President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has sued for peace, describing the level of insecurity and unimaginable extra-judicial killings in Igbo land as horrendous.
Insisting that this has to stop, Iwuanyanwu, vowed that if it will take his life to restore peace in the southeast he was ready to do so.
Ohanaeze President General, spoke on Saturday night while addressing journalists on the 2023 Igbo Day celebration coming up on September 28 and 29 with the church service held on Sunday at the Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd.
The octogenarian, who spoke on various efforts and strategies his leadership has decided to take to restore peace, however, explained that each time he hears that one person is killed in Igboland, it diminishes his person.
He said that as father of all Igbos, he would use his exalted position as the President General to pursue peace at all costs, adding that he would go as far as Finland and other parts of the world to discuss with Biafran agitators.
“I’ll take a kinetic approach that will require the cooperation of everybody. I’ll talk peace. I am ready to lay down my life to see that there is peace in Igboland.
“I’ll go to Finland and everywhere to see that there is peace in Igboland. I’ll go and cry to them. I pray to God that I achieve success.
He said: “I have decided that as a father, I am tired of the death of my children. Ndigbo have given me the responsibility of leading them at this time. Each time I hear anybody killed I feel very sad.
“I feel very sad too because those of them who are joining whatever it is are doing it because some of them are hungry. Some of them are unemployed. I am not saying that hunger and unemployment should make somebody become a criminal but not everyone has the capacity to endure hardship or hunger.
“We have been using a kinetic approach, I think I’m going to advise, I am going to discuss as part of the Igbo day celebration, I’m likely to announce a non-kinetic approach. I will as a father now call everybody. It is my duty to call everybody for peace. On the 29th of this month during my address, I will initiate a non-kinetic approach.
“I will appeal to our people because we have these programmes we have started so that when people leave school here they will have opportunities. So this non-kinetic approach will require everybody’s support. It will require the support of the state governors and the federal government.
“It is good for the federal government to have peace in the South East. It won’t pay them to have bloodshed. Because you see, bloodshed doesn’t pay anybody. So whatever sacrifices they make to bring the non-kinetic approach which saves killings and bloodshed will be useful and that is what I want to do.
“I am going to reach all these people by any means and I will talk for peace. I will beg them. I will even give them my life. If they want to take my life I am ready to surrender. I will set up a committee. I will send people abroad. They have mentioned some names of people abroad who feel are doing this. I am going to set up a committee.
“I don’t want to kill any of my children. All these people, the gunmen are my children. We are going there to beg them and to appeal to them. Tell them please, tell us what you want us to do and we are doing it already. I am sure that even those who are hungry will find something for them to do to keep them happy. But the shedding of blood should stop.”
Iwuanyanwu said that he has resolved to transform Ndigbo to create employment opportunities, saying however that could be achieved with the cooperation of the South East Governors.
He said that Ndigbo were not out for war but opportunities to better their lots and sued the Federal Government to see that International Airports in Igboland work as well as the rail transport so that Ndigbo as business entrepreneurs would carry on their enterprise unhindered.
