The President General of the umbrella body of Ndigbo Worldwide, the Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo has reacted to the court ordered release of Ndigbo women and saluted the Judiciary for allowing reason and respect for human rights to prevail.
The Ohanaeze leader who is recuperating abroad from a mild surgery warned Igbos against shooting themselves on the foot no matter the provocation.
In a statement he personally signed, Chief Nwodo said that Ohanaeze is pleased that reason and respect for human rights prevailed and that a little over one hundred women who were exercising their fundamental human rights could not conceivably be any threat to peace in Imo State.
“I salute the courage of the Imo State judiciary and the professionalism of the State Attorney General. Never again shall we Igbos at this critical time shoot ourselves again on the foot. No matter how provocative, incindiary and unruly IPOB may be, they are our children. Aggrieved children can sometimes lose their guard.
Nwodo urged Imo State government to demonstrate some restraint in the future. “Here are young people described as terrorists for daring to speak out in the face of degradation, marginalization and inhuman treatment.
“While they are proscribed, Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors, Miyetti Allah move about freely reeling out new threats, occupying Southern and Middle Belt farms forcibly with the law enforcement agents either aiding them or intentionally looking away. Churches are invaded, priests killed yet no one is arrested. Thousands are killed, thousands are rendered homeless, no one cares. IDPS are established only when the displaced come from a favoured section of the country.
Nwodo noted that Boko Haram loot, plunder, kidnap but the government negotiates with them spending unappropriated and undisclosed sums! Yet IPOB is proscribed for just speaking up. Arewa youths spoke treason and were defended by Governors and treated with privilege!
“No wonder our security chiefs are appointed on the basis of where they come from. Any Igbo who is not angry at the situation in the country today must have his head re-examined.
“Now, they contemplate Operation Python Dance 3 without dealing with the carnage of Operation Python dance 2 where UN rules of engagement were flagrantly violated. Who won’t be angry under these circumstances?
The Ohanaeze leader admonished Governor Rochas Okorocha not to allow his anger at IPOB’S verbal provocations override his paternity.
“Borrow a leaf from me. I am abroad and emerging from theatre for a mild surgery and I have read how it is being said that Ohanaeze and the South East governors masterminded you to detain our sisters, but noted that the false propaganda did not stop me from directing Ohanaeze National Publicity Secretary to condemn the detention.
“The provocation, double standards, and subjection to servitude far outweigh the denigration their false propaganda subject us to.
Finally, Nwodo warned against over- stretching the peoples endurance limit “May our endurance not be stretched to the point where it challenges Hooke’s law on elastic limit”
