All does not seem to be going well again with Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and the Northern political establishment. Iwuanyanwu who is the Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Elders has been a key ally of the North since the Ibrahim Babangida failed transition programme.
He is now warning that any plan to expel Ndigbo from Nigeria and dispossess them of their hard-earned assets will be resisted. He also described as provocative and insulting the action instituted by a group described as Northern Elders requesting a Court to order the National Assembly to make a law expelling the Igbo people from Nigeria.
During the aborted Babangida transition programme, Iwuanyanwusought to dominate the affairs of the country on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). To boost his political image, Iwuanyanwu Nationale was a formidable force in the continental soccer circuit. His national newspaper, Daily Champion, was the first to elevate sports to the back page.
In a daring statement the senior citizen recollected that some years ago, some Northern leaders rose from a meeting in Kaduna state and issued a communiqué calling for the expulsion of Igbos from Nigeria. He also observed that some months ago, many news media carried the demonstration of some Northern youths and women insisting that Igbos should leave Nigeria.
He said that since these attacks on the Igbo nation in Nigeria, he has received lots of curious enquiries from many Igbos within and in the diaspora as regards their safety. He described the situation as very embarrassing to not only Ndigbo but also to all patriotic citizens of Nigeria maintaining that in a larger sense, the action of these northerners is treason against Nigeria.
Iwuanyanwu insisted that the action is very hostile against the unity, peace and stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and urged all patriotic Nigerians to view this action with great concern.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo chief said that investigations carried out revealed that the action of this group does not represent the opinion of true leadership of Arewa and Northern Elders, pointing out that the younger generation of Igbo believe that they are hated and do not have opportunities to survive or succeed in Nigeria adding that most of the crisis experienced in South East today are caused by these feelings by the younger generation.
He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with South-East leaders during his visit in Owerri was highly commended and indeed a good and strategic step towards reconciliation and reassuring to Igbos.
“President Buhari made it clear that Igbos were domiciled in virtually all communities in Nigeria and in those communities, they are pursuing their businesses with peace and love. And that Igbos wherever they go obey the laws of the land and respect the customs and traditions of the indigenes.”
Iwuanyanwu said that the President’s statement in Owerri which confirmed that Igbos were making substantial contributions in the development of all communities in Nigeria was reassuring to Igbos.
“It clear that no group in Nigeria can claim greater ownership of Nigeria today than the Igbos. And at every stage of the nation’s history since 1914, Igbos have played major roles in all activities that shape the destiny of Nigeria everywhere.
“In the struggle for independence, Igbos championed the crusade. In other areas, economy, education, industry, sports, etc, Igbos have continued to play their roles and make tremendous contributions.
“Igbos will therefore want to make it abundantly clear to all and sundry that if anybody plans to expel Igbos from Nigeria and dispossess them of their hard earned assets they have all over the country, Igbos will never accept that.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the name Nigeria is derived from one of the biggest rivers in Africa- River Nigeria. In Nigeria, this river transverses through a substantial part of Igbo land. It is important to note that most of the people who want to expel Igbos and seize their assets do not have their states anywhere near the River Nigeria. We now want to tell Nigerians that Igbos are substantial owners of Nigeria.
“In some geopolitical zones, militants, Boko Haram and Herdsmen are operating dangerously, killing many innocent people. These people are secessionists. They have even mounted their flags in some Local Governments and collected taxes. I want to point out the fact that Nigeria flag is flying everywhere in Igbo land”.
He said that the problems in Igbo land are caused by the hostile action directed against Igbos which make the younger Igbos feel rejected and have no future in Nigeria. Chief Iwuanyanwu restated that Ndigbo has been calling for a peaceful resolution of the present crisis adding that the sooner it is resolved, the better or else criminals may hijack the peace process.
He is therefore appealing to all Igbos living outside Igboland to remain calm and peaceful and pursue their legitimate business without fear. Iwuanyanwu assured them that as law-abiding citizens, they have nothing to fear.
