An Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Youth Council, (OYC), has admonished factional President General, Engr. Chidi Ibe to refrain from making inciting statements capable of causing disunity and disharmony among Igbos.
OYC maintained that Ibe’s inciting statements against Ohanaeze Ndigbo is emboldened by the sponsorship he enjoys from former Imo State Governor and the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial district, Rochas Okorocha.
The apex Igbo youth organization gave the admonition in a release signed by its President, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka and made available to GoldennewNG on Saturday.
OYC stated that Senator Okorocha’s unguarded tirades against the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor was due to the assumption that Obiozor and Governor Hope Uzodinma are very close friends, claiming that this was Okorocha’s statement at Ogboko when Ohanaeze youths had a meeting with him on the way forward for the apex Igbo body.
“It’s obvious that Prof. Obiozor’s ambition to become the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was not conceived during Sen. Hope Uzodinma’s administration as the former had severally consulted Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha when he was the governor of Imo State.
“Rochas Okorocha wants to anchor his presidential ambition with sentiments on Ohanaeze Ndigbo and IPOB which explains why he was using Chidi Ibe to incite IPOB against the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to achieve a political sympathy and love from IPOB members.
“It’s very unfortunate that since the inception of Biafra agitation, many Igbo politicians have used pro-Biafrans to achieve their political selfish interests, and at the end they give pro-Biafra members name. Today, Chidi Ibe and Rochas Okorocha have found a new love in IPOB like Romeo and Juliet, just to project themselves as lovers of the Biafra movement.
“Where was Rochas Okorocha and Chidi Ibe when IPOB members were being killed and tortured by the security agents, and how many IPOB members did Ibe empower when he was Commissioner in Okorocha’s administration, “OYC queried.
The Igbo socio-cultural group stated that Chidi Ibe was using his inciting statements to mobilize IPOB for Okorocha’s presidential project, stressing that it is unacceptable for anyone to use his personal ambition to cause crisis with Igbo youths in IPOB.
Ohanaeze youths decried that the time and resources Okorocha was wasting in court to distract Professor Obiozor, could be channelled to a substantive adventure that can favour Ndigbo.
“Enough of this gimmick and nonsense by desperate Igbo politicians using Ndigbo and Biafra quest to whip up sentiments while in actual sense they are major beneficiaries of looting of Nigeria’s treasury,” OYC warned.
“Ohanaeze Youth Council will not succumb to the politics of divide and rule by Engr. Chidi Ibe and Senator Rochas Okorocha in Igbo land, but any patriotic progressive who love Ndigbo should drop his or her personal agenda and earnestly support Prof. Obiozor to build a new Igbo society as he leads the great Igbo race in the next four years”.
