Iwuanyanwu: Igbo’ll Stand By Tinubu, Won’t Join Any Protest

Tony Icheku in Owerri

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, yesterday, directed  that no Igbo group or community in Nigeria or in Diaspora should join in any proposed and ongoing protests or  demonstration against the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Iwuanyanwu reminded the Igbo that since the 2023 presidential electoral matter has reached the Nigerian Supreme Court, where they declared Tinubu winner, the Igbo had decided to support Tinubu.

“We expect him also to reciprocate this gesture by giving us what is our due in the federation. We are not asking for another person’s position,” he stated in a release personally signed and titled: ‘Message To All Igbo Worldwide’.

Iwuanyanwu declared: “As your leader, I am directing that no Igbo group or community in Nigeria or in Diaspora should join in this action. I am still studying the situation.”

He averred that it was a critical period in  Nigeria as events in the country were disturbing.

“The economy has turned very bad, a scepter of frustration is everywhere. I have received many entreaties from many parts of the country requesting me to call Igbo to join in demonstration and violent action in the country, against the government.

In the lengthy message, Iwuanyanwu raised several issues bothering on what he described as marginalisation of the South-East geo-political zone in all ramifications

Amongst others, he argued that the South-East occupied “is the only geopolitical zone that has only five (5) states. This situation has cost us billions of financial losses. It has also cost us losses in both political appointments and legislative representations.

“In 2005 and 2014, we raised this issue at various conferences. All men of goodwill at the conference agreed that it was unfair for the South-East to have only five states and recommended that an additional state be created in the South-East but up till today, this has not been done.”

Iwuanyanwu maintained that there he had drawn the attention of the federal government to this injustice against the South-East,  adding that this statement should serve as a notice that if no step was taken by the federal government and the National Assembly towards the creation of an additional state in the South-East, he will have no choice than to go to court.

Iwuanyanwu further argued that  in an occasion where Igbo youths and youths from other tribes at various times expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the country, whereas youths from other tribes of the country were  reprimanded and forgiven.

“The Igbo youths are arrested, incarcerated and even charged for serious offences. For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for the Igbo.

“Many Igbo, including governors, members of the National Assembly, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and business leaders pleaded with Mr. President for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu but without success.

“Also, there are many Igbo Youths detained in various correctional Centres for flimsy excuses. For example, there is a case of Eze Fredrick Nwajiagu, who has been in detention in Lagos without any justifiable reason,” he stated

The leader of the apex Igbo organisation further decried the fact that though the Civil War was brought to an end on a note of ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’ culminating in an agreement of the 3Rs – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction – the 3Rs were never implemented in the war torn areas.