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Tag: Ohanaeze

  • Biafra: Ohanaeze blasts IPOB for outlining ‘conditions for peace’

    The apex Igbo cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has described as spurious, mendacious and the height of blackmail for the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), to outline what it called the preconditions for peace between it and Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    In a press release, the Special Adviser to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Media and Publicity, Chief Emeka Attamah, regretted that after all Ohanaeze was doing to advance the interest of Ndigbo, IPOB was still recalcitrant and refused to allow peace which is a sine qua non for progress and the achievement of self-determination for Ndigbo.

    The release said that the press hype IPOB was engaging in as preconditions for reaching a peaceful coexistence with Ohanaeze Ndigbo was most unfortunate, especially after the efforts done by the President General to challenge the Federal Government on all wrongs done to IPOB.

    Attamah recalled that at his inauguration on the 11th of January 2017, Chief Nwodo had, in defiance of the obvious hatred and animosity of the federal government towards IPOB, stated that both IPOB and MASSOB were his children and that he would not abandon them because their cause was his cause.

    The President General was explicit then that there are two approaches to any struggle: violence or dialogue and that he preferred dialogue.

    The release further said that at all the peace meetings Ohanaeze had held with IPOB, Chief Nwodo had always explained that the apex body had nothing to do with the proscription of IPOB by the federal government.

    “On the contrary, Chief Nwodo had confronted the GOC of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu to carry out investigation and trial of soldiers who went outside the rules of engagement in the killing of members of IPOB during the Operation Python Dance.”

    The release said that when IPOB was proscribed, Ohanaeze again challenged the Attorney General of the federation to show cause why IPOB, a harmless and an unarmed pressure group, could be proscribed while Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of the killer Fulani herdsmen was being romanced by the same federal government.

    Attamah stated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo had restrained itself from engaging in a press war with IPOB because as Chief Nwodo always says, a father should not quarrel with his children in the public, but that the truth is palpably in the public domain.

    He said that this is why all the vituperation being poured on Chief Nwodo by IPOB both on the pages of newspapers and through text messages to his phones had not elicited any challenge from Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    The release advised IPOB to see the two demands by IPOB for a referendum or State of Biafra and that of restructuring by Ohanaeze as efforts towards achieving the same objective of self-determination, but that under the present situation, restructuring was preferable as it precludes bloodshed.

    Attamah regretted that now that Chief Nwodo has been able to galvanize Ndigbo and, indeed, the South-South, South-West, Middle-Belt and some parts of the North to embrace restructuring to ensure equity and fairness for all the federating units in the country, IPOB is rather distracting Ohanaeze from giving Ndigbo a better place of pride.

    Ohanaeze, therefore, enjoined all well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters to call on IPOB to embrace peace and form a synergy with Ohanaeze to enable Ndigbo achieve a better political and economic space for themselves in the country.

     

     

  • Youth, women wing suspend Nwodo as Ohanaeze president

    The crisis rocking the apex Igbo socio-political body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, escalated on Sunday as the youth wing of the association, Ohanaeze Youth Council, announced the ‘suspension’ of the President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo.

    The leadership of the women wing of association was part of the decision to suspend Nwodo, according to a statement made available to journalists in Enugu.

    The development came on the heel of the announcement of plans by the National Executive Council of Ohanaeze to conduct elections into executive positions of the youth and women wings.

    The Nwodo-led NEC is insisting that the Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro-led youth wing had been disbanded by the Ime-Obi, Ohanaeze’s highest decision making organ, in 2016 while the tenure of the women wing had expired in 2017.

    Before announcing Nwodo’s suspension on Sunday, the Ohanaeze Youth Council had, on April 2, 2018, passed a vote of no confidence in Nwodo, and demanded his appearance before a ‘disciplinary committee’ over a number of allegations levelled against him.

    The Ohanaeze youth wing led by Isiguzoro, accused Nwodo of running the apex Igbo socio-political body as a ‘one-man show.’

    Claiming that Nwodo was parading himself as a ‘Generalisimo,’ they alleged that the former minister was using the office to further his political ambition.

    The OYC insinuated that Nwodo was working for the presidential ambition of a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, for whom, they claimed, he was positioning one of his brothers as the running mate.

    They equally accused Nwodo of ‘illegality,’ noting that, contrary to the rules of the organisation, he was using a Forum of States’ Presidents (presidents of Ohanaeze state chapters) to override the Ohanaeze NEC.

