*Says S/E prefers Democracy
*Calls for release of Nnamdi KANU
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Despite the on going socioeconomic hardship biting Nigerians, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says the ethnic race is vehemently opposed to military rule no matter what.
On the contrary, apex Igbo sociocultural Organization said Igbos were prepared to embrace and sustain democratic rule.
Iwuanyanwu said this on Thursday in Owerri in press statement endorsed by him and made available to The Authority Newspaper by his media aide, Mr. Ben Osuagwu.
Caption: “Message To All Igbos Worldwide”, the statement said, “the economic crisis in Nigeria is very unfortunate. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide intends to convene a meeting of Igbo top economists and experts in diverse fields to strategize on how to overcome the hardships.
“We will also proffer advice to President (Bola) Tinubu on the economy. It is important to note that the best thing for us as Igbos is to rally round President Tinubu and to do what we can to enable him complete his tenure. Igbos are opposed to military rule. We prefer a democratic government where we can express our views” he noted.
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide further observed that in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended, Nigerians endorsed a federal character, whilst the Igbos by nature would have preferred the free competitive process based on merit rather than a federal character paradigm of quota system.
He also pointed out that the Igbos have realized that Nigeria is a federation comprising so many ethnic nationalities and as part of their sacrifice towards the unity of Nigeria, they have accepted the federal character option but regretted that it has been used to manoeuvre the Igbos out of most critical positions in Government.
For example, he said, the immediate past Nigerian President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari openly confessed that he didn’t give Igbos their due because they did not vote for him.
On issue concerning youths and their restiveness nature, Iwuanyanwu said it point blank that, “youths all over the world are very restive and sensitive to any issue affecting their future.
In Nigeria, Igbo youths and youths from other tribes at various times expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the Country.
“It is clear to us that when youths from other tribes of the country are involved they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when the Igbo youths are involved they 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 Igbos. Many Igbos, 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” the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide leader lamented.
