- Adds that Igbos not interested in joining any protest because of lingering injustice
The umbrella body of Igbos, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Monday alerted Nigerians of the “persistent Igbophobia” by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, saying that he has become the public face of “deep-seated” hatred for Igbos.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement by its Spokesperson, Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, said “Onanuga’s bizarre dispositions towards anything Igbo” consistently shows him “as unthoughtful, loathsome, cantankerous, uncouth, repugnant, inflammable, and repugnant.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo reminded the President’s Chief Spokesperson that the prevailing hardship in Nigeria is blind to ethnicity, adding that “Nigerians of all persuasions, North, South, East and West are in pains of diverse forms: excruciating hardships, poverty, Naira downward spiral, incessant kidnappings, banditry, farmers-herdsmen conflict, most terrifying insecurity, joblessness, rising food prices and cost of living challenges.”
The group then advised Onanuga to know that this is the “time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed, oppressed, the deprived, including Obidients.”
The full Statement reads: “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a remark by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Chief Bayo Onanuga to the effect that “the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And that Obi “should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the protest.” And that the Obidients are “plotting to unseat President Bola Tinubu under the guise of protests”. Several gullible undiscerning persons have joined Onanuga to state specifically that “the Igbo are the propellers of the forthcoming nationwide protest.
“Ohanaeze views the above remarks by Onanuga as true to type. On March 19, 2023 Onanuga was reported by several news media to have issued a serious warning to the Igbo stating, “Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027”. When many well-meaning Nigerians including Mr. Festus Keyamo cautioned Onanuga on the ignoble path he has chosen for himself, he was quoted to have stated: “I owe no one apology for ethnic slur against Igbos.”
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo views Onanuga’s bizarre dispositions towards anything Igbo as unthoughtful, loathsome, cantankerous, uncouth, repugnant, inflammable, repugnant and full of deep-seated hate.
“It may be necessary to inform Onanuga that Nigerians of all persuasions, North, South, East and West are in pains of diverse forms: excruciating hardships, poverty, Naira downward spiral, incessant kidnappings, banditry, farmers-herdsmen conflict, most terrifying insecurity, joblessness, rising food prices and cost of living challenges. And that the prevailing hardship in Nigeria is blind to ethnicity.
“It is necessary to inform Onanuga that this is a time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed, oppressed, the deprived, including Obidients.
“And to also inform the Onanugas that issuing threats to masses, the hungry and angry, the vulnerable and indeed those who no longer fear any fall is the most inconceivable line of action for any government in a fragile society. In other words, instead of broadening the minds to creative thinking and welfare programs for the masses, the Onanugas are chasing rat when the house is on fire.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo seizes this opportunity to reiterate our position with respect to the widely publicized nationwide protest scheduled for the days of August, 2024. On February 20, 2024, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR; OFR; CFR; FNICE; FNSE; FNIST; KSG (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) directed the Igbo not to join in the protest against President Bola Tinubu.
“The Igbo Leader explained that “Igbo youths and youths from other ethnic groups at various times expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the country. It is clear to us that when youths from other tribes of the country are involved, they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when the Igbo youths are involved they are arrested, incarcerated and even charged for serious offences. For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for the Igbos” amongst others.
“Emphatically, the current hardship in Nigeria is the comeuppance of Igbophobia. It is an unavoidable outcome of an orchestrated injustice, marginalization, callous conspiracies, corporate shenanigans and ethnic bigotry against the Igbo.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands on a firm wicket based on reason, history and experience, to state that “there can never be peace, progress and national development when there is a deliberate government policy of injustice, tantrums and brimstones against a vibrant, capacious, resourceful, resilient and populous ethnic group such as the Igbo.
“On Saturday, March 25, 2023, during the occasion of one year in Office of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo condemned the persistent aversion to the people of Southeastern extraction, which he described as Igbophobia. Obasanjo added that unless Nigeria throws its doors open to merit and full inclusion of the Igbo in national affairs, the country will continue to flounder and grope in the dark.
“Finally, the Igbo are once again requested not to join the forthcoming nationwide protest. When President Muhammadu Buhari appointed about 15 service chiefs in Nigeria and Igbo was secluded, did the lopsided policy abate the security situation in Nigeria? And have we died? And many more…? It was Robert Schuller who posited that “Tough times never last but tough people do.”