5th February, 2015
- Igbos in the North to be vigilant, before and after elections
- Igbo Governors should assist in evacuating Igbos trapped in violence
- Let God and conscience guide whom to vote for
- Alleges billions exchanged for endorsement by sacked executives
Ohanaeze
Ndigbo has denied endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan for a second
term. They rather asked Igbos to vote whosoever their conscience permits
them in the February 14th Presidential polls.
Speaking on Thursday with
the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) Rev
Obinna Akukwe who led a team of concerned Igbo stakeholders to know the
direction of Ndigbo in the 2015 Presidency project and the security of
Ndigbo in the North especially after the elections, the
Chairman of Ohanaeze Elders Council, Chief Mbazulike Amechi described
those who purportedly endorsed Jonathan for a second term as “a group of
illegal Ohanaeze whose major purpose is to collect and share billions
of naira without any negotiation over the fate of Ndigbo during and
after the Jonathan era”.
Chief Amaechi told the leaders of Igbo Mandate
Congress that those that went to Abuja to meet with Jonathan are
speaking for themselves and their family. According to him “The basic
interest of those endorsing Jonathan is to collect money. They were
sharing millions and hundreds of thousands on Tuesday to some persons
and we the Elders Council of Ohanaeze are not a part of it. Some persons
even got their finger bitten off while some women got their dresses
torn while struggling for the money from Abuja. That is not what
Ohanaeze stands for”
The
Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, Chief Raph Obioha told
Rev Akukwe that “Ohanaeze Ndigbo, of which I am the Chairman of the
Caretaker Committee, has not endorsed anybody. We have presented four
cardinal things that any candidate we must support will do for Ndigbo.
These issues include the security of lives and property of Ndigbo,
before, during and after the elections. Secondly is the callous neglect
of Igbo territory since after the civil war, including the present
administration,. Thirdly is the need for Igbos who lost billions of
investments and millions of lives to be properly reparated. Fourthly is
the political fate of the Igbos after the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan”.
Dr
Zed Chukwujama, Secretary Ohanaeze Caretaker Committee expressed worry
over the fate of Igbos in the north after the elections and told Igbo
Mandate Congress leaders “that those who are sharing the millions are
not thinking of how to protect Igbo lives and property especially in the
North”.
Ohanaeze
Caretaker Committee gave the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress a copy
of the communiqué of the meeting presently ongoing at Enugu. The
resolution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as contained in the communiqué includes:
“Since
there has been no concrete agreement with any of the Presidential
Candidates on the four cardinal issues of security for life and property
of Ndigbo, infrastructural development in Igboland, Reparation for
atrocities and war crimes against Ndigbo, at least to the level
recommended in the Oputa Panel Report, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is unable to
commit Igbo voters at home and everywhere to the blanket support of any
of the Presidential Candidates. We therefore advise and guide Igbo
voters’ everywhere as follows:
“(a)
On the day of the election, after praying to God in whatever way you
worship Him, listen to Divine Guidance, go and cast your vote for ANY
candidate your conscience guide you to”
(b)
Be vigilant before, during and after the election, make appropriate
arrangements to save your life, your family and your property
(c)
In view of the ominous uncertainties that loom in the air, Igbo
Governors should make contingency arrangements, separately and
collectively, to evacuate Igbo citizens who may be trapped in areas of
violence”.
The
communique obtained by Igbo Mandate Congress was signed by Chief
Mbazulike Amechi, Chief Ralph Obioha and Dr Zed Chukwujama. Ohanaeze
Ndigbo Caretaker Committee meeting is still ongoing as at press time.
The Ohanaeze Elders Council has declared the Igariwey led leadership of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo illegal hinging it on the expiration of their two year
tenure and appointed a Caretaker Committee to pilot the activities of
Ohanaeze fo the next six months.. However the Igariwey led leadership
has refused to comply with the orders of Ohaneze Elders Council, an
issue before the court.
It
would be recalled that the Chief Igariwey led Ohanaeze Ndigbo had
earlier endorsed Jonathan secretly at Aso Villa on the 12th of January
with a delegation of some Igbo leaders which include Chief Emmanuel
Iwuanyanwu, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Hope
Uzodimma among others. The open endorsement earlier scheduled for
Abakaliki on the 14th of January was shelved due to the opposition from
the Elders Council. However on Tuesday, they finally made the secret
endorsement open at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Secretariat EnugU.
Source: Universalreporters
Source: Universalreporters
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