*To stop insecurity in S/East
*Says criminals use IPOB leader’s detention to destroy Igboland
The Igbo apex socio-Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has disclosed that it has concluded plans to visit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to press for the release of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, dropped the hint when he received traditional rulers from the South-East in his office in Orji, Owerri, Imo State on Thursday.
Iwuanyanwu said the release of the IPOB leader would bring insecurity in the zone to an end as criminals were hiding under agitation for his release to destroy Igboland.
According to him, if Kanu is released, there would be no reason for some criminal elements to cause havoc in the zone under the guise of enforcing sit-at-home.
The Ohanaeze leader who was receiving the leadership of Supreme Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers, South East chapter led by HRH Eze Dr Oliver Ohanwe, the Obi Gburugburu of Igboland paid him a courtesy cum solidarity visit expressed gratitude for the visit.
He regretted that other ethnic groups in Nigeria have sold the dummy of perceived secession of the Igbo ethnic group to the Federal Government, thus creating undue fear and suspicion of every intention of the group before the Federal Government.
He pointed out that statistics have shown that Igbos as critical stakeholders in the Nigeria project own over 60% of the investments in the country and that their investments and residential identities spread across all the nooks and crannies of the nation unlike other ethnic groups that mainly invest and reside only within their ethnic geographical location.
According to him, “your request and solidarity visit have reinvigorated Ohanaeze leadership’s intention to see President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on issues concerning Igbo ethnic group, more especially the need to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB.
“His continual detention is escalating insecurities in South East.
” Let us see when he’s released, any person or group that will be instigating insecurities or crisis in Igboland using his name or detention. Some people and groups are illegally feasting on his popularity and detention just to cause unnecessary trouble and problem in the entire South East and for their own selfish interest.
“There must be peace and stability in Igboland. Immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will definitely restore sanity and unravel a lot for the benefit of the nation” Iwuanyanwu insisted.
The Aha Eji Aga Mba of Igboland further informed that since his emergence as the President of the apex socio-cultural organization, he has instituted the organization in all the continents of the world including America, Europe, Asia and South Africa noting that over 6,000 000 Igbos are living in Diaspora.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, HRH Eze Dr Oliver Ohanwe, the traditional ruler of Isiama ancient kingdom in Isiala-Mbano LGA of Imo State said the essence of the visit was to have a mutual collaborative partnership with the leadership of the apex socio-cultural organization in execution of their mission and vision which he insisted are in tandem for the overall interests of Igbo ethnic group.
Ohanwe who described Iwuanyanwu as a 5-Star General commended him also for being a stabilizing factor among the South East Governors and other critical stakeholders of the region.
He canvassed his organization’s foremost desire of advocating for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a strategic means of arresting insecurity in the region and the need to have a harmonious cultural identity among the ethnic nationality.
The foremost royal father further disclosed their plans to see President Tinubu, his Leadership team and some eminent Nigerians concerning the continued marginalization of the ethnic group and the need to readdress the injustices especially as it concerned the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite courts orders.
He commended the South East Governors for their patriotic desires to revamp the region’s collaborative socioeconomic activities as well as their untiring efforts in repositioning and transformation of the zone.
In his contributions, Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu of Abia State reminded Chief Iwuanyanwu that by his position as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World wide that he is the leader of the region and his opinion should be respected.
Ofoegbu lamented that Kanu has suffered in the detention for too long and urged the Ohanaeze President to throw his weight behind the demand for the release of the IPOB leader.
He applauded Chief Iwuanyanwu for purpose-driven leadership just as he commended Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State for his good governance and massive infrastructural developments of the State.
