbo Summit are those whose parents and grandparents collaborated with the British conquerors when they came into our land in the late 19th century to swindle us.
“The fathers of these modern collaborators were made servants in the homes of British colonial masters and warrant chiefs to serve white man’s interest and enslave our people, contrary to the traditions and culture that sustained our civilization for over 5,000 years and these same group of inbred agents of the oppressor are at work in Ohanaeze Ndigbo today.
“When Arochukwu fell, the forebearers of these modern day collaborators benefited and hurriedly attached themselves to white missionaries in order to help complete the subjugation of their own people.
“They became agents and informants for ‘Nwa-DC’ or District Commissioner and in return, were made clerks or ‘Kotuma’ to the colonial courts. Therefore, only those born into these families with long history of treachery and sabotage in their blood will attend the Aso Rock sponsored Ohanaeze summit in Awka on Monday and they will pay a terrible price for it in the weeks and months ahead.
“We shall compile the names of all keynote speakers at the event to add to the register of all those that have over the years been betraying our people, especially the individuals that packaged and executed Operation Python Dance.”
Lagos Ohanaeze backs Igbo summit
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has thrown its weight behind the Chief John Nnia Nwodo-led National Executive Committee, NEC, on restructuring and the May 21 Igbo Summit.
On May 21, Ndigbo, a host of Southern Nigeria and Middle-Belt leaders will assemble at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka for the Igbo Summit on restructuring.
Rising from the state executive committee meeting, the President of Ohanaeze Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna said there is no better solution to Nigeria’s problems than restructuring.
His words: “It is only in a restructured Nigeria that everyone will have a true sense of belonging as that will bring to an end the unitary constitution that was forced down on us by the military.
“We in Lagos are strongly behind the national executive council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo ‘s stand on restructuring. It is only restructuring that can address most of the social and economic vices confronting Nigeria.”
