Pan-Igbo groups and stakeholders have met and reached an agreement on the protection of Ndigbo ahead of tomorrow’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
The groups raised concerns about the safety of Ndigbo in different parts of the country.
The stakeholders agreed to work together, in the face of the existential threat confronting the Igbo.
The frontline Igbo groups made their position known in a communiqué after a well-attended emergency meeting convened in Enugu, yesterday.
The meeting was organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo in collaboration with Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF.
It was attended by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB; Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, among others.
The groups frowned at the heavy militarisation of Igboland in the name of election, warning the security forces to ensure that no Igbo son or daughter was maltreated in their bid to exhibit crude might.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,Chief Nnia Nwodo; President of Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu; Chief Ben Obi and Gary Enwo Igariwey, Uchenna Madu, were among the dignitaries that attended the meeting.
The meeting was addressed by Nwodo, Nwala, Iwuanyanwu and Madu.
A communiqué issued after the meeting, reads, “We urge all town unions in Igboland to be vigilant, to monitor and control the movement and activities of all persons in their domain and report all untoward activities to the appropriate quarters for analysis and action.
“We urge Ndigbo in their places of abode in Nigeria, and elsewhere, to continue to live peaceably and go about their civic duties in an orderly and exemplary manner, for which we are well known, but refuse to be intimidated by anybody.
“We note with great apprehension, the massive mobilisation and deployment of soldiers within all enclaves in Igboland; we also note that there is no constitutional provision for the deployment of soldiers for electioneering purposes and therefore, advise that every effort must be made to ensure that these soldiers do not engage in the harassment of the public going about their lawful civic responsibilities.
“We call on the Federal Government to ensure the safety of Ndigbo, especially those living in northern Nigeria and other parts of the country; and call to order, any public officer that may, through words or actions, be promoting violence.”
They also insisted on its preference for the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
“Ndigbo, reiterate our unequivocal support and endorsement for the Atiku/Obi presidential ticket as already announced by the national leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, ADF and other Igbo interest groups.
“We call on all Igbo registered voters both at home and outside the Igboland to come out en masse, join all patriotic Nigerians of other ethnic nationalities and vote for the Atiku/Obi ticket. This election is our collective struggle for freedom and we must count it all joy to be part of history.”
Comments