The concerned youths of Ikwerre ethnic nationality in Rivers State and Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM) have condemned the emergence of John Azuta Mbata as the President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The Ikwere youths threatened to protest on January 17, 2025, against alleged attempts to annex the Ikweres as Igbo people.
The group stated that the newly elected President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Azuta Mbata, should not drag the Ikwere people into his ambition, declaring that he does not have the support of Ikweres in his elevated position.
According to the leader of Concerned Ikwere Youths, John Ihua, the protest was to inform the world that the Ikweres have no hand in Mbata’s emergence, saying he is on his own.
He added that the youths of Ikwerre are unhappy with the controversies the emergence of Mabata has brought to Ikwere land.
He said: “The Ikwere people are not Igbo people, the foundation has been laid from the beginning and it’s explicit. Whatever Mbata is doing is not our business. He should not drag Ikwere people into his interest.
“On January 17, we are mobilising massively for a peaceful protest to tell the world that Ikwere people are not Igbo. We are not part of them; the controversies are becoming too much. Every time, there are issues in our land because of some people’s selfish interests.”
Ihua insisted that the decision by Mbata to contest the position of the president general of Ohaneze Ndigbo is not in the collective interest of the Ikwerre people and, hence, does not have their backing.
ALSO, the Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM), which is a political pressure group, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the new President-General of Ohanaeze, Mbata, to resign.
The group claimed that Ikwerres are not part of the Igbo people and, therefore, Mbata, who is an Ikwerre, cannot lead an organisation that represents the interests of the Igbo people within and outside Nigeria.
In a statement jointly signed by the Director General, Johnson George, and Secretary, Mrs Sarima Akpata, the group described Mbata’s emergence as the President General of Ohanaeze as “unfortunate.”
They alleged that the development was a surreptitious attempt by the Igbo to annex Rivers State. The group also criticised the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, for congratulating Mbata, threatening to organise peaceful protests in Rivers, Abuja, and all United Nations facilities to express their displeasure over the development.
The group’s ultimatum to Mbata expires in seven days, after which they plan to take further action if he fails to resign.