    The OYC further frowned on the appointment of a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, by Nwodo, as well as the appointment of a Director of Administration, which they said were done without the approval of the Ime-Obi, the organisation’s highest decision making organ.

    Accusing the Ohanaeze President-General of autocracy, the youth leaders added, “He (Nwodo) has closed down the Publicity Department of Ohanaeze by not giving the Publicity Department the liberty which the spokesman for Afenifere enjoys, rather he (Nwodo) is now the President-General and the Publicity Secretary using his media aide against the official spokesmen of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

  • Ohanaeze calls for prayers, says Nigeria under seige

    President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo on Friday urged Nigerians to use this Easter period to intensify their prayers for peace in the country.

    He said that “the country is clearly under siege from all corners” and stressed that the period of Easter provides good opportunity for citizens to pray more to God to send succour to alleviate their sufferings.

    The Ohanaeze leader stressed that Nigerians should not allow the prevailing hardship in the country affect their spirit of love, brotherliness and peaceful coexistence.

    Nwodo, in a statement signed by him, urged Nigerians to cultivate the spirit of oneness and also re-dedicate themselves to the virtues of love, patriotism and unity for the desired national development.

    “Nigerians Christians must allow the solemnness of the last 40 days of fasting and prayers to influence their thoughts and actions in relating with one another,” he noted.

    Nwodo urged Nigerians to use this period to think deeply at the state of the nation with a view to finding a lasting solution to the country’s challenges.

    “Restructuring this country is perhaps the sincere and pragmatic way to address the nation’s socio political and economic challenges and time is ripe for political leaders to embrace it,” he said.

    The Ohanaeze president-general reiterated his call during the Christmas and New year festivities on Ndigbo to always think home and not to allow the hardship occasioned of the last two years affect them in thinking about their homeland.

    He stated that the deliberate exorbitant tax in some states in the country is targeted at Ndigbo to cut their savings and discourage their “Aku rue uno” policy but he urged them not to be dissuaded because nowhere is their wealth more secure than home.

    Nwodo also urged Ndigbo to show more than passing interest in the socio-political development in the country by ensuring that all eligible voters collect their voter cards and be ready to use it effectively to pick leaders that would fight for their interests.

    The Ohanaeze leader wished all Nigerians a happy Easter celebration and prayed for enduring peace in the country.

  • Buhari allowed fuel scarcity to increase sufferings of Igbo – Ohanaeze

    The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo, has stated the current fuel shortage in the country was a deliberate attempt by the current administration to impoverish Igbo people.

    He also stated that the policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration do not in any way favour sons and daughters of Igbo land.

    Nwodo said the fuel scarcity was to ensure that whatever Igbos living outside brought to Igboland would be expended on fuel.

    He called on Ndigbo to never forget to bring back their wealth to the homeland.

    He said this in his Christmas message, adding that the period provides good opportunity for Ndigbo to pray more to God to send succor to alleviate their sufferings in the country.

    He said, “They know that at this period in the year Ndigbo travel a lot to their homeland, that’s when the government chose to close our airport, that’s when they allow fuel shortage to take place, this is very unfair and insensitive.

  • 2023 Presidency: Make friends across Nigeria, Ohanaeze tells Igbos

    Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged its people living in the north to court more friends so as to actualise the ethnic group’s quest to produce Nigeria’s president in 2023.

    The call is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the 19 northern states and Abuja. The meeting, held in Minna, ended Sunday night.

    The communique restated the group’s resolve to promote one indivisible Nigeria with equal opportunities for all, and urged Igbo people resident in the north to live in harmony with their host communities.

    It lauded the contributions of John Nwodo, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, toward a united and prosperous Nigeria, and urged him to continue to defend the interest of the people.

    The cultural group extended its hands of fellowship to other Igbo associations the world over, and called for more unity in the pursuit of Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 44 chapters of the group, drawn from across the 19 states of the north, attended the meeting.

     

     

    NAN

  • Ohanaeze to Buhari: “Address Igbo marginalisation, not pension,’

    The Igbo apex cultural group, Ohanaeze, says President Muhammadu Buhari should tackle marginalisation of Igbo instead of paying pension to ex-Biafra policemen.

    President Buhari had announced that the Federal Government will pay pensions to former Biafra police officers.

    However, in a statement on yesteday, Ohanaeze President John Nwodo said there was more pressing issues among the Igbo that the government should pay attention to.

