Ohanaeze Protests Using The Igbo As Guinea Pigs, Asks For Security Outfit In Igboland, Seeks Restructuring |The Source

The Elders Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked for a restructuring of Nigeria, protesting what it described as the continuous use of the Igbo as guinea pigs. At a meeting in Owerri, presided over by  Amb. (Prof.) George Obiozor, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World  on Saturday, March 27, 2021, it insisted that for fairness, equity and harmonious co-existence of Nigerians there is need for restructuring.

In a Communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the socio-cultural umbrella body agreed that “there is need for the different components of the Nigerian nation to come together and dialogue on its future.”

A Press Release issued by Oguwike Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodinma, quoted Obiozor as saying  that the points in the communiqué informed that there has to be convocation of a robust and intellectually fecund national dialogue on the political, economical, social and cultural structure of Nigeria vis-a-vis the essential challenges the Nigerian Nation is currently confronted with.

The communiqué, Oguwuike said, also, highlighted issues of security/insecurity which has become worrisome in the country as a whole with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership mandated to work in close consultation with State governments in Igboland to fashion out ways of reducing the vulnerability of those residing in any part of Igbo land.

The Elders Council noted that Igboland needs a security outfit that will address issues that are peculiar to the nature, culture, tradition, topography etc of the people and also give support to efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

They frowned at the current situation whereby Ndigbo leaving in other parts of Nigeria become easy target and Guinea-pigs during hostilities, both within the country and even in some parts of Africa like Ghana and South Africa.

The Elders Council mandated Ohanaeze Leadership to fashion out ways of encouraging Government in the Igbo speaking States to become more proactive in the pursuit of policies that will boast both Agriculture and Manufacturing. The Council decried the recent national statistical figures that ascribe some Igbo speaking States as ranking highest in the number of unemployed people, pointing out that a home grown approach for tackling the unemployment monster should be pursued without any further delay.

The same communiqué emphasized the need to further pursue and implement the Alaigbo Stabilization Fund which was initiated by the immediate past administration of Chief Nnia Nwodo. They therefore adopted the report of the Alaigbo Stabilization Funds Steering Committee for the improvement and investment into the welfare and growth of Igbo land.

On Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, the Elders Council mandated the President General to work in close consultation with the Igbo socio-cultural and political intelligentia to pursue the task of ensuring that the Igbo take their turn in producing the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023 General elections. This, the council insisted, is only achievable in consultation with other ethnic nationalities as the elders urged every Igbo man or woman with the needed capacity to show interest in the 2023 presidential race.

Furthermore, the Council mandated Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to pursue a deliberate policy of ensuring a noticeable and measureable improvement in the quality of education in Igboland.

Also they noted that while it recognizes the right of every Nigerian to freedom of speech, nobody henceforth, has the authority to speak on behalf of Ndigbo except the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. To that effect, the Elders therefore directed the Ohanaeze leadership to go into direct talks with other ethnic groups and governments at all levels on ways of finding a lasting solution to the myriads of problems facing the Nigerians nation.

Adressing the media briefly after the meeting, the host Governor and the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma commended the efforts of Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership World-wide on what they have achieved in a short while.

He encouraged them to look into the existing security arrangements in the various Igbo States and communities and see how best to support and equip them to continue to secure Igboland while the various Governors look for ways of more sophisticated security arrangements for the entire zone.