Chairman, Forum of State Presidents of Ohanaeze in the seven Igbo-speaking states, Dr. Chris Eluomunoh, told journalists in Awka that no right thinking person would support the Nnamdi Kanu group's struggle.
Embattle IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu
On Friday, Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has disowned the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and other members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over their struggle to secede from Nigeria.
Describing Kanu’s objective as madness, the Chairman, Forum of State Presidents of Ohanaeze in the seven Igbo-speaking states, Dr. Chris Eluomunoh, told journalists in Awka, Anambra State that no right thinking person would support the group’s struggle.
“You will notice that Ohanaeze has been very silent on the issue of Biafra insurgency, though the youth wing of Ohanaeze has been speaking on it. Ohanaeze, as the Igbo cultural group, cannot support Biafra and we dissociate ourselves from it totally.
“Igbo people have contributed much to the development of Nigeria and we cannot allow some people to jeopardise the lives and efforts of millions of Igbo residing in all parts of Nigeria.
“We believe that anybody who has any issue to settle with the Federal Government should use dialogue and that is why we participated in the last National Conference. No sane Igbo person would want to witness a repeat of the kind of thing that happened during the Civil War.
“(Chief Odumegwu) Ojukwu, who led the Biafra war, returned to Nigeria from exile and contested elections in Nigeria, which showed that he was fully integrated into Nigeria and was a full-fledged Nigerian before he died.”
Eluemunor said the speculation that IPOB enjoys the support of Igbo politicians is a lie. He said the group mainly gets its support from outside the country.
He however acknowledged that part of the reason for the agitation is the lack of infrastructure in Igbo land, and pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the infrastructural decay in the area.
He said Buhari should declare a state of emergency on the infrastructure problem in the South East by rehabilitating the federal roads that have become death traps due to neglect.
He said, “We know the marginalisation was not caused by him, but we plead that he should look into the problems being complained about by the people of South East and South–South. He has won the election and we in Ohanaeze support him and will work with him for the unity of the country.”
Source: The Punch