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Ndigbo
abroad protest over Ojukwu
•Irukwu re-states Ohanaeze’s stand on 2007
NKIRU OKEKE, Enugu and VINCENT
EGUNYANGA, Abuja
A NOTE of caution has gone out to
the State Security Services (SSS) on the consequences of arresting Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The warning came amid reports of planned protests by
Ndigbo in Europe and the United States of America (USA) over the plight of
Ojukwu, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate in the
2003 general elections.
National Chairman of APGA, Chief Chekwas
Okorie who spoke in Enugu weekend expressed dismay that any Nigerian could be
hounded in a democracy for expressing an opinion.
But, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation,
Ohanaeze, insisted that for justice and equity in the polity, Ndigbo
should produce the country’s president in 2007.
Okorie who just returned from the World
Igbo Congress (WIC) in the U.S said influential Ndigbo in Washington
D.C., London and Ottawa (Canada) were mobilising to demonstrate against the
shabby treatment of Ojukwu (Ikemba) and draw world attention to the
plight of the Igbo in Nigeria.
Besides, complaints have been lodged over
the matter with the U.S. State Department and the British Home Office, with
favourable responses from the Americans, the APGA National Chairman said.
Chief Okorie warned the SSS not to plunge
the country into a fresh crisis, pointing out that the present youthful
generation of the Igbo did not experience the civil war (1967-70) and having
come to regard Ojukwu as a hero, would not mind daring the consequences.
Dim Ojukwu
and the SSS have been at daggers drawn following the former’s declaration of
support for the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra
(MASSOB) which successfully organised, on August 26, a stay-at-home protest in
the South-East over alleged marginalisation of the zone.
Dim Ojukwu,
also said it was up to Nigeria to determine if such independent republic would
exist or otherwise.
However, the SSS, believing the opinion
posed a threat to national security, invited Ojukwu to Abuja, allegedly with a
one-way flight ticket, a gesture the Ikemba declined as improper and
subsequently alleged a plot to kill him and MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph
Uwazuruike.
Chief Okorie stated: "Igbo people see
Ojukwu and for good reasons, as the symbol of their struggle for survival in
Nigeria. They see him as the epitome of what the Igbo represent in the world,
but not as the presidential candidate of APGA. So, they believe that arresting
him is a deliberate action to assault the Igbo people again and humiliate the
entire Igbo nation."
The APGA national chairman maintained that Ojukwu has done nothing, but
expressed his personal opinion, which according to him, was the basic
entitlement of every Nigerian citizen.
Said he: "I am not speaking for Ndigbo,
but let me tell you that if Ojukwu is arrested on the basis of the opinion he
expressed, some of us who are now elders may take the constitutional means of
seeking redress. I cannot guarantee that the youths who now out-number us by
very good margin will not be patient enough to follow that same method.
"These people did not see the war, they
did not participate in the war and they cannot come to terms with why their
situation will be like this in Nigeria, why the entire Igbo area will be so
neglected. They can’t understand why they will go to the universities, acquire
degrees, come out and be condemned to riding Okada for survival. And one
man (Ojukwu) who had left every comfort available to him to identify with the
downtrodden is being threatened with unwarranted arrest and possible
elimination.
"The general feeling is that Igbo people
are not wanted in Nigeria, no matter how hard they tried, so they (Igbos abroad)
have planned a number of civilised actions. There would be demonstration in the
week ahead in the capital cities of Britain, U.S.A. and Canada. They are also
contacting the Igbo in the other capital cities in other countries, in Europe
and the entire America to do the same.
"I personally lodged formal complaint with
the American State Department and with the Home Office of the British government
in London. And I am happy that the American State Department has promptly
responded to that complaint."
Reiterating its position that it is the
turn of the South East to produce the next president in 2007, Ohanaeze
said the development would bring fairness, equity and justice to the polity.
President General of Ohanaeze,
Prof. Joe Irukwu, (SAN) spoke at a reception organised in his honour by Item
Union, Abuja, under the chairmanship of Chief Francis Egu.
Professor Irukwu further disclosed the
setting up of a committee on Okija shrines to study the report of the police.
He said that the committee, headed by
Chief Edwin Ume Ezeoke will upon completion of its assignment, report back to
the organisation.
He insisted that power should shift to the
South East in 2007, noting that the North has ruled Nigeria for "30 years".
"By the time President Obasanjo finishes
in 2007, the South West would have ruled for 12 years. The South East has ruled
for six months. We are saying that justice demands that the East must rule, that
is simple justice," he stressed.
Professor Irukwu argued that it was high
time Nigerians imbibed the Igbo concept of justice and fairness summed up in the
saying "Egbe bere, ugo bere," pointing out that it meant "justice for
all."
He pledged to commit himself to defending
the political and economic interest of Ndigbo, submitting that
presidential materials that will be acceptable to Nigerians abound in Igbo land.
Earlier, the chairman of Item Union, Chief
Chesa Ogba, said Prof. Irukwu was being honoured because of his position as "a
champion of truth for the Igbo nation," saying "a N100 million befitting civic
centre" will be built in honour of Irukwu who he described as "a great patriot
of our time."
The reception which was well attended, had
representatives of Anambra, Imo and Abia state governments present and included
former governor of old Anambra, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nwafor-Orizu, a lawyer, has
called on Ndigbo and all Nigerians to rally round Dim Ojukwu and let the
authorities leave the Ikemba alone.
Speaking at a prayer session, Mr.
Nwafor-Orizu made supplications to God for peace in Nigeria.
He described Dim Ojukwu as a great
Nigerian nationalist and Igbo leader.
He said although he does not believe in
MASSOB, Ojukwu, however, has the right to express an opinion.
According to him, MASSOB is a non-violent
organisation.
"They are only talking, or is it a crime
to express an opinion? Except it is shown that MASSOB is an armed organisation
like Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) or Bakassi, then and only then will all
of us raise eyebrows to their views on Biafra," he said.
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