The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expresses profound disappointment in the recent inaction of Southeast Governors regarding the escalating security crisis in Southeast.
According to Ohanaeze, the failure of the governors to engage effectively with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), stands as a glaring oversight amid the disarray that has gripped the Southeast.
The group disclosed this in a statement signed by it’s factional Secretary General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro on Sunday.
According to Isiguzoro, the lackadaisical approach exhibited by the governing figures has inadvertently created a vacuum, allowing insignificant actors like Simon Ekpa—currently operating from Finland—to manipulate public sentiment and threaten economic activities with his dubious declarations of lockdown.
He noted that Ekpa antics serve only to further mock and ridicule Southeast steeped in rich history and remarkable leaders, including the illustrious Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. Michael Okpara, Dr Francis Akanu-Ibiam, Dr Jaja Wachuku, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dimm Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Chief C C Onoh, and Chief Sam Mbakwe.
Other parts of the statement read; “Ohanaeze Ndigbo asserts that it is incumbent upon the Southeast Governors to unequivocally assert their authority as the chief security officers of the region. We call upon them to utilise innovative, homegrown mechanisms to tackle these unprecedented challenges rather than perpetuate reliance on ineffective conventional methods. It is imperative that these leaders leverage their relationships, notably with critical figures like the Attorney General of the Federation, to pursue a constructive dialogue for Kanu’s release.
“Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, condemns the current state of apathy, noting that the prolonged inaction following their commitments to engage with President Tinubu has emboldened non-state actors and their nefarious agendas. The people of the Southeast continue to bear the brunt of this instability, and we firmly hold the governors accountable for their constitutional duty to safeguard the lives and properties of Ndigbo.”
He then urge all Ndigbo to disregard the irrelevant and inconsequential lockdown imposed by Simon Ekpa and to resist any intimidation from criminal elements wishing to disrupt the region’s peace.
“As schools prepare to reopen amid ongoing economic challenges, it is essential that we remain resolute against external threats to our stability.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterates its commitment to advocating for genuine solutions to our security crisis, urging Southeast Governors to step up as leaders. The time for action is now; we implore our leaders to reclaim control of the Southeast and protect our people from the trepidations that loom”.
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