The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has slammed the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for alleging that the Igbo perpetrated most violent attacks on their people in southern Nigeria.
The group urged the Federal Government to call the NEF to order and make them rescind their inflammatory statement to avoid the possible mayhem and confusion it could cause in the country.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, frowned at the incendiary, unsubstantiated and provocative statement credited to the leader of the NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi.
Nwodo, who said that Abdullahi by his learning, experience and exposure should have known better, noted that the unprovoked outburst by was capable of setting the country ablaze.
A statement by the Ohanaeze leader’s media adviser, Chief Emeka Attamah, wondered where and when the Igbo could have killed their northern brothers when there had never been any case of mayhem and killings against the north in any Igbo-speaking State.
He challenged Prof. Abdullahi to make public facts to substantiate his “wild and malicious claim” unless it was intended to set up the Igbo for another round of killings in the north, adding that with the statement, the Igbo in the north are not safe.
The Igbo leader told the northern elders to exhibit greater caution and wisdom in addressing sensitive national issues rather than stoke further the fire of ethnic violence by making such unguarded, unsubstantiated, garrulous and vitriolic claims capable of igniting fire and breakdown of law and order that could consume Nigeria.
According to Attamah, “He reminded them that knowing that Nigeria is now a tinderbox, especially with the heightened frayed nerves arising from the unfortunate mismanagement of the fabric of the nation, caution should be the watchword.
“Chief Nwodo further reminded Prof Abdullahi that at the twilight of his life, he should espouse salutary views that should bind and heal the wounds of the country so that he will leave behind a better and united Nigeria.”
In its reaction, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) warned NEF not to set Nigeria ablaze by the inflammatory statements of their leaders.
The pro-Biafra group regretted that the wheels of disunity and disaffection among ethinic nationalities were being driven by a supposedly nationalist.
“Ndigbo have never killed the Arewa dwellers in Igbo land even during the EndSARS protest. It is not in our nature to hurt non indigenous people dwelling or residing in Igbo land but it is historic and eloquent records that the people of Arewa have killed the Igbo on several occasions in the northern region,” MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, said.
He described the visit of Abdullahi and his team earlier in the week to Rivers State as a failed mission.
“The primary aim of Northern Elders Forum to Rivers State is to continue in their mission of divide and rule syndrome, they saw in Governor Nyesom Nwike as a willing tool of continuous perpetrating their enmity virus against Ndigbo. They may have succeeded in deceiving some leaders of South south in seeing the Igbo as their enemies in the past.”
However, MASSOB reiterated that divide and rule syndrome, plantation of disaffections and brotherly discord by the Arewa people against the people of eastern region were no longer fashionable and workable because the present generation of diverse ethnic nationalities of eastern region were not for political slavery of Northern oligarchy.
MASSOB advised governors of the South East and other leaders not to accord Prof. Abdullahi and his team resounding reception because of his “venomous hatred against Ndigbo” stressing that has insulted Ndigbo and their leaders.
