By Abbanobi -Eku Onyekachi, Abuja
Barr. Austine Amaechi, a Kaduna-based legal practitioner and the Coordinator, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, has treated with dismissal and unseriousness the purported expulsion of the recently elected President – General (PG) of the Igbo socio cultural organisation, Distinguished Senator John Mbata by an association of Ikwere people, Ogbakor Ikwere.
The Coordinator addressed journalists to that effect over the weekend.
Chief Amaechi said that the letter of expulsion was purportedly written, signed and published on the media by just, but a few people, adding that a greater population of Ikwere people believe and agree that they are Ndigbo.
Mbata was disowned and published on the media by Ogbakor Ikwere, with a reason that the Ikwere people aren’t Igbo people and for the fact that the senator has decided to join the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide and become its PG, he has seized to be a member of the association.
Reacting further, Chief Amaechi reminded them that as is done in other Igbo states in Nigeria, in line with Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide’s constitution, an Ikwere man has recently been elected as the president of the Igbo socio cultural organization in Rivers State.
Still treating everything with a wave of hand, and advising a few people from Ikwere who has been deceiving themselves and the younger generations to stop denying themselves of their rights, identity and origin, the legal guru therefore reminded them that they disclaimed Igbo about 50 years ago, during the civil war in order to save their lives and survive. For that, he continued to urge them to grow up and stop making caricature of themselves, by denying themselves their rights, identity and origin, since the war has ended.
Ikwere itself, he went on is an Igbo language, adding that they don’t only speak Igbo language, but also answer Igbo names and have the four market days of Eke, Orie Afor and Nkwor, Ndigbo are known with. He said that they claimed their origin from Benin and they were denied by the Benin people. Chief Austine C. Amaechi therefore reminded them, with their claims, they have no place to trace their origin and have lost in Nigeria’s history.
Stating categorically that Ikwere people are Ndigbo and that Distinguished Senator John Azuta Mbata is the PG, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, he said each ethnic group in Nigeria has a socio cultural organisation, and they work together toward promoting unity and peace in Nigeria. For this, he called for the support of the new PG, for a common goal of unity, peace and progress of purpose to be achieved.
