The apex Igbo socio-cultural cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo says it is making plans with governors of the five South Eastern States to float a regional security outfit.
This is according to a communiqué issued after the maiden meeting convened by the organisation since the inception of Ambassador George Obiozor as the President General, in Owerri on Saturday.
Though Dave Umahi, the Chairman of the South East governors forum said they did not float a security outfit due to the lack of existential security threats in the region, Ohanaeze said the region needs a security outfit.
The communiqué released at the end of Ohanaeze’s meeting also frowned at the rate Igbos are being killed in different parts of the country whenever there is crisis.
The communiqué stated that the leadership of Ohanaeze has been mandated to work in consultations with all the state governors in the southeast to fashion out a way of reducing the vulnerability of Ndigbo living in any part of the land in the zone.
Obiozor stated that the elders council agreed that Igboland needs a security outfit which 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.”
Obiozor stressed that Ohanaeze has also strongly objected to the call by some individuals and party that zoning should be set aside, insisting that it could only agree to the terms if Ndigbo is allowed to take its turn in 2023.
While deliberating on Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, the Elders Council mandated in the communique that the President General should work in close consultation with the Igbo socio-cultural and political intelligentsia to pursue the task of ensuring that the zone take their turn in producing the next President in 2023 General elections.
Obiozor noted that the council has 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.
Ohanaeze also restated its resolve for restructuring, in the Communiqué. It agreed that there is need for the different components of the Nigerian nation to come together and dialogue on its future.
The communiqué emphasized the need to further pursue and implement the Alaigbo Stabilization Fund 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.
Meanwhile, Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma addressing the media after the meeting, commended the efforts of Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership worldwide on what they have achieved in a short while.
He encouraged them to look into the existing security arrangements in the south east States and communities and see how best to support and equip them to continue, to secure Igboland while he added that, he and his colleagues from the zone look for ways of more sophisticated security arrangements for the entire zone.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council was well attended with the presence of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, Governor of Enugu State (represented by the State’s SSG), Senators, House of Representatives members, Ministers, past President General as well as Apex leaders such as Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (Ahaejiagamba) and First Republic Minister of Information, Mbazulike Amaechi.
