The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘genocidal’ statement.
Buhari, while reacting to the destruction of 42 facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission across Nigeria, particularly in the South-East, vowed that the people responsible for the destruction would ‘soon have the shock of their lives’.
He added that “many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
In reaction, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, asked the president to immediately retract the statement which threatens a repeat of the civil war experience.
The body also urged Buhari to tender an unreserved apology to the Igbo and show love to the people of the region by having a dialogue with Igbo governors and leaders, including youths and agitators.
The statement read, ”Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has studied the proclamation of President Muhammadu Buhari on social media responding to the insecurity challenges in southeastern Nigeria and we ask President Buhari to quickly rescind the threats of repeating the episode of the civil war experience which killed 3 million Igbo people and wreaked havoc on Igbo properties.
”Mr President should tender an unreserved apology to Ndigbo, for the civil war contentions against southeast to help avert possible misinterpretation of Nigerians misconstruing him.
”We are using this channel to remind President Buhari that there are killer-herdsmen and Northern bandits based on the earlier warnings of USA Embassy, Abuja that ‘they were heading south to destabilise the region’.
”The recent provocative onslaught against the southeast gave rise to Northern delinquents commandeering the moment to unleash affliction on security formations and government agencies like INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission).
”We are solidly behind the southeast governors in these tribulations and difficulties to restore peace and stability in the southeast, and President Buhari should regularly be scheduled to meet with Igbo governors and leaders, including youths and agitators; this exhibition of love is what Nigerians expect from Buhari, not civil war magniloquence.
”Federal Government honoured the Yoruba nation through MKO Abiola by the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day to heal the psyche and wounds of the past, Southeast should be honoured on June 12 Democracy Day through Presidential pardon and amnesty for all repentant Biafra Agitators. No matter the number of challenges that confront Ndigbo, we will not like to be threatened with the genocide of 30 months of Biafra War again.”
