Ohanaeze Ndigbo has dissociated itself from the statement making the rounds in social media that it is against the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Imo State.
This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Enugu on Wednesday by Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
It said, “The attention of the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been drawn to a statement making the rounds in the media and purportedly issued by the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. The press statement, issued by one Chidi Ibeh, a nondescript and unknown to Ohanaeze, gave the impression that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is at odds with the planned visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Imo State on Thursday, September 9, 2021. Nothing can be more dishonest than this.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, under the leadership of Prof. George Obiozor, dissociates itself from the purported statement and urges Ndigbo to disregard same.
“We are appalled that some miscreants, masquerading as leaders of Ohanaeze could issue such rheumy and dubious statement on behalf of Ndigbo. The statement is mischievous, ill-intended and a deliberate attempt to put Ndigbo in harm’s way.
“May we reiterate here that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide welcomes His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Owerri in Igbo land.
“We are, therefore, deeply delighted that President Muhammadu Buhari has chosen to visit Ndigbo in Igbo land at this critical juncture in Igbo history. By this visit, the president has proven, beyond doubts, that he is the father of the nation.
“It is, therefore, the height of wickedness, callousness, mischief, rabble-rousing, and miscreancy for Mr. Chidi Ibeh and his co-travellers to issue such a discordant statement in the name of Ndigbo.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo would no longer take such idiosyncrasy and urge our people to totally disregard the mischief of Mr. Chidi Ibeh and his recalcitrant, misguided impostors, impersonators and pretenders,” he said.
Ohanaeze thereby called on Ndigbo to troop out en masse to welcome President Buhari and accord him the honour due to him.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide are persuaded that this land-mark visit to the South East of Nigeria by Mr. President is critical and a turning point in the Igbo political history,” he added.
It would be recalled that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had in a statement ordered residents of Imo State to observe a sit-at-home during the president’s visit to Imo State today in solidarity for its leader Mazi Nnamdi Knau who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).