    According to Nwodo, Igbos are treated like second hand citizens in the country and thus, finding a lasting solution to the challenge, should be the Federal Government’s priority.

    “It’s been 47 years since the war ended and many of the people who should benefit from this pension are dead already. That goes to show you how the South-East region has been marginalised and that is why we are harping on it,” Nwodo stated.

    “It’s not good to be treated like a second class citizen in a country you are supposed to belong. We thank Buhari for this approval but he must tackle the issue of Igbo marginalisation headlong. Buhari must understand that justice delayed is justice denied.”

    There have been renewed agitations in the Southeastern part of the country for the creation of an independent State of Biafra.

  • Forget about BIAFRA, call for restructuring, Ohanaeze leader tells Igbo youths

    The Southeast should forget the agitation for Biafra, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said yesterday.

    The Igbo should work towards the restructuring of Nigeria, their apex socio-cultural organisation said.

    “We should forget Biafra and insist on restructuring. There is no Igbo person that is happy with the situation of things in Nigeria. We must seek peaceful ways of resolving the issues,” Ohanaeze President John Nwodo said.

    He spoke in Umuahis during the inauguration of the state and local government executives of the Abia State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    Nwodo said elders warned Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu against the manner he was going about his agitation for Biafra, but he did not listen.

    To the Ohanaeze leader, restoration of Biafra was a tall order, given the constitutional roadblocks which, he said, will not be in the overall interest of Ndigbo in their socio-economic and political relationships with other Nigerians.

    He said while youths were justified in expressing their anger at Ndigbo’s marginalisation in national affairs, Nwodo said they should moderate their actions and words. Hate speeches would not resolve any problem, Nwodo said.

    The Ohaneze leader spoke of how elders told Kanu and his other IPOB members to tone down their words and desist from denigrating people and groups.

    He also said Kanu was told that his insistence on Biafra and boycott of the November 18 election in Anambra State were not acceptable to Ndigbo, hence he should abandon his rigid position and join in the quest for restructuring.

    Nwodo justified the proscription of IPOB by the Governors Forum, explaining that what the state chief executives did was to stop IPOB from engaging in its public activities that could spark fatal clashes with security agencies.

    He said without the action taken by the governors of the Southeast, that the zone would still have been engulfed in bloodshed, adding that he would not sit by and allow the youth to be cut down prematurely.

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said Nigeria and the world were passing through perilous times, hence the need to seek peace.

    Ikpeazu said: “We believe in justice, equity and fairness. I believe in ‘live and let live’, as nobody delights in being oppressed.”

    He advised Igbo youths to respect leaders and listen to advice of elders instead of embarking on agitation to express their frustration.

    Ikpeazu said henceforth, youths and any Igbo person or group with grievances should complain to Ohaneze which is in a position to take the matter up with the appropriate authorities.

    Abia State President of Ohaneze, Mr. Chimaobim Ajuzieogu said the organisation would “no longer sit on the fence; neither shall we continue to observe as spectators in the affairs that affect us”.

    Ajuzieogu said the new leadership of Ohaneze in the state would strive hard to restore the value system of Ndigbo through massive media campaigns, adding that Nwodo should be praised for the “revivalist strategy” he had adopted.

    Elder statesman Emmanuel Adaelu, who chaired the occasion, called for unity among Ndigbo, saying that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should be recognised as the voice of the Igbo and no group should try to usurp that authority.

    Nwodo also expressed dismay over the spate of hate speech on social media platforms by Igbo youths under the guise of agitating for Biafra.

    He said making inciting speeches was capable of causing crisis which could lead to mass violence in the nation, adding that it was pertinent to respect constituted authorities.

    Nwodo said the first hand experience that he had during the civil war had given him an understanding of the throes of war, adding that no nation had fought two wars and survived.

    “There are 11.6 million Igbo people living in the North and it will be wise for Igbo people living in the South-East and elsewhere to put them into consideration while speaking or engaging in certain activities.

    “I urge Igbo youths to desist from activities and comments that could spark violence in the nation. At the moment what Igbo people need to fight for is restructuring of the nation.

    “Ohanaeze is in an era of transparency. I assure you that we have not relented in speaking for the Igbo people,especially in the area of restructuring for the benefit of Igbo people.”

  • Ohanaeze sells Biafra in London, says ‘Igbos are treated like second-class citizens’

    • Restructuring is only the way forward for Nigeria
    • Declaration of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation is unfair

    Leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group in Nigeria, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, yesterday faulted the federal government’s declaration of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation, while stressing that Igbos are highly maginalised, treated like second-class citizens.

    He, however, maintained that restructuring remains the only way forward for Nigeria while dismissing the thought in some quarters that the north would be doomed if the country was restructured.

    He stressed that rather, the North, with right agricultural policies, would be the richest part of the country, if Nigeria is eventually restructured.

    Nwodo made these submissions when he spoke yesterday at the Chatham House, in London, where he delivered a paper on “Next Generation Nigeria: Accountability and national cohesion,” at an event put together by the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

    According to him, “The example of Netherlands in Agriculture is also relevant here. The Netherlands is the 18th largest economy in the world. It has a land area of about 33.9,000 square kilometres.

    Niger State, one of Nigeria’s 37 administrative units has about 74,000 square kilometres. Netherlands earns over $100 billion from agricultural exports annually, contributed mainly by vegetables and dairy.

    Nigeria’s oil revenue has never, in any one year, reached $100 billion. Northern Nigeria is the most endowed agriculturally in the entire country.

    Its tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, cucumbers, tubers, grains, livestock and dairy feed the majority of Nigerians in spite of its huge reserve of unexploited export potentials. In a restructured Nigeria, the North, with the right agricultural policies, will be the richest part of Nigeria,” he said.

    He also frowned at the designation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group by the Federal Government, saying that they were the most loyal ethnic group in the country.

    He added, “We invest and contribute to the economic and social life of the committees wherever we live. We are proudly Christians, but very accommodating of our brothers of other religious persuasions. We are grossly marginalised and still treated by the federal government as second-class citizens. No Igboman, for instance, heads any security arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Our area is the most heavily policed as if there was a deliberate policy to intimidate us and hold us down,” he added.

    “Our present constitution was written at a time of unprecedented increase in national revenue, following the massive discovery of oil in Nigeria and its global reliance as a source of fuel for mechanical machines. It had, as its centre piece, the distribution of national revenue and national offices, using states and local governments as units for division. It constructed a federation in name, but a unitary government in practice, following the pattern enunciated in 1966 from the inception of military administration in Nigeria,” he said.

    He also came hard on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for dilly-dallying over the issue of restructuring, which “it willingly promised Nigerians during the electioneering in 2015”, just as he insisted that the continued neglect of the 2014 National Conference report would spell doom for Nigeria.

    “To achieve a national consensus on this subject requires a national discussion; regrettably, the ruling party, APC, which promised restructuring in its manifesto, after two years and four months in office, is still appointing a committee to define what sort of restructuring it wants for Nigeria. To make matters worse, none of the other political parties have come up with any clear-cut route for achieving a consensus on this matter.

    “The National Assembly itself is a reflection of the deep ethnic divisions in the country, and the Northern majority conferred on it by the military makes it highly unacceptable to Southern Nigeria. Recent resolutions made by it on devolution of powers have not helped the situation. Happily, the Senate President has promised to revisit the subject matter.

    “The only hope for change in Nigeria today is the rising call for restructuring pioneered by the Southern leadership forum, supported lately by ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former President Ibrahim Babangida and leaders of the Middle belt, including Dan Suleiman and Prof. Jerry Gana.

    “Our expectation is that now that our president is fully recovered and back to work, he should address the situation by constituting a nationwide conversation of all ethnic nationalities to look into the 2014 National Conference report and the trending views on this subject matter so as to come up with a consensus proposal that the national and state assemblies will be persuaded to adopt. To continue to neglect a resolution of this impasse will spell doom for our dear country,” Nwodo, added.
  • Ohanaeze condemns move to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu, accuses FG of favouring Northerners

    Ohanaeze condemns move to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu, accuses FG of favouring Northerners

    The Apex Igbo cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo on Saturday condemned moves by the Federal Government to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who is being prosecuted before an Abuja Federal High Court on treasonable felony charges.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Justice Binta Nyako had given stringent conditions that the embattled leader must abide by before and after leaving the prison premises. She particularly barred him (Kanu) from granting interviews, and being in gatherings of more than 10 persons, when she granted the IPOB leader bail.But, in an application which was reportedly served on Kanu on Friday, the Federal Government asked the court to revoke the bail granted the IPOB leader, and also order his immediate arrest by the police.

    Kanu was granted bail on April 25, 2017, on health ground.

    The Federal Government’s motion seeking the revocation of Kanu’s bail was hinged on the grounds that the IPOB leader had flouted the terms and conditions of the bail granted him by Justice Binta Nyako.

    The Federal Government noted that Kanu violated the bail conditions by granting interviews and holding rallies which attracted crowds that exceeded 10 persons, contrary to the orders of the court.

    The IPOB leader was equally described as a threat to national security for inaugurating an illegal security outfit known as Biafra Security Service.

    However, reacting to the development on Saturday, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, accused the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, of bias.

    Speaking in a statement entitled ‘Attorney General of the Federation, please respect your oath of office!’, the Ohanaeze leader noted that the bail conditions handed down by the court violated Kanu’s human rights.

    Nwodo wondered why the AGF would move to re-arrest Kanu, when he (AGF) did not take any step to check the activities of the Arewa youths, who, he said, only ‘pretended’ to withdraw the quit notice they issued to Igbo in the North.

    Parts of the statement read, “It has just been brought to my notice that the Attorney General of the Federation has approached the courts to incarcerate Nnamdi Kalu for flouting his bail conditions.

    “I am amazed that the distinguished attorney is prepared to contest the superiority of the provisions of the constitution on fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association over an erroneous judicial proclamation violating those rights.

    “I am equally miffed by the audacity with which the Attorney General displays his bias without regard to his oath of office.

    “A few hours ago under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and in total defiance of the Head of State’s proclamation of the rights of a citizen of Nigeria to live anywhere in Nigeria and to do business anywhere in Nigeria, the Arewa youths, pretending to withdraw their quit notice gave qualifications to the Head of State’s proclamation, issuing conditions for enjoyment of citizenship status.

    “These same Arewa youths are supposed to have been arrested on the orders of the Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police for acts of treason, conversion and sedition.

    “As the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, the Attorney General looks the other way. He does not go to court to seek an order of arrest or prosecution.”

    Nwodo pointed out that, although he and some other Igbo leaders have been insulted by Kanu due to differences in opinion, the IPOB leader reserves the right to hold any point of view in a democratic society.

    “Nnamdi, as a citizen of Nigeria, is free to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone so long as they are not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.

    “I and some Igbo leaders have differences of opinion with Nnamdi on a number of issues. We have been insulted and abused by Radio Biafra but we concede them their right to differ from us. We concede them their nature to be exuberant as youths but we cannot be judgmental about their rights.

    “This is a democracy. In democracies, leaders are abused, pelted with rotten eggs and booed at, as the former Edo State governor was booed in Abuja a few days ago. These acts are not necessarily criminal.

    “I urge the Attorney-General not to exacerbate our already tense nation by commencing a legal action which portrays him as biased, insensitive and misdirected,” the Ohanaeze leader added.

     

  • Ohanaeze calls for caution, condemns hate song on Igbos

    The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nwodo has condemned in strong terms, the recent hate songs by some northern youths against the Igbos leaving in their region.

     

    In a statement issued on Saturday, Nwodo said it was high time leaders from the region cautioned the youths that have been issuing incessant hate songs and speeches against the Igbos and other tribes in the country.

    The statement reads:

    “The current Hausa hate song trending in the social media is despicable, sad and disappointing.

    Ohanaeze is appalled that prominent leaders in the north (with the exception of a few), have allowed this development to flourish without reproach.

    The Arewa youths have stoked the embers of hatred to a discomforting temperature. The toleration of their criminal conduct has portrayed the Federal government as biased and unfair.

    Their quit notice to fellow Nigerians to leave any part of Nigeria strikes at the fundamental rights of citizenship. It is a call for the dissolution of the country. Their call for an inventory and seizure of assets of Nigerians living in the North is conversion.

    It amounts to a day light robbery of lawful property. The declaration of mop up action after October 1st, 2017 to deal with those who resist their quit notice order is a declaration of war. It is surprising that on top of all these a hate song calling for more hatred, despise and “abortion” has been allowed to fester. Yet no one is arrested.

    All the orders of arrest from Kaduna state and the IGP seem to be ambivalent and unreal. The youths meet freely with Governors of Northern Nigeria and Northern leaders showing that they enjoy their support.

    This development signals the beginning of a national catastrophe which if not nipped in the bud will snowball into incalculable damage to our continued existence as one country.

    Ohanaeze gives notice to the Federal government to deal with this situation decisively or forever be held responsible for the consequences this abdication of responsibility provokes. A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.”